At last Moeen Ali proved his worth with a timely innings for RCB against table-toppers SRH in IPL 2018 at the Chinnaswamy Stadium on Thursday.
RCB didn't play him for the large part of their campaign and only recently handed him an IPL debut.
However, Moeen didn't come good straight away as he scored 10 and 1 in the two matches he batted. Against KXIP in RCB's last game, he didn't get to bat owing to a 10-wicket win.
To be honest - even though he got wickets in RCB's last two games - it didn't appear he belonged in the league.
The fact that RCB won their last two games probably led to his retention in the playing XI for the SRH game.
Time was running out for Moeen, he had to do something to restore his good name.
On Thursday, the time was ripe. RCB were in a must-win situation and shortly after being put into bat they found themselves in the doldrums having lost Parthiv Patel (1) and Virat Kohli (12) without significant contributions.
Moeen joined AB de Villiers at the crease and batted with such conviction from the word go that the South African - after a nervous start - appeared all of a sudden at ease at the other end: he knew he had a partner who was there to stay and share the scoring responsibility with him.
Both batsmen added 107 runs off 57 balls for the third wicket to bring RCB back into the game, with Moeen dominating the stand with 61. SRH needed a Rashid Khan special in the 15th over to see the backs of both the batsmen but by then, they had done their job.
Moeen made his first IPL fifty and hit two fours and six sixes during the course of his 65 off 34 balls. De Villiers, meanwhile, made 69 off 39 balls with the help of 12 fours and six. He was the first to fall in the Rashid over.
Both innings were important for RCB but it wouldn't be wrong to say that it was largely Moeen's effort that blew over the clouds of apprehension.
Striking while the iron was hot, Colin de Grandhomme provided a late flourish with a 17-ball 40 as Kohli's men stormed to an intimidating total of 218/6, this season's third highest total after KKR's 245 and DD's 219.
