After Rajasthan Royals wicket-keeper Sanju Samson dropped a sitter in the first over of the Mumbai Indians innings, giving Lendl Simmons a reprieve, he had a big debt to pay to his team. Samson tried his best to get his team back into the game, blasting 76 runs off 46 balls, but his effort was not good enough for the Royals who kept marching south after a brilliant start in the IPL.
Malinga leads from the front
For Mumbai, it was once again their bowling trio, Lasith Malinga, Mitchell McClenaghan and the old warhorse Harbhajan Singh, who redeemed the faith that Ricky Ponting and his band of heavy duty mentors had in them. The 18th over, bowled by McClenaghan, turned out to be the turning point of the game.
Not that Mumbai were ever out of the game, even while Samson was playing the innings of his life. Tight bowling and spells that make dents in the opposition are two separate details that teams look at. The three wounds caused by McClenaghan’s rapier were too much for the Royals to handle. After sending the dangerous Steve Smith back to the dugout, the lanky Kiwi dented the Royals’ hopes by snaring Samson and Karun Nair with a clever mix of deliveries.
Mumbai spearhead Malinga’s role went way beyond being their top bowler at the Wankhede Stadium. On Friday he played the role of a mentor. That of a shepherd who guided his young flock through the rough and tumble of a well-fought chase to come out victorious. There were tactical changes that he suggested to McClenaghan and Vinay Kumar which got his team results that had eluded them in the tournament thus far.
Rayadu makes a case for himself
While the Mumbai bowlers came to the party at the right time, they were also well served by their middle-order batting that kept punching holes in the Royals attack. Ambati Rayudu finally provided a clarion call – he is back in the running with an unbeaten knock of 53 runs off a mere 27 balls with four sixers and three fours.
Coming to bat at number five, the Vadodara batsman made a case for an immediate promotion, with scintillating shots played across the ground. To overshadow Kieron Pollard is no mean task and the talented Indian did just that. He played mind games with the Royals attack, making them bowl in his preferred areas and milked them to take maximum advantage.
The last five overs gave Mumbai 60-plus runs, which eventually proved to be the death knell of the Royal’s challenge. The Wankhede loss will give the Royals plenty to think about. For starters, they allowed Mumbai’s strong batting line-up to notch up a slightly above par score, which inspired their bowlers to give their best shot.
Dropping James Faulkner to accommodate Rusty Theron proved to be a bad decision as Tim Southee found himself playing a lonely fiddle. In spite of Dhawal Kulkarni pitching in with a tidy spell, the rest of the Royals attack was easy pickings for the strong Mumbai batting line-up.
Lessons from a win and a loss
What will be the key leanings for both teams after a well-contested game on a hot, humid Mumbai night? With Samson back amongst runs, the pressure will be on Steve Smith who looked a bit jaded – probably a fall out of the tough World Cup campaign. The Royals’ attack rests on the shoulders of two bowlers which can put loads of pressure on the rest of the attack.
With their bowling looking much more settled than in the previous matches, Mumbai may probably look at promoting Rayudu to the crucial number three spot to allow him more time on the pitch and get a better look at the bowling.
Rayudu has shown that he is a class act. He has the talent to anchor the team’s innings and blast out when he gets his eye in. Their next match against a deflated Kings XI Punjab may be the right moment to give him the opportunity to play the lead role.
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Malinga leads from the front
For Mumbai, it was once again their bowling trio, Lasith Malinga, Mitchell McClenaghan and the old warhorse Harbhajan Singh, who redeemed the faith that Ricky Ponting and his band of heavy duty mentors had in them. The 18th over, bowled by McClenaghan, turned out to be the turning point of the game.
Not that Mumbai were ever out of the game, even while Samson was playing the innings of his life. Tight bowling and spells that make dents in the opposition are two separate details that teams look at. The three wounds caused by McClenaghan’s rapier were too much for the Royals to handle. After sending the dangerous Steve Smith back to the dugout, the lanky Kiwi dented the Royals’ hopes by snaring Samson and Karun Nair with a clever mix of deliveries.
Mumbai spearhead Malinga’s role went way beyond being their top bowler at the Wankhede Stadium. On Friday he played the role of a mentor. That of a shepherd who guided his young flock through the rough and tumble of a well-fought chase to come out victorious. There were tactical changes that he suggested to McClenaghan and Vinay Kumar which got his team results that had eluded them in the tournament thus far.
Rayadu makes a case for himself
While the Mumbai bowlers came to the party at the right time, they were also well served by their middle-order batting that kept punching holes in the Royals attack. Ambati Rayudu finally provided a clarion call – he is back in the running with an unbeaten knock of 53 runs off a mere 27 balls with four sixers and three fours.
Coming to bat at number five, the Vadodara batsman made a case for an immediate promotion, with scintillating shots played across the ground. To overshadow Kieron Pollard is no mean task and the talented Indian did just that. He played mind games with the Royals attack, making them bowl in his preferred areas and milked them to take maximum advantage.
The last five overs gave Mumbai 60-plus runs, which eventually proved to be the death knell of the Royal’s challenge. The Wankhede loss will give the Royals plenty to think about. For starters, they allowed Mumbai’s strong batting line-up to notch up a slightly above par score, which inspired their bowlers to give their best shot.
Dropping James Faulkner to accommodate Rusty Theron proved to be a bad decision as Tim Southee found himself playing a lonely fiddle. In spite of Dhawal Kulkarni pitching in with a tidy spell, the rest of the Royals attack was easy pickings for the strong Mumbai batting line-up.
Lessons from a win and a loss
What will be the key leanings for both teams after a well-contested game on a hot, humid Mumbai night? With Samson back amongst runs, the pressure will be on Steve Smith who looked a bit jaded – probably a fall out of the tough World Cup campaign. The Royals’ attack rests on the shoulders of two bowlers which can put loads of pressure on the rest of the attack.
With their bowling looking much more settled than in the previous matches, Mumbai may probably look at promoting Rayudu to the crucial number three spot to allow him more time on the pitch and get a better look at the bowling.
Rayudu has shown that he is a class act. He has the talent to anchor the team’s innings and blast out when he gets his eye in. Their next match against a deflated Kings XI Punjab may be the right moment to give him the opportunity to play the lead role.