Stokes, Thakur complete Pune's turnaround win

Ben Stokes flattened Shane Watson's middle stump
April 16, 2017

On an uneven, two-paced pitch at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Pune had slumped from 127 for 2 to 130 for 7. Bangalore's bowlers hit a good length and took pace off the ball consistently. Variable bounce meant cross-batted strokes weren't feasible - Steven Smith, Ben Stokes and MS Dhoni were bowled as a result of the slowness of the surface and the low bounce.

However, Pune's bowlers, led by Stokes and Shardul Thakur, learnt from the lessons of the first innings. Both bowlers took three wickets each to help Pune defend 161, consigning Bangalore to their fourth loss in five games. Stokes broke a promising stand between Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers. He had Kohli caught at the sweeper cover with a sharp bouncer, before returning in the end overs with a mixture of slower balls - offcutters and legcutters - and quick short deliveries.

Thakur was more expensive, but was equally effective with his slower balls, the knuckle ball in particular. He had Mandeep Singh caught behind in his first over. Then towards the end, he deceived Pawan Negi with a slower ball, and had Stuart Binny bowled with an accurate yorker. Together, Stokes and Thakur claimed six wickets and conceded 53 runs in eight overs.

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