Chennai Super Kings v Royal Challengers Bangalore, IPL 2012

Gayle, Kohli power Bangalore to 205

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20 overs Royal Challengers Bangalore 205 for 8 (Gayle 68, Kohli 57, Bollinger 3-24) v Chennai Super Kings

	Chris Gayle hit six sixes during his half-century © AFP  Enlarge
Related Links Matches: Chennai Super Kings v Royal Challengers Bangalore at Chennai Series/Tournaments: Indian Premier League Teams: Chennai Super Kings | India | Royal Challengers Bangalore

Royal Challengers Bangalore, powered by Chris Gayle and Virat Kohli, became the first team to breach the 200-run mark in IPL 2012. On a batting friendly pitch, Royal Challengers faced little threat from the conditions and the attack as Chennai Super Kings' bowlers kept their answers to the persistent onslaught for the end, when they took five wickets in six deliveries.

Mayank Agarwal opened the innings instead of Cheteshwar Pujara, and did so in blistering fashion, laying the platform for Gayle and Kohli to construct a skyscraper on. Contrasting half-centuries from both batsmen, who scored at a sustained rate throughout their time at the crease, put Royal Challengers in a commanding position despite the flurry of wickets at the end.

Agarwal initially eclipsed Gayle, peppering the off side with powerful shots as he lofted the ball over mid-off and timed it sweetly through covers. He did not always get it right, though, and mistimed a sweep to Doug Bollinger at fine leg, a simple chance that should have been gobbled up. Bollinger let the ball slip through his fingers and gave Agarwal a lifeline on 16, which he made fairly good use of as he continued to hog the strike.

After five overs, Gayle had faced only five balls and had not scored a boundary. He was content to wait while Agarwal ushered Royal Challengers to the first half-century score inside five overs this season. When he had enough of the off-side, Agarwal shifted his focus and smacked R Ashwin for two sixes on the leg side. The fun eventually ended when Albie Morkel was introduced and Agarwal top-edged a slower ball bouncer to mid-on.

Three overs of sobriety followed as the change bowlers sent down a slew of slower balls to control the run-rate. The quiet was short lived. Gayle woke from his slumber when Suresh Raina came on to bowl. After scoring without boundaries, Gayle unleashed three sixes in the ninth over, which cost Super Kings 21, the most expensive of the innings. Two were sent sailing over long-on and the third was smoked off the back foot when Raina dropped short.

While Gayle gathered runs with power, Kohli did it with placement and timing. Their partnership grew to the highest in this edition of the IPL. MS Dhoni tried to stop the bleeding through Dwayne Bravo and Morkel, the only bowlers to have some measure of control by using changes of pace. Even Bravo's resistance crumbled, though, when Gayle sent a slower ball on to the stadium's roof.

It was up to Ravindra Jadeja, who was held back until the 17th over, to remove Gayle. His departure made little difference as Kohli damaged Morkel's figures, before becoming the first of Bollinger's three wickets in the final over. Bollinger had Kohli caught at long-on, Pujara bowled next ball and Raju Bhatkal caught at mid-off, as well as the run-out of Daniel Vettori to ensure Royal Challengers only inched over the 200 mark.