Prasidh, McCoy dovetail to launch a double-barrelled attack on RCB

At the end of the Qualifier 2 game, one couldn't stop wondering if Prasidh Krishna had a secret erase button to help him bounce back from disappointment so quickly. He was taken apart by David Miller in the last over of Qualifier 1. But in a matter of few days, he wasn't just clocking 150kph but also extracting disconcerting bounce by pounding the deck really hard in Ahmedabad. He was duly rewarded for his efforts with a three-for. In his very first over, on a track that offered some extra bounce, the 6'2" tall bowler hit the deck hard and forced Virat Kohli to edge one behind. Kohli himself would be disappointed with his poke outside the off-stump, but Prasidh's ability to find awkward bounce also played a part in the dismissal. He had straightaway given a warning signal to the rest of the batting unit that he had enough potent arrows in his quiver. For a while though, the in-form Rajat Patidar matched Prasidh's prowess with his own set of counter-attacking arrows. In the sixth over, Patidar seemed to have a little bit of 'extra time' on his hands as he crunched a sumptuous cut stroke followed by an equally pleasing punch. Prasidh, though, could have bagged the important scalp in the same over. The No.3 batter tried to crack another cut but Prasidh got the ball to climb appreciably on the batter. Fortunately for RCB, Riyan Parag put down a sitter at backward point. On the night, Prasidh was determined to chart a way out of every minor setback. When he returned for a crucial spell in the slog overs, he dislodged Dinesh Karthik with a delivery that was bowled away from the zone and nailed the picture-perfect yorker to make a mess of Wanindu Hasaranga's stumps. Once again the mind went back to the Gujarat Titans game when he had attempted a yorker in the last over but missed the mark. Subsequently, Miller stayed deep and shuffled across the stumps to club a six. Yes, Miller is an established finisher and Prasidh perhaps found it a tad easier to bowl the toe-crusher at a right-handed batter. But all it took was a few more inches for Prasidh to take a shortcut from despair to celebration. In the aftermath of the game, Royals' coach Kumar Sangakkara talked extensively about Prasidh's bad day in the office versus the Titans and how the coaches try to help out a cricketer to bounce back after a poor performance. "The only thing you have to understand is whether it was an executional error or of general clarity and awareness," Sangakkara said. "If it is an executional error, it is very simple to rectify. Skill versus skill. Bowler versus batter. You try and execute the best ball for the field that is set. If the batter gets on top that is fine. If you miss the mark - I didn't get it right and you walk back to your mark and then you go again. "The real key is to have clarity at the top of the mark. No.1: The fields that you set. No.2: The strengths of the batter discussed and the plans you have set beforehand. If nothing has changed in terms of the match that has been played, try and simply go back to those plans that you're in control of. "Prasidh is exceptionally skilled. He thinks quite deeply and quite a lot about how he plays the game which is a very good thing. But at the same time, to arrange and your bowling execution in a manageable form where you try and concentrate on the things you can control and not worry too much about anything else that can distract you. The other thing is to be honest and own your skill and how you apply that skill. And there is that trust where he knows that me and the rest of the coaches would contribute. The idea always is making him batter and making him even more special than he already is," he added. It wasn't just Prasidh who laid the platform for Royals' win. Obed McCoy also played a pivotal role. Just over a month ago, his bowling was fodder for internet memes. In the league game versus Delhi Capitals, his attempted off-cutter unfortunately slipped out of his hand and the ball didn't even land on the cut-strip as it rocketed away to the fence. At the completion of a 26-run over, McCoy was on his knees and there was an air of helplessness in his eyes. But one month is a long time in the world of IPL and McCoy has found his rhythm again. McCoy has both the off-cutter and back of the hand slower one in his weaponry. He peppers his variations with the quicker delivery where he hits the pitch hard and occasionally clocks 140kph. So he can change his pace from about 100-110 kph (back of the hand slower one) to around 120 kph (off-cutter) and then mix it up with the quicker delivery. He also has the added advantage of left-arm angle. All his tricks were on show in the middle phase and also slog overs of RCB's innings as he returned impressive figures of 3 for 23. Eventually, Jos Buttler stole the show with his blinding brilliance. The memories of his brilliance in IPL 2022 could last for a lifetime in the cricketing landscape. But if you scratch the surface, the groundwork for Royals' victory was laid by a couple of bowlers who overcame setbacks to put the team where it hadn't been since 2008.