Tom Moody, the former Australia batter and current Lucknow Super Giants global director of cricket, believes Gujarat Titans were exposed on a batting-friendly surface during their heavy loss to defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru in IPL 2026 Qualifier 1. RCB cemented a place in their second consecutive IPL final after a dominant display at Dharamsala on Tuesday.
Quick facts
- Match: IPL 2026 Qualifier 1 (Qualifier 1)
- Venue: Dharamsala
- RCB score: 254/5 (record playoff total)
- GT score: 162 (chased; all out)
- Result: RCB won by 92 runs
- Key innings: Rajat Patidar 93*; Virat Kohli 43; Rahul Tewatia 68
- Momentum swing: 95-run partnership off 47 balls between Patidar and Krunal Pandya
RCB posted a staggering 254/5, with captain Rajat Patidar striking an unbeaten 93 to propel the innings to a playoff benchmark. From there, the champions bowled with control and dismissed Gujarat for 162, wrapping up an emphatic 92-run win that underlined the gulf on the night.
Moody’s assessment: predictable bowling on flat decks
Discussing the one-sided contest on TimeOut, Moody argued that Gujarat’s attack becomes easier to read on pitches that offer little assistance to seamers or swingers. He suggested that when the ball isn’t moving much, their bowling rhythm loses the element of surprise and batters can settle into their plans.
Moody also drew a parallel with the sort of struggles Sunrisers Hyderabad have faced on tougher tracks, explaining that both sides can be at their best when conditions line up in their favour. In his view, Gujarat are essentially the “bowling version” of that same pattern—dangerous when the surface helps, but vulnerable when it doesn’t.
He pointed to the pitch conditions as the defining factor for pace bowlers in particular. According to Moody, bowlers such as Mohammed Siraj and Kagiso Rabada are at their sharpest when they can hit hard lengths and create problems with movement—either through the air or off the surface.
“When there’s movement in the pitch, Siraj and Rabada become extremely difficult to face because they hit those hard lengths and create problems both inside and outside the bat,” Moody said. However, he added that on a very flat wicket, the same bowlers can lose their edge because the main tools—significant change in pace, sharply different deliveries, and deception—aren’t as effective.
Moody further stressed that Gujarat’s pace-heavy approach becomes less threatening without the extra variables. “When there’s no real assistance, they become vulnerable because they don’t have extreme change-ups, slower balls, or deception as their main strength,” he noted, arguing that batters are then able to line up more comfortably against them.
How RCB seized control early
RCB’s batting plan, Moody felt, reflected an early understanding of those limitations. They attacked aggressively from the start, building momentum through controlled aggression rather than waiting for the perfect delivery.
Virat Kohli set the tone with a rapid 43, while Devdutt Padikkal kept the scoring rate moving in a brisk stand worth 72 runs. That tempo carried RCB into a position where the total could grow quickly, and the pressure on Gujarat only increased as the innings went on.
Jason Holder did briefly slow the flow by taking two wickets in three balls, offering Gujarat a momentary recovery. But any comeback was short-lived as Rajat Patidar and Krunal Pandya struck a decisive 95-run partnership off just 47 deliveries, completely shifting the momentum back to Bengaluru.
Moody also highlighted another structural problem for Gujarat on flat surfaces: the absence of bowlers who can repeatedly trouble batters with slower-ball craft and convincing variations. In his words, without those deliveries that create doubt in the batter’s mind, it becomes harder for the bowling unit to disrupt rhythm when the ball isn’t doing much.
He summed it up by saying that on tracks where the pitch offers little, teams can more easily line up against the same type of attack. “They don’t really have those slower-ball specialists or bowlers with deceptive pace changes who can consistently create doubt in the batter’s mind on flat wickets,” Moody said.
Fielding lapses and the chase that never took off
Gujarat’s situation worsened beyond bowling, with their fielding also failing to meet the moment. Dropped chances, misfields, and extra runs allowed RCB to accelerate towards the highest total ever recorded in IPL playoff history.
After the match, captain Shubman Gill conceded that Gujarat were not good enough under pressure, particularly in the field. In reply, the Titans were never truly in the chase, collapsing to 51/5 within the powerplay as RCB’s bowlers tightened the screws.
Rahul Tewatia tried to fight back with a stubborn 68, but the damage had already been done. Bengaluru’s bowling then delivered an all-round statement of dominance, sealing the win after a comprehensive evening.
With RCB now heading into the IPL 2026 final filled with confidence, Gujarat Titans face the task of regrouping quickly before their next knockout meeting in Chandigarh.
