Fast bowler Mohammed Siraj grabbed 3-19 against his former team and Jos Buttler made amends for poor glovework with a 31-ball half-century as Gujarat Titans notched an eight-wicket win over Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the Indian Premier League on Wednesday.
Siraj, who was not retained by Benglauru, bowled to tight lengths in Bengaluru's first home game of the season before Liam Livingstone’s 40-ball knock of 54 lifted the total to 169-8.
Buttler dropped one of the three catches and missed out stumping of Livingstone but smashed an unbeaten 73 off 39 balls as Gujarat cruised to 170-2 in 17.5 overs, denying Bengaluru of a third straight victory.
Opening batter Sai Sudharsan (49) missed out on his third straight half-century, but his 75-run partnership with Buttler led Gujarat to its second win of the season.
Buttler leads Gujarat chase
Buttler had a few tough months coming into the IPL as he stepped down as England captain after an early exit from the Champions Trophy. But he shrugged of the disappointment for his new IPL franchise, even if being a bit scratchy behind the wickets.
Captain Shubman Gill scored run-a-ball 14 before he sliced a catch to Livingstone at third man just one ball after hitting Bhuvneshwar Kumar for a six inside the power play.
But with dew settling in, Buttler and Sudharsan batted with lot of aggression before a dried ball brought success for Bengaluru. Sudharsan tried to play a lap-shot against Josh Hazlewood (1-43) for the second time but offered a simple catch to wicketkeeper Jitesh Sharma.
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Buttler raised his second half-century of the season with a six over long-on against Livingstone as Bengaluru had little answer to Englishman’s aggression. Impact player Sherfane Rutherford also hit three sixes in his quickfire unbeaten 30 off 18 balls as he finished off the game with a pulled six off Hazlewood.
“Really enjoyed it (batting),” Buttler said. “The bowlers did a fantastic job. If we fielded better, myself included, we would have chased less.”
Siraj proves a point
Siraj and pace bowler Arshad Khan bowled at a good pace and proved captain Gill’s decision to bowl first right as Bengaluru slipped to 42-4 inside the first seven overs.
Virat Kohli (7) started with a cover driven boundary in Siraj’s first over before pulling Khan’s back of the length delivery straight into the hands of Prasidh Krishna at backward square leg in the next over as he walked off to the much disappointment of home team fans.
Buttler missed out a straightforward edge of Phil Salt (14), but Siraj uprooted the off stump of Englishman and also clean bowled Devdutt Padikkal (4). Ishant Sharma then pinned captain Rajat Patidar plumb leg before wicket for 12 as Bengaluru lost four top-order batters.
“It was emotional because I played for seven years here,” Siraj said of his long association with Bengaluru. “There was some nervousness and some emotion … (but) I have belief that I can do well, irrespective of wherever I am playing and that is my mindset.”
Livingstone and Jitesh Sharma (33) shared vital 52-run stand off just 38 balls before left-arm spinner Sai Kishore (2-22) dismissed Sharma and Krunal Pandya in his two successive overs.
But Livingstone took on ace leg-spinner Rashid Khan (0-54) and struck three sixes in his one over after twice getting dropped and Buttler missing out on a stumping chance.
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Livingstone cashed in on the chances as Bengaluru scored 64 off the final five overs with Tim David hitting two sixes and three boundaries in his little cameo of 32 off 18 balls.