Desperate to get their campaigns back on track, 2 bottom-placed teams in Kings XI Punjab and RCB are locking horns in Mohali today, aiming to stay afloat in the 9th edition of the IPL.And that has to hurt Kings XI Punjab some way. Not only because they stay lodged at the bottom of the table, but because they were so close to pulling it off while Murali was tonking bowlers around, before that one defining over — yet again, from Watson, who is making a habit of bowling the match-changing over — in which Vijay lost his head and then, duly, his wicket. Marcus Stoinis, who had a 51-run partnership with the captain, held out the promise of getting there, but Chris stayed true to his reputation to close it out in the end. Spare a thought for Vijay (89 - 57), who lost out on a ton as well as a victory. Boy, how important was Glenn Maxwell's absence in the end?
Man of the Match Watson practically says the secret to his bowling is that he is a batsman. Insightful.
KXIP 174/4 after 20 overs (M Stoinis 34 off 22 | F Behaardien 9 off 7 || Lose by 1 run)
Jordan to take charge of the death. Stoinis hoicks one low to Square-leg, that Chahal overbalances to save a boundary. 16 from 5.
The next one is creamed, from outside leg-stump, through Cover for four. 12 from 4.
Again, Stoinis steps out of his crease and slaps a length-ball for six over Long-off, and walks back to his crease nonchalantly chewing his gum, his chest bulging outwards, looking near enough as thumping his chest like King Kong. 6 from 3.
Jordan switches things up, and bowls a slower delivery that floats along outside off. Stoinis tries to paddle it, then ramp it, and ends up missing it all ends up. Dot ball. 6 from 2.
2 runs are taken as Stoinis carves it to Cover. 4 from 1. And it comes down to the final delivery. Stoinis has done well to marshall the strike this entire over. Any takers for tied scores? Anyone?
Oh so disappointing for KXIP... Jordan has bowled a tough ball to get away, a low full-toss, that Stoinis can hammer to Mid-wicket for just two runs.
KXIP 159/4 after 19 overs (M Stoinis 20 off 17 | F Behaardien 8 off 6 || 17 from 6 balls)
Behaardien puts his entire body into this pull shot, but it's utterly mistimed. But it floats into no-man's land at Midwicket. And Stoinis has now skewered a wide ball to the Backward Point fence for four. Watson is still putting in these effort balls. He has bowled 55% of his deliveries today in the back-of-length region. Very well bowled over at this stage. Just 7 runs off it. Leaves 17 needed off the final over. Boy, how crucial was Vijay's wicket and how disastrous the rush of blood to his head at that crucial stage a couple overs ago.
KXIP 152/4 after 18 overs (M Stoinis 15 off 14 | F Behaardien 6 off 3 || 24 from 12 balls)
And Farhan Behaardien begins his IPL career with a sweetly-timed square-cut through to the Point boundary for four, helped by a misfield from Travis Head. Is this a fielding side led by Virat Panther Kohli? Stoinis now brings the 150 up with a scooped four through Fine-leg.
KXIP 139/4 after 17 overs (M Stoinis 8 off 11 | F Behaardien 0 off 0 || 37 from 18 balls)
Has Vijay no care for a century? He's playing wildly injudicious shots all of a sudden. Oh, wait. The RRR is still 10 an over. Lofts over Extra Cover but falls safe; then swipes at a short-and-wide one. And now, Vijay (89 from 57) has given it away! He takes Watson's bait to go for a pull that makes it only up to middle of Square-leg, where Chahal is waiting in readiness to take the catch.
KXIP 136/3 after 16 overs (M Stoinis 7 off 9 | M Vijay 87 off 53 || 40 from 24 balls)
Chahal loses this ball in the middle of the pitch, and Vijay pounces on it, pummelling it to the Fine-leg boundary for four. Now, he has switched his stance before Chahal even delivers, and yet gets a ball he can just heave/pull away for four behind square.
KXIP 123/3 after 15 overs (M Stoinis 5 off 7 | M Vijay 76 off 49 || 53 from 30 balls)
RCB is blowing hot and cold in the field. Almost effects a direct-hit that would have removed Vijay from the picture, and then Jordan knocks his sliced drive into the Point boundary for four. Kings XI are seeing the shore on the horizon now.
KXIP 114/3 after 14 overs (M Stoinis 4 off 6 | M Vijay 68 off 44 || 62 from 36 balls)
Oof. Vijay is like a Bond villain, murdering bowlers with a touch of class and grace. Steps out and caresses a lofted drive over the bowler's head for four. Oh, before that, he had edged one for four through Third-man, and after that he misses a slow drifter on his pads, but I didn't want to mention those in case they robbed the sheen of his general elegance.
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