New Delhi [India], April 25 : Former Royal Challengers Bengaluru head coach Sanjay Bangar classified "consistent" Josh Hazlewood as a "captain's dream" while the ex-franchise captain Anil Kumble sang a verse in praise of the Australian speedster for his "special" performance.
Bengaluru opened its win account at home with a blockbuster performance at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium against the Rajasthan Royals on Thursday night. The pulsating fixture didn't get off to an ideal start for Bengaluru, as the coin spun against skipper Rajat Patidar's call, which allowed Rajasthan to put the hosts in to bat.
On a tricky surface, Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal set the stage on fire with their composed 95-run stand for the second wicket, clearing the way for RCB to blaze its way to a daunting 205/5. With enough runs on the board, Bengaluru began its crusade to defend the target, and Hazlewood emerged as the driving factor.
He single-handedly spoiled Rajasthan's attempts to end its losing streak with his sizzling four-wicket haul. While his compatriots Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Yash Dayal struggled to find consistency, Hazlewood hunted the Royals alone with his scorching pace.
"He was outstanding. Given the surface, Hazlewood was expected to be the most dangerous bowler for RR. RCB were under pressure after Bhuvneshwar's previous over went for 22, and Rajasthan Royals needed 40 off 3. But Hazlewood responded brilliantly--those two wickets and the sharp review by Jitesh Sharma turned the game in RCB's favour. It was something special from the entire team, especially Hazlewood," Kumble said on JioHotstar.
After drawing the first blood in powerplay by scything the priceless scalp of Yashasvi Jaiswal, Hazlewood returned to the attack to torment in the death overs. He began his ruthless onslaught by luring out a thick edge from Shimron Hetmyer's bat and then scythed two scalps while giving away a solitary run in the penultimate over to return with figures of 4/33.
"Josh Hazlewood brings the kind of consistency every captain dreams of. Under pressure, he keeps his cool, hits the right lengths, and knows exactly what to bowl to each batter. RCB's bowling improvement over the years is largely due to him--he's been their most reliable bowler, barring the season he missed due to injury. Hitting test-match lengths day in and day out is second nature to him. On a surface with steep bounce, it's no surprise he picked up four wickets." Bangar said.
With a spirited performance across all facets of the game, RCB relished in its 11-run triumph and jumped to the third spot with 12 points, level with Gujarat Titans and Delhi Capitals.