Declaring that he feels “nice and fresh” after his injury break, Josh Hazlewood has delivered another fast-bowling masterclass for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the Indian Premier League to consign Chennai Super Kings to a record home defeat.
Silencing the famously noisy fans at Chepauk Stadium on Friday, the rejuvenated quick struck twice in his first over and ended with superb figures of 3-21 and 15 dot balls as he helped condemn the hosts to their landmark 50-run defeat.
It was the second match running that the 34-year-old, looking back to something like his brilliant best after hip, side and calf injuries over the summer, had propelled RCB to a convincing victory as they became the first side to win two matches this season.
Tim David, who played his own explosive part in RCB’s win with a gem of a last-over cameo, watched his Australia teammate with awe, noting on his player’s mike during the match: “He’s such a skilful bowler, so experienced, and he’s come over here really fresh, bowling beautifully at the moment.”
Hazlewood himself wasn’t about to disagree. “Yeah, the ball’s coming out nicely. Feeling nice and fresh,” he smiled.
“Any time you get injured, you can feel down, but if you use that time wisely, as I hope I did this time around, and you can get a nice couple of months in the gym and running fitness, you can turn up to these events nice and fresh.
“Whereas in past years, you can be fatigued heading into it, so it’s a nice position to be in, and hopefully it stays around.”
RCB, put in to bat, made a challenging 7-196, helped largely by their skipper Rajat Patidar’s 51 off 32 balls, Phil Salt’s 32 off 16 and Virat Kohli’s 31 off 30, before David provided a fabulous late sheen by hitting England left-armer Sam Curran for three successive sixes in the 20th over.
One went over square leg, the next straight down the ground and the third high over cow corner, with his 22no off eight balls making all the difference for RCB.
Then it was time for Hazlewood to get to work. Fast and bouncy, he struck straight away, finding his pinpoint spot just short of a length that persuaded Rahul Tripathi, off his second ball, and captain Ruturaj Gaikwad, off the sixth, to try pull shots which they mistimed.
With his seam complemented by Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s swing, Chennai were three down in the power play and never looked like recovering, as RCB’s spinners continued the stranglehold.
New Zealander Rachin Ravindra did his best with 41 off 31 but Chennai got well behind the rate so that when Hazlewood returned near the death to get rid of Ravindra Jadeja for 25 with another short one, the game was already up.
MS Dhoni, at 43, had earlier shown the reactions of a teenage wicketkeeper with a lightning stumping of Salt when RCB batted.
But, maddeningly for the home fans, Chennai’s grandee only came in at No.9, hitting a what-might-have-been, unbeaten 30 off 16 balls with the game already lost. The great Dhoni even smashed Hazlewood for two fours to doubtless irritate the Australian by marring his figures, if only slightly.
https://thewest.com.au/sport/cricket/more-hazlewood-brilliance-inspires-bengaluru-win-in-ipl-c-18195170
