Rishab Pant Debut; Yuvi Cameo; MSD 50 - Overshadowed by Yuz Chahal's 6 for ..

In every match, we want India to win .. even the ardent would not have imagined the way things unfolded at Bangalore in T20 504 at Bangalore today – nay, it was not the tall target set by Indians. Before that, recall that on Oct 10, 2011, I had posted on : CL T20 2011 - the success story of Mumbai Indians with query - Do you know this frail looking spinner ? ~ that man was the hero !!!! Indian innings started rather disastrously with Kohli getting run out for 2; then Raina and KL Rahul had a good partnership.  At 7.2 Rahul slogged, missed and was bowled.  Replays showed that Ben Stokes had overstepped by a yard – Umpire missed to spot it and failed to review it too.   Raina hit 5 sixers and made 63 off 45; MS Dhoni made his 1st T20 50 [56 off 36];p Yuvraj made a  cameo 27 off 10 with 3 sixers; Rishab Pant became the youngest to make ODI debut, hit a four too – India made 202.  A big target but remember that everything is gettable is T20, gone are the days when 240 odd were tough targets in 50 overs in 1980s! Nehra bowled a great 1st over giving a solitary run.  Jason Roy hit – reverse-swept Chahal’s 1st ball for a 6 and Yuzvendra singh Chahal came back dismissing SW Billings for a first ball duck.  After 13 overs, England were cruising at 117/2 with 86 required off 42 – gettable one thought !Root on 41 & Morgan on 39. Chahal returned scripting an unbelievable story.  Third ball Eoin Morgan got out to a googly, top edged, Pant taking his first catch.  Next ball, having crossed, Joe Root got out to a ball that hurried and was plumb in front.  Stokes denied the hattrick.  In 15th over, Jasprit Bumrah got Butler out for 0.  16th over – 1st ball – Moen Ali got out, held out to a googly. 4th Chahal got rid of Ben Stokes. And of his last delivery, Jordan was stumped by MSD and Chahal had taken a 6 for.  His figures read : 4-0-25-6 in a T 20. Yuzvendra Chahal is the Player of the Match and  Player of the Series as well. He joins Ajanta Mendis, the only other bowler to have taken 6 wickets in T20.  BAW Mendis did it twice in Sept 2012 against Zimbabwe at Hambantota and in aug 2011 against Aussies at Pallekele. In case you still remember that 1^st para (yellow coloured) – in that CL T20 finals in 2011 - chasing a modest 140, Dilshan swore to tear them apart hitting boundaries at will.  27 off 20 balls with 5 fours.  Still MI’s Malinga had the last laugh cleaning him up.   Bhaji who struggled in England bowled a very good over and concluded trapping dangerman Gayle in front.  Then suddenly the unlikely thing happened – a good spell of Bhaji with the little known little Yuzvendra Chahal spinning a web.  The young attacking leg spinner Chahal had a dream spell of 3-0-9-2 instrumental in choking the RCB for 32 runs less than the target.  Bhaji returned 3/20; Malinga and Nechim took two apiece. With regards – S. Sampathkumar
1^st Feb 2017.