On a pitch where most batsmen from either side found it difficult to execute their shots, Manoj Tiwary played a brilliant cameo that not only made mockery of the slowness of the pitch but was also the difference between Rising Pune Supergiant winning and Royal Challengers Bangalore losing their Sunday’s match.

Reeling at 132/7 after 18 overs, Supergiant plundered 29 runs in the last two overs of which Tiwary alone accounted for 26 as he took a special liking to Shane Watson. While RCB coach Daniel Vettori agreed the last two overs -- especially the penultimate one by Watson that cost 19 runs -- changed the complexion of the game, Tiwary was blunt enough to say that the Aussie all-rounder didn’t use his brains in bowling the way he did.                                                                                                                                                               
“It was difficult for the batsmen but I felt that that over of Watson obviously, he didn’t apply his brain to be honest,” said Tiwary when asked if the wicket was a true reflection of the way both teams batted, leaving aside Bengal batsman’s 11-ball-27. “Wicket was difficult to bat on. If there is moisture underneath, it makes shot-making difficult. Even Shardul Thakur bowled with the seam upright, he got it to swing. Virat nicked and I missed. The plan was to bowl back of length and cutters,” he reasoned.

Vettori rued RCB bowling going awry after having Pune in a spot of bother when they dismissed five visiting batsmen in the space of nine balls and three runs. “Yes (Watson erred by pitching it up),” he said. “We set the example for ourselves in the first 18 overs by bowling back of a length (deliveries). We took four wickets for seven runs by bowling to the stumps. And then we went away from that plan and the last two overs cost us, I think, 30 (29) runs.”

Tiwary said he read the bowler’s mind and called his bluff. “I was just trying to read the mind of the bowler. I was observing what he (Shane Watson) was trying to do to MS Dhoni.

“He set a field and bowled differently, he was trying to bluff. He got a wicket in the form of MS. For the kind of field he had set, I knew he’ll bowl similarly to me. Once the bouncer went for a wide, I knew he wouldn’t bowl another one. He bowled in my areas, he missed his execution and I was up for it. Pretty happy to have contributed in the last phase,” he explained