G Rajaraman
Mumbai Indians flirted with another Indian Premier League defeat before a jailbreak saw them escape with a six-wicket win off the last delivery in a thriller on the Delhi Capitals’s home ground at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Tuesday night. In the end, it was David Warner’s squad that ended up with a fourth successive loss as a result of some poor batting.
Thrilling final over
Many fingernails would have been nibbled out of shape in the two dugouts and beyond. For, the drama in the final over was worthy of a T20 classic. With only five runs needed after Cameron Green and Tim David, the Impact Player, had magically produced sixes in the previous over, Anrich Nortje relentlessly delivered six pacy yorkers.
A dropped catch off the second delivery, a DRS reversal of a call for a wide off the next ball and two run-out chances off the final two deliveries, ending with David’s desperate lunge beating Warner’s throw to Abhishek Porel, the wicket-keeper, allowed the Mumbai Indians to break into relieved smiles. The frustrated Delhi Capitals were left to reflect on not posting more than 172 from 19.4 overs.
Mustafizur Rahman appeared to be setting up a tight finish when he was brought back in the 15th over with Mumbai at 121 for 1. He bowled two overs for 10 runs and a wicket, tilting the scales towards the home side on a night when Kuldeep Yadav’s left-arm wrist-spin was rendered ineffective by the aggression of the left-handed Tilak Varma.
However, Mustafizur conceded a six each to Green and David in the 19th over and presented Nortje with the stiffest of challenges. Yet, Mumbai had only themselves to blame for letting things get so close in the end, with Nortje scripting a hostile final over. Rohit Sharma, the captain, and Varma were in control but allowed some drama at the end.
Sublime Rohit gets half-century after season-long drought
Rohit got to an IPL half-century after the longest time, but while it was not really a master class, there were glimpses of the clock turning back early on in his innings. Even from the opening over by Mukesh Kumar, he seemed to have found the sublime touch that makes batting look so easy to the eye of the beholder.
Yet, after he got to the milestone that had eluded him all of IPL 2022, he disappointed himself by not staying till the end. Rohit was trying to be creative against Mustafizur, but ended up guiding the ball to where first slip would have been. Porel flung himself to his right, and was at full stretch when he caught the ball with his right glove.
After the Golden Run, Testing Times for Suryakumar Yadav
Lessons for Varma
Perhaps – if the schedule allows him time – Varma will replay his assault on Mukesh with mixed emotions. He would be delighted that he countered a two-run over from Mustafizur by slamming 16 off the first three deliveries from Mukesh. But in pursuit of another boundary, he flicked a catch to deep midwicket.
As he banks on footwork, timing and placement to dominate the bowlers, Varma can be a joy to watch. But with the team needing 34 runs in just over four overs, he could have been the batter to stay till the end. His fall triggered a mini-collapse, with Suryakumar Yadav falling to the next delivery and Rohit departing in the next over. That allowed Delhi a sniff.
Warner scraps, Axar Patel cruises
Earlier, Warner got his third half-century in four starts but even he will concede that he is not at his best. His knock was a study in holding one end up, and playing well within oneself, despite a frustrating collapse at the other end. His quest for the touch he is known for continued and his innings was, at best, about scrapping hard.
The left-handed Axar Patel’s timing with the bat was such that he not only appeared to be showcasing his skills on a different track to his teammates, but he also made the Mumbai attack look different. His knock pepped up the home fans but the team could have done with a lot more than 54 off 25 from him – and from other top-order batters.
The grim situation his side found themselves in did not cripple him as he lofted Shokeen for sixes on either side of the wicket, sent two fuller deliveries from Jason Behrendorff over long-on, challenging Suryakumar’s catching skills, and rubbed it in with another six off Riley Meredith to get to his maiden IPL half-century.
Mayhem in the 19th over
Even as Delhi Capitals lost four wickets in the mayhem of the 19th over, it was hard not to wonder why Rohit did not give Behrendorff his full quota of four overs. After a seven-run opening over, the left-arm paceman was brought back only in the 17th over, by which time Axar had got his eye in and powered the home side towards a fighting total.
Even on a track that offered a bit of encouragement to the tweakers, it was surprising to see the Rohit call on Varma’s off-spin bowling ahead of Behrendorff. His decision to delay bringing Behrendorff back until the final four overs was a bit baffling.
In keeping with the trend of wrist spinners holding their own in the IPL, Piyush Chawla joined the party by picking up a wicket in each of his last three overs to leave Delhi tottering at 98 for 5 in the 13th over. It was about time that Chawla, now 34 years old, showed up after spending the previous edition as a TV commentator.