There were two outstanding individual performances that helped Gujarat Lions defeat Royal Challengers Bangalore in their Indian Premier League [IPL] match at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Thursday.

One came in the first half of the match as fast bowler Andrew Tye produced one of the best bowling spells seen in this season’s IPL. He dismissed Chris Gayle and Travis Head off the first two deliveries he bowled and then got rid of Mandeep Singh later in the innings, to finish with bowling figures of 3-12.

But our Player of the Day is another Australian, Aaron Finch, who was surprisingly pushed down to number four after having opened the batting in the previous two matches.

Coming into bat in a precarious situation, the 30-year-old played a brilliant counter-attacking innings that not only meant that Gujarat won but in the process, they improved their run-rate greatly as well.

Finch took just 34 deliveries to score 72 in a knock that included five fours and six sixes. This was his first half-century of the season and many will say that it was worth the wait.

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