With the kind of firepower the Royal Challengers Bangalore boast of, few would have thought that they would be languishing at number seven in the points table. With just two wins from five games, RCB now find themselves in a spot of bother with the need to bounce back and get back to winning ways in the games ahead.

It is not their batting that hasn’t fired, it is the bowling that has been their weakness so far. Time and again their batsmen have put up huge scores, but the bowling has failed to back the willow talk. Bowling Coach Allan Donald was wary of their situation in the competition and called for a better bowling performance moving forward.

“It isnot the kind of position that we would have wanted to be after five games,” Donald said on the eve of their match against Sunrisers Hyderabad. “We have batted really well in the competition so far and there is no doubt that we slipped up with the ball. It is something that we are continuously working on at the moment. We have fired with the bat and Virat Kohli has been exemplary in that and led from the front, but we have made some crucial errors with the ball. We are hopeful that we put that right in this game tomorrow.”

Donald also acknowledged the fact their next game against the Sunrisers would be a huge one. “When you come into this tournament, momentum is such a massive thing and momentum is what we need right now. The next two to three games are absolutely enormous in terms of finding that momentum and rhythm and that confidence that we are looking for.”

Though their batting boasts of the likes of Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers and Shane Watson, Donald believed they need to be aware of the bowling exploits of young Mustafizur Rahman in the Sunrisers’ bowling line-up who has had an impressive run in the IPL so far. “Having watched him throughout the T20 World Cup; he has got a slower ball that makes you think twice about trying to be cocky against him. He has got a fantastic yorker and he mixes his pace really well. He is a smart operator for a young kid. We have had a good discussion in our batting group as to where we need to be with him. He deserves the respect that he is given. He is going to be a handful and we know that. That is the great challenge about winning this tournament and that is to overcome good bowlers like that.”

As far as injuries and new signings are concerned, Donald said Chris Gayle was back in the side giving his hundred percent at the nets and claimed to be ‘hungry’ with immense confidence. Whether he would be a part of the eleven against Sunrisers was a call to be taken by coach Daniel Vettori and captain Virat Kohli, reckoned Donald. He was also particularly happy with Chris Jordan who has been signed as replacement for injured Mitchell Starc. Jordan is expected to join the squad in a day or two.

“It is a great signing. Chris has done some really good things for England over the last twelve months or so, especially from an ODI and T20 perspective,” he said. “He has shown why he is one of the world’s best death bowlers. He is an attacking and aggressive bowler and when it comes to closing the games out, he is one of those right up there. Not only that, he is a versatile cricketer in terms of athleticism. He is a great fielder and not shy of hitting the long ball too. He is no mug with the bat coming in the lower order and winning you a game of cricket. We are excited to have him in our group as a very good replacement for Mitchell Starc. I think he is arriving on Saturday or Sunday in Bengaluru.”