KL Rahul, Harpreet Brar star in Punjab's 34-run win over RCB
Ahmedabad, Apr 30: Skipper KL Rahul scored a combative 91 while Harpreet Brar accounted for three key batsmen as Punjab Kings thumped Royal Challengers Bangalore by 34 runs in an IPL match, here on Friday.
Put into bat, Punjab were in a spot of bother at one stage but Rahul's perseverance, power-hitting of Chris Gayle (46) and energy of Brar (25) ensured they had a competitive 179 for five on board.
Rahul and Gayle shared a 80-run stand but Punjab's middle order collapsed as Brar, batting at number seven, was the only other batsman to manage a double-digit score.
Rahul and Brar then added 61 runs for the unbeaten eighth wicket to rescue the side after the RCB bowlers had seized the initiative following Gayle's dismissal in the 11th over.
Rahul hit seven fours and five sixes in his 57-ball knock, while Brar took 17 balls for his 25 that had two sixes and a four.
Brar (3/19) then returned with ball in his hand to dismiss key rival batsmen -- Virat Kohli (35), Glenn Maxwell (0) and AB de Villiers (3) -- as RCB managed 145 for eight.
The win took Punjab (6) to fifth place behind Mumbai Indians (6) in the points table from the sixth place, while RCB (10) remained at number three.
The fiery spells from Riley Meredith (1/29) and Mohammed Shami (1/28) meant that RCB were off to a sedate start as they could score only 36 runs from the Powerplay overs.
The 24-year-old Australian pacer consistently tested the RCB openers and eventually uprooted the stumps of Devdutt Padikkal (7) after being hit for a six on a mis-timed shot by the left-hander.
Kohli, who was hit on his right elbow by compatriot Shami, and Rajat Patidar kept the scoreboard ticking as shot-making was not easy against the disciplined Punjab bowlers.
At half-way mark, RCB were just 62 for two and to make matter worse, left-arm spinner Brar clean bowled Kohli and Maxwell off successive deliveries in the 11th over.
The Punjab bowler returned and sent back dangerous De Villiers (3) to leave RCB gasping at 69 for four in 12.1 overs.
From there onwards, it stopped being a contest as the required run-rate kept soaring.
Earlier, the pace duo of Daniel Sams and Mohammed Siraj bowled tight spells initially to keep the Punjab batsmen on a tight leash, not letting them open their arms.
Prabhsimran Singh, who played in place of injured Mayank Agarwal, could not contribute much, scoring a-run-a-ball 7.
Rahul looked in good touch, driving the ball elegantly but runs did not come at a good pace for the side until Gayle exploded.
The West Indian creamed five fours, including four in a row, in the last over of the Powerplay, bowled by Jamieson.
He followed that up with two sixes off Yuzvendra Chahal in the next over with the first one being a flat maximum.
Runs came thick and fast, boosting the run rate but Gayle could not convert that into a big knock.
Jamieson got rid of the Caribbean marauder, getting him caught behind. It was a soft dismissal as the sharp short ball touched Gayle's gloves and reached into the hands of AB de Villiers.
The tall Kiwi bowler also got rid of Nicholas Pooran (0) while Deepak Hooda (5) and Shahrukh Khan (0) also made their way back to pavilion in a jiffy.
Rahul, who was losing one partner after another, completed his half-century with a single as big shots dried up again.
The last over fetched Punjab 22 runs with Rahul hitting Harshal Patel for two fours and a six before Brar closed the innings with another six.
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India beat Ireland by 304 runs in third women's ODI
Rajkot, Jan 15: Records tumbled like nine pins as the Indian women's cricket team, powered by skipper Smriti Mandhana's 70-ball century, demolished Ireland by a whopping 304 runs to claim its biggest-ever ODI win and complete a 3-0 clean sweep here on Wednesday.
The result of the match was a mere formality once India set Ireland a massive target of 436, and Ireland could only garner 131 before getting bundled out in 31.4 overs.
India put the first step forward towards a crushing victory through record-breaking Mandhana (135, 80b, 12x4, 7x6) and her opening partner Pratika Rawal (154, 129b, 20x4, 1x6), reaching 435/5, highest total by an Indian team — men’s or women’s — in ODIs.
India men's highest ODI total is 418/5 made against the West Indies in Indore in 2011.
Mandhana and Rawal added a whopping 233 runs for the first wicket in just 26.4 overs and there was no looking back.
Then spinners Tanuja Kanwar (2/31) and Deepti Sharma (3/27) took over, sharing five wickets among them to decimate the Irish line-up, which was well short on experience.
Orla Prendergast (36) and Sarah Forbes (41) added 64 runs for a fluent third wicket stand that helped Ireland to recover from a shaky 24 for two to reach 88 without further damage.
But once Prendergast was cleaned up by Kanwar, India were all over the tourists like a bad rash, claiming the remaining seven wickets for just 33 runs.
It also helped India eclipse their previous largest margin of victory (by runs) — 249 registered against the same opposition in 2017 at Potchefstroom, South Africa.
Mandhana’s 10th ODI century came off just 70 deliveries as the left-hander surpassed Harmanpreet Kaur’s 87-ball hundred mark against South Africa last year.
It also set the tone for India breaching the 400-run mark for the first time, joining Australia and New Zealand in that elite list.
Mandhana was in her usual destructive self, and was not afraid to take the aerial route over the 'V' and clear the 30-yard circle.
Pratika complemented her captain brilliantly with a measured knock, making the occasion even more special by notching her maiden international century in her sixth innings.
Pratika relied on precise placement and deft touches in the point region and she showed her aggression only after reaching the ton, hitting Freya Sargent for her first six.
Demonstrating hunger for a bigger knock, she powered her way to an impressive 150 — a perfect blend of composure and aggression.
Their 233-run partnership made them only the fourth Indian pair to record a 200-run stand in Women’s ODIs.
It was also the third instance of both Indian openers scoring hundreds in ODIs, following Reshma Gandhi and Mithali Raj’s feat at Milton Keynes in 1999 and Deepti and Raut’s partnership at Potchefstroom in 2017 -- all against Ireland.
The duo added 90 runs during the Power Play and 67 in the subsequent 10 overs, maintaining a brisk scoring rate.
Mandhana reached her first century of the calendar year with an exquisite drive off Arlene Kelly.
Kelly bore the brunt of her onslaught, conceding successive sixes in one over.
Even Kelly’s variations, including back-of-the-hand deliveries, were dispatched with ease, with the Indian batter following a six with another boundary in the 24th over.
Mandhana also took on Ireland’s leading bowler, Prendergast, smashing her for a boundary down the ground and a towering six over long-on.
Promoted to No. 3, Richa Ghosh also returned to form, making a 37-ball fifty, her fifth in ODIs.
