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A classy 48 from captain Gautam Gambhir, a patient 40 from Jacques Kallis and a measured assault by Yusuf Pathan took Kolkata to a competitive total against Bangalore at Eden Gardens. The pitch lived up to its reputation of assisting the slower bowlers while proving a challenge for the quicks.
Things started disastrously for India's stalwart Zaheer Khan, with his first over going for 19 runs. It consisted of three wides, one of which went for four, and three boundaries, all off the bat of Jacques Kallis. The South African started with a casual flick to fine leg, followed by a slash over point and a clip through square leg.
Sreenath Aravind fared a little better. After three deliveries on target, he was hit for a straight six and a four through third man by Australia's Brad Haddin. Bangalore captain Daniel Vettori rung in the changes immediately, replacing Khan with left-arm spinner Syed Mohammed.
Together with Tillakaratne Dilshan, Mohammed hauled the run rate back to a reasonable 8.33 per over. Mohammed was impressive in his initial two-over spell, showing no fear in tossing the ball up and keeping it flat and fast to limit run scoring when needed. Mohammed was rewarded for tight bowling when Haddin tried to hit him over mid-off but got an edge that Virat Kohli collected at point.
Vettori, after trying Kohli for an over of medium pace, used the spinners, including himself, in short spells and rotated them creatively. Kallis and Gambhir batted with patience against the slower bowlers and unleashed when Khan was brought back in the 11th over. Gambhir dispatched him over midwicket and then extra cover.
Gayle and Mohammed were brough back to tighten the screws. Mohammed should have had the wicket of Kallis but de Villiers missed a stumping opportunity in the 13th over. It only cost Bangalore one run though, as Vettori removed Kallis four balls later. He bowled a shorter one which Kallis drove on the up towards extra cover. Gayle was standing there, dived to his left and plucked the ball out of the sky.
Yusuf Pathan came out to bat at four and allowed himself five balls to settle before depositing a Mohammed delivery over long-on. Together with Gambhir, he laid into Vettori's next over, the captain stroking a wristy four and Pathan a bruising six, again over long-on. Vettori appeared to be struggling with a knee injury and left the field after he bowled his four overs.
The last four overs of the Kolkata innings belonged to Pathan, while Eoin Morgan watched from the other end. After Gambhir was caught by Dilshan at extra cover, Pathan unleashed. He destroyed Aravind, pulling the short one for four, smashing the full one for six and dispatching the low full toss for four.
The quicks redeemed themselves a bit with Khan bowling a decent last over, mixing up slower balls and yorkers, and Aravind claiming the wicket of Pathan, who was trying to force the ball over long-off but only got it as far as Kohli.
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