Jadhav run-out was the turning point: Shane Watson

Stand-in captain Shane Watson conceded that the run-out of Kedar Jadhav, who was batting beautifully till he was found short of the crease by a bullet of a throw from Ben Cutting from the deep, was the turning point in the game.

RCB fell short by 35 runs chasing a target of 208 set by defending champions Sunrisers Hyderabad. Dissecting the loss at the post match presentation, Watson said, “At the half-way point, we were neck-to-neck with where the Sunrisers Hyderabad were at that point. But, Jadhav’s run-out was the turning point. He was batting really well. Ben Cutting’s fielding made the difference.”

RCB indeed were on track to chase down the target until Jadhav’s unfortunate run-out in the 12^th over of the innings. Jadhav and Head had added 56 runs in just 31 balls up till that point. Both batsmen took the charge forward after openers Gayle (32) and Mandeep (24) gave them a flying start. Jadhav’s maverick display of batting was then ended by a brilliant direct-hit from Ben Cutting, when the batsman took on Cutting’s strong arm for a risky second run, which turned the slide towards the Sunrisers. Jadhav had to depart for a 15-ball 31, an innings which promised a lot.

Earlier, a blistering innings from Yuvraj Singh helped Sunrisers amass 207/4 in their 20 overs. The stylish left-hander came out and batted with intent immediately. He notched up an IPL half-century – after a gap of two years – which came off just 23 balls, making it his fastest ever in this tournament. He stroked the ball cleanly but got some help from the fielding side as he was dropped at 26, which eventually cost RCB the game.

Watson said, “Yuvraj batted incredibly well. When you drop someone of his calibre, he can really hurt you.”

The RCB skipper highlighted that a poor display in all departments was the prime reason for the 35-run defeat. “We were too sloppy in the field and the execution with the ball was off. We lost wickets at the wrong time. The quick bowlers were not up to the mark. 207 was a big total. It was a great wicket. If we got one partnership, we could have chased this total down,” he said.

RCB looked rusty in the season opener. They need to pull their socks quickly for they are scheduled to play their second game of the season this Sunday at home against Gujarat Lions.