Suman, Symmo steer Chargers out of rut

Royal Challengers slip to fourth loss in five games

The fire of Virat Kohli (58, 35b, 4x4, 4x6) and the pragmatism of Jacques Kallis (68, 44b, 9x4, 1x6) powered RCB to an imposing 184 for six after a few initial jitters, and Chargers required one of those Adam Gilchrist specials to hunt down the target.

But it was unlikely hero T Suman (78 n.o., 57b, 6x4, 3x6) and the raw power of Andrew Symonds (53 n.o., 24b, 5x4, 3x6) and their 91-run partnership for the fourth-wicket from a mere 7.4 overs that guided the defending champions home.

It was the fourth win for Chargers from 10 matches while Challengers stayed at 10 points from as many games.

Gilchrist briefly threatened to produce that elusive big knock. The Aussie left-hander shone brightly, uncorking those archetypal power-packed shots against Dale Steyn and Kallis as the visitors reached 80 for the loss of Mohnish Mishra in the 10th over. The launch pad was set for a shimmering invasion into the rival camp.

But that ever-canny warrior Anil Kumble slipped in a googly to end those ambitions as Deccan Chargers appeared headed nowhere. Sensing the need for a wicket, Kumble pressed himself into the attack, and how wonderfully the skipper won the battle between old foxes. The legendary leg-spinner dropped his dreaded googly a bit short, beating Gilchrist’s charge down the wicket for Robin Uthappa to complete a simple stumping.

But Symonds and Suman derailed Challengers with a bruising partnership.
Earlier, Royal Challengers struggled for a move-on for most part of their innings before a late charge from Kohli and Kallis instilled fresh life into scoring and a packed house.
The turnaround in RCB’s fortunes that looked bleak started in the 17th over when Kohli decided to opt for the brutal and the aggrieved party was Symonds. The sequence read 6, 4, wd, 4, 6, 2, 0 for a total of 23 runs. Thereafter, runs came like flashflood for the home side.

But there were were hardly any indications of the impending storm when the Indo-South African pair joined forces. They took their time to lift RCB from a wobbly 68 for four after Chargers’ bowlers put up a disciplined effort in the initial stages of the match.
Manish Pandey was the first to return to the hut, Ryan Harris darting one through his defence, but Rahul Dravid and Kallis repaired the early damage with a stand of 42 – a mix of sweat and satin.

Dravid authored a few elegant shots through the square region but his dismissal sparked a mini-collapse with Bangalore losing two more wickets, Uthappa and Ross Taylor, in the span of nine deliveries for the addition of just eight runs.

The Kohli-Kallis combine steadied the ship with their fifth wicket alliance, worth 95 off a mere 8.4 overs, as they exploded without any warning. The assault was simply breathtaking and Kohli was the mastermind, carting the ball to the far corners of the stadium effortlessly.

RCB innings gained sudden momentum as 69 runs flooded through the last four overs as the power drained from Chargers’ performance before Symonds-Suman duo came up with a sensational alliance.

SCORE BOARD

ROYAL CHALLENGERS BANGALORE: Manish Pandey b Harris 1 (6b), Jacques Kallis c Harris b Marsh 68 (44b, 9x4, 1x6), Rahul Dravid c Rohit b Ojha 26 (25b, 2x4, 1x6), Robin Uthappa c Gilchrist b Symonds 2 (5b), Ross Taylor lbw Ojha 1 (2b), Virat Kohli c Symonds b Harris 58 (35b, 4x4, 4x6), Cameron White (not out) 13 (3b, 2x6), Praveen Kumar (not out) 0 (9b). Extras (LB-1, W-14) 15. Total (for 6 wkts, 20 overs) 184.
Fall of wickets: 1-18 (Pandey), 2-60 (Dravid), 3-63 (Uthappa), 4-68 (Taylor), 5-165 (Kallis), 6- 172 (Kohli).
Bowling: Ryan Harris 4-0-37-2 (w-3), Harmeet Singh 1-0-13-0 (w-2), Rudra Pratap Singh 4-0-38-0 (w-5), Mitchell Marsh 4-0-37-1 (w-3), Pragyan Ojha 4-0-24-2, Andrew Symonds 3-0-34-1 (w-1).
Scoring pattern: 5 overs: 39/1, 10: 68/3, 15: 107/4, end of innings: 184/6 in 20 overs.
Runs during Power Play: 1-6 overs: 46/1.

DECCAN CHARGERS: Adam Gilchrist st Uthappa b Kumble 32 (19b, 3x4, 2x6), Mohnish Mishra c Uthappa b Praveen 9 (11b, 2x4), T Suman (not out) 78 (57b, 6x4, 3x6), Rohit Sharma c Steyn b Vinay 6 (5b, 1x4), Andrew Symonds (not out) 53 (24b, 5x4, 3x6). Extras (LB-2, W-6) 8. Total (for 3 wkts, 19.2 overs) 186.
Fall of wickets: 1-11 (Mishra), 2-88 (Gilchrist), 3-95 (Rohit).
Bowling: Praveen Kumar 4-0-37-1 (w-1), Anil Kumble 4-0-38-1 (w-2), Dale Steyn 4-0-38-0 (w-3), Jacques Kallis 4-0-32-0, R Vinay Kumar 3.2-0-39-1.
Scoring pattern: 5 overs: 30/1, 10: 80/1, 15: 125/3, end of innings: 186/3 in 19.2 overs.
Runs during Power Play: 1-6 overs: 32/1.