RCB Crush PBKS with Ruthless Bowling Display

It was an intense evening in Mullanpur where RCB showed their hunger for victory by defeating PBKS with a brilliant performance. The Punjab team could not stand up to the fierce challenge and crumbled under pressure. Ricky Ponting looked on helplessly as his team’s batting line-up was torn apart by Virat Kohli’s smart captaincy and RCB’s fiery bowlers. The match lasted just two and a half hours but it seemed like a never-ending horror for PBKS.

The weather in Chandigarh favored the RCB bowlers greatly. In most of the matches played here this season, teams batting first had won the matches. Josh Hazlewood described how the new ball was performing wonders and the bowlers just needed to use the ball intelligently. PBKS had to play cautiously and try to get a respectable score of 150 or 160 to be in contention but their attacking style backfired terribly.

PBKS began in their typical aggressive manner. After Priyansh Arya was dismissed in the second over Prabhsimran Singh attempted to attack Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the third over. He could hit a couple of boundaries over mid-off and mid-on but when he attempted again, the ball swung away and he edged it to Jitesh Sharma behind the wickets. Virat Kohli was thrilled at first slip and the feeling was that the moment put the tone for the entire game.

RCB had entered this match after a gritty bowling display in their last game. They knew they needed to recover soon and they were given a shot in the arm by Josh Hazlewood who had been out for more than a month with a shoulder injury returning to play. Hazlewood remained rust-free as he bowled with impeccable length and control. Shreyas Iyer attempted to send him out of the park but he missed the ball altogether and was bowled.

The PBKS batsmen were not able to cope up with the pressure that was mounted upon them by RCB. RCB bowlers bowled with such passion and aggression that PBKS never found an opportunity to settle down. Virat Kohli was always in the midst of things shifting fielders around barking encouragement and cutting off runs with his acuteness in the field. The passion of RCB was too powerful for PBKS to handle.

After the new ball bowlers had torn through the top-order Suyash Sharma arrived and bowled his deceptive googlies. Marcus Stoinis and Shashank Singh did not even read his balls and were dismissed playing the wrong shots. PBKS kept losing wickets and were unable to form any partnership. Azmatullah Omarzai and Harpreet Brar only managed to survive for a few balls towards the end. Their relationship was the only one that survived beyond a few deliveries.

This was not the same pitch where PBKS had come out to defend a low score of 111 runs. On that occasion, the pitch had variable turn and bounce that assisted the bowlers from the beginning of the match to the end. But today it was the skill of RCB bowlers and cunning tactics that came in handy. They pitched the ball in the right zones and never allowed PBKS to get comfortable.

While PBKS continued losing their wickets Ponting appeared frustrated but all he could do was emerge during the timeout and pat a few of his players on the back for having taken two wickets. Kyle Jamieson and Musheer Khan played their hearts out and gave Punjab some hope for a short while but it was all done very soon. Rajat Patidar closed the game with a mighty six that sealed victory for RCB.

Virat Kohli was celebratory mood and he ended the evening with a trademark gesture shaking his finger in the direction of the stands as if to tell the world that RCB are still struggling hard to make their dream come true. The game was a giant leap for them towards progress and now they are just one additional win away from bringing their dream to life. PBKS will wish to erase this game from their memories as soon as possible but RCB would like to recall this as a night when they played with heart and passion and planted PBKS under a tide of resolve and astute cricket.

RCB demonstrated their strength when they had faith in themselves. Their bowlers were collective with each other and adhering to the plan. Kohli was the one leading them with his aggressive field placements and positive vibes. The fielders supported the bowlers by holding their nerve and defending every run and adding more pressure on the PBKS batsmen.

This was not an ordinary game of cricket. It was a statement by RCB that they have come to win and no one can hinder them if they play like this. PBKS will have to look back and analyze what went wrong as they did not have any solution to the RCB attack. Whenever a batsman attempted to attack, he was greeted with a clever plan by RCB's bowlers and fielders.

The stadium and television audiences witnessed a match that was so dramatic and thrilling. RCB's bowlers built a kind of pressure from where PBKS were unable to break free. It was an ultimate example of how necessary it is to play as a unit and not let the pressure control you.

Finally PBKS were bowled out for only 101 runs and RCB chased easily displaying their class and concentration. The win was not only about the table points it was about giving a message to each and every other team in the league that RCB means serious business this season.

So while the dust settles on this exciting game RCB can draw a lot of confidence from this outing. They played with passion they adhered to their plans and they proved everyone what they are capable of. PBKS will, however, have to learn how to bounce back early if they wish to remain in the hunt. This game will be talked about for many years to come as it demonstrated the best and worst of T20 cricket and reminded us all why we are so fond of this sport.