RCB bowled DC out for 75 and won the game by 9 wickets in 6.3 overs.
DC was bowled out for 75 runs as Hazlewood took 4/12 and Bhuvneshwar pocketed 3/5. RCB chased down the target in 6.3 overs to win the game by 9 wickets. Hazlewood was named the Player of the Match for his brilliant bowling.
Hazlewood's accuracy and control shone through as he and Kumar reduced DC to six wickets for eight runs at one point. After receiving his Player of the Match award, Hazlewood revealed that even RCB did not expect such a collapse, citing Bhuvneshwar's leadership in building up a dominant powerplay display.
"Yeah, I think, probably turning up here after 500-plus runs last game, they probably weren't expecting what happened, but, yeah, it feels like Bhuvi, and I have been pretty close to producing a really good powerplay. So yeah, I just followed his lead basically again, and yeah, what happened, happened, so it was a great result," the RCB pacer said in the post-match presentation.
Hazlewood noted that there was just enough movement early on, which the pacers took full advantage of before the surface calmed down, in order to explain the circumstances that contributed to RCB's dominance.
"There was a little bit there in the first, you know, first six overs, which we maximized. I think there was a little bit up and down, maybe a little bit of sideways, so there was enough there to work with. The ball seemed to be skidding on quite quickly from short of a length in particular, and probably once the ball got soft, it became more consistent," he added.
Hazlewood was asked about how he got KL Rahul and Nitish Rana out, and the bowler highlighted the importance of disciplined lines and smart use of the short ball. He further explained how accuracy and consistent lengths made life difficult for the batters on a tricky surface.
"Yeah, I think in general, you wanted the batter to try and hit the ball back down the wicket and play in the V. I felt like from that length and that line, a nice straight line, that was probably the most in the wicket. And then obviously the short ball was nice as well. So, it was just about the accuracy of the short ball in particular. But I think, no matter where you pitched, it sort of ended up at the right height. It was one of those wickets. So, yeah, I think when that ball was nice and hard, it was quite tough to bat," he added.
RCB will now move to Ahmedabad to play GT on April 30.