Berth in the final at stake, Royal battle on a new pitch

Sanjjeev K Samyal

AHMEDABAD: When they got to 188, Rajasthan Royals would have felt that their chances of taming Gujarat Titans in the first play-off were pretty good. The way Jos Buttler struggled for timing for most of his innings at the Eden Gardens surface on Tuesday, the Royals’ could be excused for thinking that they will make Hardik Pandya & Co work for their runs.

It was during the Titans chase that the true nature of the surface became clear. It was a batting paradise. To everyone’s disbelief, the Titans chased down the target with remarkable ease, winning with seven wickets to spare. The second game saw nearly 400 runs scored.

With the tournament moving to new venues for the knock-out phase, the challenge in the play-offs this season is that you don’t what to expect from the pitch. The teams have to map the conditions quickly, figure out which type of bowlers will click or what is a good total on the surface? The Royals’ learnt this lesson the hard way in the first game.

Playing on an unknown surface has an element of risk. Even in the league matches held in Mumbai, teams took time to acclimatise. They were taken by surprise by the help on offer to the pacers early on. The likes of Umesh Yadav and Mohammed Shami were lethal and teams learnt that exposing your best batters to the new ball was not a good idea. As the action moves to Ahmedabad’s gigantic Narendra Modi International Stadium, Royals and Royal Challengers Bangalore will be again venturing into untested waters. It is the first game of the tournament here. And compared to Eden Gardens, not much cricket has happened at the Gujarat Cricket Association’s new stadium.

Royals and RCB will have to be quick to sniff out the conditions. Their experienced players will need to guide. RCB will rely on Virat Kohli to help out

and Royals’ R Ashwin. The two were part of India’s recent international fixtures played here and will be able to get a better idea of what to expect after watching a few deliveries.

Cracker on the cards

After two gripping play-off games, another cracker is on the cards. Both teams are desperate to lay their hands on the IPL trophy. RCB have never won the tournament and Royals’ only title came 14 years ago, in the inaugural season. The stakes are high. There is no room for slip-ups: the loser goes home. It will be a test of temperament in every sense of the word.

RCB are on a high after beating Lucknow Super Giants in the Eliminator. Royals will have to shrug off their defeat against Titans and lift their mood to be ready for the challenge. On the league table, RCB finished fourth. They just about squeezed through to the playoffs thanks to Mumbai Indians pulling off a win over Delhi

Capitals. In comparison, Royals qualified with ease. But, RCB have picked up momentum at the right time. Their cricket has left a lot to be desired but their spirits are high and that can be crucial.

Royals have the advantage of an extra day of rest while RCB have to refuel and recharge their batteries after their energy-sapping, emotionally charged game on Wednesday as they play within 24 hours of landing.

Rajat Patidar was like a oneman show against LSG. While he adds a new dimension to their line-up now, RCB’S batting unit has to fire collectively to put on a total that will test Jos Buttler & Co. It’s time for their prima donnas, Kohli, skipper Faf du Plessis and Glenn Maxwell to come to the party. Finisher Dinesh Karthik will be crucial again but they have their task cut out against the quality and variety of Royals bowling unit.

They have crafty pacers but spin is Royals’ main weapon.

Yuzvendra Chahal and R Ashwin have been brilliant. Chahal has 26 wickets, from 15 games, at an economy rate of 7.60. Ashwin doesn’t have that many wickets (11 from 15) but they compliment each other to form a formidable partnership. Chahal has been the attacking option and Ashwin will build the pressure with his variety. He has an impressive economy rate of 7.33.

The duo will also be smarting from the lack of success against Titans. Captain Sanju Samson was banking on the two to apply pressure and provide the breakthroughs after Buttler & Co had given them the runs to bowl at. That the two went wicketless was one of the main causes of the defeat. Chahal had figures of none for 32 and Ashwin none for 40 as Titans chased down the target for the loss of just three wickets.

Their battle against Glenn Maxwell will hold the key on Friday evening. Maxwell can upset Chahal’s gameplan of floating the ball wide of the offstump and enticing batters to reach out. The Australia dasher is adept at the reverse hits, which is the best stroke to put a leg-spinner or a left-arm spinner off their line.

With 718 runs at an average 51.29 and a strike rate of 148.35, the wicket to target for RCB will be Jos Buttler. Even when not at his best, he can still make a dent in the opposition ranks like he showed in the play-off with an innings of 89. The flip side is that Royals’ batting is too reliant on their England star. Sanju Samson is timing the ball beautifully. This is the game where he needs to convert the start into a big one. Buttler will bank on support from the army of left-handers, his opening partner Yashavi Jaiswal, promising Devdutt Padikkal and big-hitter Shimron Hetmyer.

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