RCB bury PBKS under an intense wave.

However, PBKS’ batting copybook this season has not used the phrase “pulling back.” If anything, the slightest hint of a setback has just made them more determined to pursue their ambitious goals. However, RCB attacked that mentality head-on, not allowing the fire to start for even a brief minute.

The terrifying night of cricket in Mullanpur was epitomised by two different Ricky Ponting reactions, which he and his colleagues would like to completely erase from history. Ironically, the first arrived early. Ponting, who has long been the epitome of intensity, stood outside the fence with his elbow resting against the dugout and a hopeless look on his face while Virat Kohli planned his batters’ terrible ordeal.

Unpredictable Chandigarh conditions undoubtedly played a role. Prior to being dismissed for 101, teams batting first had won three of the venue’s four games this season. “I think the conditions were great to bowl first, although we saw swing and seam throughout the whole game,” Josh Hazlewood summed up. “I believe that anytime the new ball was bowled, something was going on, so you simply need to take advantage of that. They most likely just needed to back off a bit and try to establish a score on the board, since 150 or 160 may have been a challenging chase in the Kings XI [PBKS] batting position.”

After Priyansh Arya was removed in the second over, Prabhsimran Singh gave Bhuvneshwar Kumar the ball in the third over. Even though Rajat Patidar switched his two fielders around, the Punjab opener was still able to hit over mid-off and mid-on off consecutive deliveries. However, the third attempt struck the edge and Jitesh Sharma’s hands as the ball somewhat shifted in shape. Kohli burst out at the first slip.

PBKS was completely engrossed in the first act of a captivatingly powerful play.

Only a day after a brutal bowling experience that was only saved by a late Jitesh Sharma push, RCB had landed in Chandigarh. They arrived with Tim David hurt and the threat that, if Josh Hazlewood wasn’t prepared, their campaign would fail. However, Hazlewood arrived in perfect condition after more than a month and two continents of shoulder rehabilitation. He took a 32-day hiatus from competitive cricket, but the accuracy of length followed him with ease. When a reckless slog sent Hazlewood packing, Shreyas Iyer paid an early price for dismissing his credentials as this season’s top PowerPlay bowler by every conceivable criteria.

The PBKS batters were left with nowhere to go and no way to relax on a stressful night. Chirping, snarling, and celebrating with an intensity that smothered the flamboyance PBKS had displayed throughout the season, a belligerent RCB created a cramped environment. With his ability to manipulate fields behind square on both sides, get under the skin of young hitters, and dive around to cut out simple runs, Kohli was the star of this show.

Suyash Sharma’s googlies were impossible to read after PBKS lost their top order due to the new ball’s miraculous properties in favourable conditions. Playing the wrong line against Suyash’s back-of-the-hand wrong ‘un, which he has used a lot this season, caused Marcus Stoinis and Shashank Singh to fall. The figurative rope around PBKS’ necks remained tightly woven even during this ongoing freefall. A partnership didn’t go longer than 11 balls until Azmatullah Omarzai and Harpreet Brar’s ninth-wicket stand.

This surface was very different from the one where PBKS lost by 111 runs but managed to defend it by 16 runs. The pitch had it in for the hitters the whole game on that eventful evening, providing both innings with incredible turn and varying bounce. On Thursday, RCB just capitalised on the early support and continued to push forward by combining their bowling acumen and relentless determination.

The second Ponting moment came after the chase’s tenth over. At the planned timeout, his deliberate stroll out to the middle was reduced to a grateful pat for Kyle Jamieson and Musheer Khan, who each took a wicket and provided Punjab with two brief minutes of happiness on a dreary evening. A Rajat Patidar six completed the two-and-a-half-hour torture for PBKS twelve balls later.

A symbolic wag of the finger, held high in their direction, was the last act Kohli performed for his fans on a night full of dramatic gestures. After all, RCB is now only one more night away from their long-awaited success.