Data Shorts: RCB outdo MI in tactics and spin smarts

This was a high-profile contest played between two of the most followed teams boasting of some of the biggest names in sport. The likes of Rohit, Surya, Hardik, and Bumrah in one corner against Kohli, Patidar, Livingstone, and Hazlewood in the opposite. And in such a high voltage clash it was a few tactical mis-steps from Mumbai and how the visiting spinners bowled that made the difference at the end. Spinners playing a key role was unexpected on a Wankhede track and given the relatively unglamourous spin stocks of these two sides.

Despite Boult and Chahar getting the ball to swing appreciably in the first couple of overs, Chahar was not given a second over in row and instead the final over of the Powerplay when the swing had completely died down. He conceded 20 runs in the over and RCB reached 73/1 at the end of the Powerplay that gave them cushion in the middle overs to keep the run rate hovering around the 10/over mark. When it was RCB's turn to close out the Powerplay, they entrusted Hazlewood who conceded just two runs. That over took the asking rate to 12 an over at the end of six, a point from which it never came down the mark for the rest of the innings.

From overs five to 11, RCB conceded just 38 runs and five of these were bowled by the unfancied duo of Krunal and Suyash. Suyash predominantly bowled outside off stump to the right-handers, asking them to hit against the turn to the longer 66-meter boundary. He bowled 15 balls to the right-handers and conceded just 14 runs off them, with both boundaries hit off him being to the shorter leg side boundary, hitting against the turn. He was quick through the air with nearly half of his deliveries over 100+ kph.

Krunal bowled nearly 75% of his deliveries over 100+ kph and only thrice did he clock under 90 kph. In his second over against Jacks, he bowled two deliveries wide outside off that yorked the batter and followed it up with a straightish quick bouncer that clocked 117.1 kph and pitched in his the bowler's half as Jacks found the fielder at deep square leg.

To put things into perspective, the home spinners bowled much slower through the air and even though they extracted more turn, it was the smarts of RCB spinners that mattered in the end. Santner, the master of speed variations, recorded average speeds of 90.88, 88.95, 92.90, and 90.10 across his four overs but could not contain RCB batters effectively.

Hardik and Tilak Varma did some heavy lifting in the back half to propel a possible Mumbai comeback taking down Krunal and Suyash respectively, but the excellent work done in the first five overs by the duo combined with Patidar's tactical smarts ensured they fell short eventually. Hardik bowled himself in the 17th over to a well-set Patidar and Jitesh that went for 23 runs despite Bumrah having two overs up his sleeve. Patidar, on the other hand, bowled out Yash Dayal by 17th over and gave the ball to Hazlewood in the penultimate over for which he was rewarded with Hardik's wicket.

It was a game of fine margins where RCB's tactical nous combined with an exceptional spell of defensive bowling by their spinners took them over the line.