If the Chennai Super Kings are the studious bunch, trying to score marks from the first set of exams, the Mumbai Indians are quite the opposite. They wipe the dust of books only as the final exams approach. In this case: the Indian Premier League playoffs.
Like they did last year, Mumbai did it this year too. They qualified for the playoffs in their final league game, with a thumping nine-wicket win over Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on Sunday.
Mumbai had done their homework. They also executed their plans to the hilt. In this format, teams tend to bat first after winning the toss with an idea to pile up a huge score. This gives a certain advantage, to decide the course of the game. But the Mumbai Indians were having none of that on Sunday.
The bowlers called the shots and skittled out the Sunrisers for 113, an unusually low score in this willow-dominated format.
Lasith Malinga drew first blood castling Shikhar Dhawan off a superb yorker. Malinga, with his unorthodox sling action, has been Mumbai’s most valuable player season after season for his consistency.
Getting a yorker right is one of the most arduous tasks for a bowler. Generally they tend to come in towards the end of the innings when the bowler has found his rhythm and got a feel of the conditions. But here, you have Malinga who can shoot in yorkers at will with the accuracy of a bowling machine. Apart from that, the Sri Lankan pacer has deceptive slower delivery that he uses to good measure.
Getting a wicket in the very first over can derail the opposition's plans. But getting two in two overs leads to a setback. Skipper David Warner has been Hyderabad’s wrecker-in-chief through the season. But Mumbai defused the Australian dynamite for cheap. If Warner had been allowed to stay in the crease for a short while, the flurry of shots would have been destructive.
Mitchell McClenaghan took Warner by surprise with the short ball, and suddenly Mumbai were calling the shots seven balls into the game. McClenaghan has been bowling with full steam and has been used only in shorts spells by captain Rohit Sharma. It was the angle that did Warner in more than the length of the delivery. Warner was cramped for space as he failed in the game that mattered the most.
Attack strategy
The best way to attack is to take wickets. Runs will automatically be kept in check. And when the runs stop coming, pressure mounts. After, Eoin Morgan succumbed to McClenaghan, Mumbai ran away with the game.
The good opening spell rubbed off well on the other bowlers. If the barrage of pace was like fire, then the spinners were ice.
Post the first strategic time-out, Mumbai struck again with two successive wickets of Moises Henriques and Naman Ojha, courtesy J Suchith. The Sunrisers would have done well to regroup after the time-out, where they could have collected their thoughts after the top-order nightmare they endured. But Mumbai again made the most of that break.
With the Sunrisers crumbling it was a good opportunity to allow bowlers to find some confidence ahead of the Playoffs. For young Suchith the season is just getting better. His left-arm spin plays able foil Harbhajan Singh’s off-breaks. Both bowlers offer sumptuous flight, something the purists will vouch for and appreciate.
Practice knocks
For openers Lendl Simmons and Parthiv Patel it was rare opportunity to play with ease. Their stay in the middle seemed like a practice session where they could work on their faults. Dale Steyn and Co tried their best. But with hardly anything to defend, Hyderabad were in no place to pose a challenge.
Simmons and Patel put on their second 100-run partnership and did not take any risks. And Mumbai will hoping this opening act fires in the qualifier too.
Playing away from home would have definitely added to Mumbai’s pressure ahead of the game. Passing this test means a familiar setting will welcome them in the qualifier.
Next one
Mumbai will play Chennai in the first qualifier at the Wankhede Stadium. The crowd at the iconic stadium acts as the talisman for the team. Hoarse cheers will further motivate the side against the table-toppers. Mumbai also will look to bank on history here, they have had the better off Chennai at Wankhede at most times.
A note of caution
However, Ricky Ponting’s men will have to take guard against complacency. Such victories go a world of good to team psyche, but at this stage athletes may tend to take it to their heads. They will have no room for error, after all they will be facing the students who have been revising for the final exams from day one.
Like they did last year, Mumbai did it this year too. They qualified for the playoffs in their final league game, with a thumping nine-wicket win over Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on Sunday.
Mumbai had done their homework. They also executed their plans to the hilt. In this format, teams tend to bat first after winning the toss with an idea to pile up a huge score. This gives a certain advantage, to decide the course of the game. But the Mumbai Indians were having none of that on Sunday.
The bowlers called the shots and skittled out the Sunrisers for 113, an unusually low score in this willow-dominated format.
Lasith Malinga drew first blood castling Shikhar Dhawan off a superb yorker. Malinga, with his unorthodox sling action, has been Mumbai’s most valuable player season after season for his consistency.
Getting a yorker right is one of the most arduous tasks for a bowler. Generally they tend to come in towards the end of the innings when the bowler has found his rhythm and got a feel of the conditions. But here, you have Malinga who can shoot in yorkers at will with the accuracy of a bowling machine. Apart from that, the Sri Lankan pacer has deceptive slower delivery that he uses to good measure.
Getting a wicket in the very first over can derail the opposition's plans. But getting two in two overs leads to a setback. Skipper David Warner has been Hyderabad’s wrecker-in-chief through the season. But Mumbai defused the Australian dynamite for cheap. If Warner had been allowed to stay in the crease for a short while, the flurry of shots would have been destructive.
Mitchell McClenaghan took Warner by surprise with the short ball, and suddenly Mumbai were calling the shots seven balls into the game. McClenaghan has been bowling with full steam and has been used only in shorts spells by captain Rohit Sharma. It was the angle that did Warner in more than the length of the delivery. Warner was cramped for space as he failed in the game that mattered the most.
Attack strategy
The best way to attack is to take wickets. Runs will automatically be kept in check. And when the runs stop coming, pressure mounts. After, Eoin Morgan succumbed to McClenaghan, Mumbai ran away with the game.
The good opening spell rubbed off well on the other bowlers. If the barrage of pace was like fire, then the spinners were ice.
Post the first strategic time-out, Mumbai struck again with two successive wickets of Moises Henriques and Naman Ojha, courtesy J Suchith. The Sunrisers would have done well to regroup after the time-out, where they could have collected their thoughts after the top-order nightmare they endured. But Mumbai again made the most of that break.
With the Sunrisers crumbling it was a good opportunity to allow bowlers to find some confidence ahead of the Playoffs. For young Suchith the season is just getting better. His left-arm spin plays able foil Harbhajan Singh’s off-breaks. Both bowlers offer sumptuous flight, something the purists will vouch for and appreciate.
Practice knocks
For openers Lendl Simmons and Parthiv Patel it was rare opportunity to play with ease. Their stay in the middle seemed like a practice session where they could work on their faults. Dale Steyn and Co tried their best. But with hardly anything to defend, Hyderabad were in no place to pose a challenge.
Simmons and Patel put on their second 100-run partnership and did not take any risks. And Mumbai will hoping this opening act fires in the qualifier too.
Playing away from home would have definitely added to Mumbai’s pressure ahead of the game. Passing this test means a familiar setting will welcome them in the qualifier.
Next one
Mumbai will play Chennai in the first qualifier at the Wankhede Stadium. The crowd at the iconic stadium acts as the talisman for the team. Hoarse cheers will further motivate the side against the table-toppers. Mumbai also will look to bank on history here, they have had the better off Chennai at Wankhede at most times.
A note of caution
However, Ricky Ponting’s men will have to take guard against complacency. Such victories go a world of good to team psyche, but at this stage athletes may tend to take it to their heads. They will have no room for error, after all they will be facing the students who have been revising for the final exams from day one.
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