RCB will hope to keep carry its momentum into the semifinal clash
AFP After pulling off a last-ball win against South Australian Red backs, RunTra lai em niem vui khi duoc gan ben em, tra lai em loi yeu thuong em dem, tra lai em niem tin thang nam qua ta dap xay. Gio day chi la nhung ky niem buon...
Tra lai em niem vui khi duoc gan ben em, tra lai em loi yeu thuong em dem, tra lai em niem tin thang nam qua ta dap xay. Gio day chi la nhung ky niem buon...
Tra lai em niem vui khi duoc gan ben em, tra lai em loi yeu thuong em dem, tra lai em niem tin thang nam qua ta dap xay. Gio day chi la nhung ky niem buon...
Royal Challengers Bangalore stares at the onerous task of retaining the momentum gained from a pulsating last-ball victory over South Australia while, at the same time, recovering adequately from that emotionally draining win for Friday night's big match.
The Champions League semifinal against New South Wales at the Chinnaswamy Stadium will test RCB's mettle. So far, the team has done well — they have managed to stay in contention by counter-punching. But after chasing down South Australia's 214, the team will now have to contend with mounting expectations.
On Wednesday, RCB proved that it can stare down challenges without blinking even if Chris Gayle does not fire.
When Gayle departed after a cameo on Wednesday, many of the fans began to leave, and that reflected the team's overwhelming dependence on the big-built former West Indies captain to scythe out pathways over steep required rates.
RCB captain Daniel Vettori has often said that there are other players who also can deliver, and coach Ray Jennings has always been a votary for Virat Kohli. The youngster, along with Tillakaratne Dilshan, proved that RCB has a few men who can laugh at inflationary targets.
However the same match in which RCB found its top-order sparkle, also highlighted the middle and lower-order's instability — Arun Karthik's winning six only glossed over the frailties.
Men like Saurabh Tiwary, Mayank Agarwal and even Vettori were guilty of displaying equal felicity for swatting sixes and throwing their wickets away as the chase got tight.
In a sense, the game reflected RCB's over-reliance on its top-order and to expect Gayle, Dilshan and Kohli to regularly help the side tide over choppy waters is a bit too much to ask for.
Among the bowlers, Vettori has been his usual tidy self but seamers Dirk Nannes and S. Arvind lost their calm heads and tight lines when Daniel Harris took the attack to them.
The fielding has wilted at times and RCB needs to iron out these flaws.
Squaring up against RCB is a team that started with a loss against Cape Cobras before winning three matches in a row, including a nerve-wracking one-over eliminator against Trinidad and Tobago.
Not without chinks
NSW may look the team in form at the moment but it has its glitches. David Warner's unbeaten 135 that sunk Chennai Super Kings, has lightened the flaws.
Warner and Steven Smith have scored a major chunk of the runs while skipper Simon Katich has eked out a mere 30 from three innings.
NSW's bowling has rested on left-arm spinner Stephen O'Keefe, who has six wickets and a fine economy rate of 5.69 in the tournament.
Stuart Clark remains the most experienced amidst the seamers and his Anglo-Indian roots that stretch from Bangalore to Chennai through Kolar might make him feel at home.
The week, so far, has witnessed sporadic rain but clear skies on Thursday hint at better things though the Bangalore weather has always been a fickle element.
The fans, meanwhile, will just hope that RCB continues its winning ways and gifts them a fine weekend.
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