Source :- PERTH NOW NEWS
Australian finisher supreme Tim David has managed to get champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru across the line for yet another IPL victory, but for once was happy to let his partner do most of the death-overs donkey work.
Charged along with Krunal Pandya in knocking off the 33 needed to win off the final four-and-a-half overs on Friday to surpass Gujarat Titans’ 3-205, David was kept quiet by his normal destructive standards at the Chinnaswamy Stadium.
That still didn’t stop him ballooning one – somewhat flukily but with familiar power – that flew off a thick outside edge over the third-man boundary for six. David grinned; Kagiso Rabada looked distinctly unimpressed.
But it was Pandya who did most damage as he cracked 23 off 12 balls to take RCB past their target on 5-206 and earn the five-wicket victory, with seven balls to spare, that keeps them hot on the heels of leaders Punjab. They’re now just a point behind the Ricky Ponting-guided outfit.
David, though, had done his familiarly useful bit with his unbeaten 10 off nine balls, and the most important thing was that he was still there at the end – as he nearly always seems to be.
Remarkably, he’s now amassed 183 from his seven knocks and been dismissed just twice, averaging 91.5 and firing at a strike-rate of nearly 195. He’s faced 94 balls, and hit 15 of them for six and a dozen more for four. No wonder they love him in Bengaluru.
Not as much as Virat Kohli, though. It was the old master who did most to steer them to victory, with his commanding 81 off 44 balls, having shared the decisive stand with Devdutt Padikkal, who hit six sixes in his 55 off 27 balls.
Put in to bat, Gujarat opener Sai Sudharsan had earlier appeared to have put the Titans in the driving seat with his brilliant 100 off 58 balls and RCB were mightily relieved when their Australian pace master Josh Hazlewood caught-and-bowled their tormentor straight after he’d reached his ton.
Hazlewood wasn’t at his meannest, though, as he also went for 10 an over off his allocation.
