They say, and rightly so, that cricket is a great game and it ain’t over till the fat lady sings. Harbhajan Singh’s not fat, and certainly not a lady, but he kept singing with the bat, keeping the hopes of many Mumbai Indians fans alive in adverse circumstances.
Back from the brink
Who would have given a chance to a team that was six wickets down for 59 runs (in 13.4 overs), chasing a challenging 177 runs for victory? With their top order (all recognised batsmen) in the dug-out, thanks to a great spell by the Kings XI Punjab bowlers, obituaries were being written in advance to beat the deadline until dear old Bhajji decided to play an innings which will be remembered for long, almost changing the script.
People crowd stadiums and tune in to the television to watch the Indian Premier League thanks to the entertainment it offers, and Bhajji provided just that. This year’s IPL has just started and has a long way to go for Mumbai Indians and all other teams to get the combinations right and polish their strategies.
A lot more to do
There is a lot of work in progress as far as Mumbai’s coach Ricky Ponting is concerned. He must be having a long list of dos and don’ts for his team. Their loss at their home ground, the Wankhede Stadium, will give the experienced Australian plenty of food for thought before they play their next game against Rajasthan Royals on Tuesday.
In Mumbai, they were faced with a team stung by a loss in their first game. Kings XI Punjab had captured the imagination of India’s cricket lovers after a great campaign in the 2014 season of the Indian Premier League. The Kings are much fancied this season and their defeat at the hands of Rajasthan Royals at Pune, a few days ago, must have hurt them badly.
Choosing to chase
What decision to take on winning the toss at the Wankhede Stadium has always been a conundrum. Not just in recent times but in the past as well. The westerly sea breeze from the Arabian Sea, bang next to the stadium, can make a huge difference to the lateral movement of the ball and dash all theories.
Giving an opportunity to a team to bowl first, especially one that boasts of bowlers who have the ability to generate swing, seam and pace is a daunting task. Chasing, therefore, is what Mumbai skipper, Rohit Sharma, and team management must have been more comfortable with. Things would have gone the Mumbai way if their batsmen were a bit patient while chasing a stiff target. That would be a point for Ponting and Robin Singh, the batting coach, to mull over.
Almost hero Harbhajan
Harbhajan’s bowling spell – 2 wickets for 20 runs with an economy rate of five runs per over – may just have been the moment that could resurrect his flagging career. To cap it, blasting 64 runs of a mere 24 balls with five sixes will certainly give him the confidence and will raise the morale of a team that is talented and waiting to explode.
Another positive that Mumbai could take home was the performance of young Jagadeesha Suchith who added 100 runs with Bhajji to take the team as close as possible to the target. Performances in adverse conditions, like those of Bhajji and Suchith, are very inspiring and can lift the team’s confidence.
Coming back from the brink is what the Mumbai Indians did on their home ground. Their top batting order may have capitulated to a great spell by the opposition’s bowlers. They would do well to remember is that they took the game to the last over and almost crossed the threshold, one that was considered beyond their reach by many.
Kings XI Punjab: 177/5 (20), Mumbai Indians: 159/7 (20). Kings XI won by 18 runs.
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Back from the brink
Who would have given a chance to a team that was six wickets down for 59 runs (in 13.4 overs), chasing a challenging 177 runs for victory? With their top order (all recognised batsmen) in the dug-out, thanks to a great spell by the Kings XI Punjab bowlers, obituaries were being written in advance to beat the deadline until dear old Bhajji decided to play an innings which will be remembered for long, almost changing the script.
People crowd stadiums and tune in to the television to watch the Indian Premier League thanks to the entertainment it offers, and Bhajji provided just that. This year’s IPL has just started and has a long way to go for Mumbai Indians and all other teams to get the combinations right and polish their strategies.
A lot more to do
There is a lot of work in progress as far as Mumbai’s coach Ricky Ponting is concerned. He must be having a long list of dos and don’ts for his team. Their loss at their home ground, the Wankhede Stadium, will give the experienced Australian plenty of food for thought before they play their next game against Rajasthan Royals on Tuesday.
In Mumbai, they were faced with a team stung by a loss in their first game. Kings XI Punjab had captured the imagination of India’s cricket lovers after a great campaign in the 2014 season of the Indian Premier League. The Kings are much fancied this season and their defeat at the hands of Rajasthan Royals at Pune, a few days ago, must have hurt them badly.
Choosing to chase
What decision to take on winning the toss at the Wankhede Stadium has always been a conundrum. Not just in recent times but in the past as well. The westerly sea breeze from the Arabian Sea, bang next to the stadium, can make a huge difference to the lateral movement of the ball and dash all theories.
Giving an opportunity to a team to bowl first, especially one that boasts of bowlers who have the ability to generate swing, seam and pace is a daunting task. Chasing, therefore, is what Mumbai skipper, Rohit Sharma, and team management must have been more comfortable with. Things would have gone the Mumbai way if their batsmen were a bit patient while chasing a stiff target. That would be a point for Ponting and Robin Singh, the batting coach, to mull over.
Almost hero Harbhajan
Harbhajan’s bowling spell – 2 wickets for 20 runs with an economy rate of five runs per over – may just have been the moment that could resurrect his flagging career. To cap it, blasting 64 runs of a mere 24 balls with five sixes will certainly give him the confidence and will raise the morale of a team that is talented and waiting to explode.
Another positive that Mumbai could take home was the performance of young Jagadeesha Suchith who added 100 runs with Bhajji to take the team as close as possible to the target. Performances in adverse conditions, like those of Bhajji and Suchith, are very inspiring and can lift the team’s confidence.
Coming back from the brink is what the Mumbai Indians did on their home ground. Their top batting order may have capitulated to a great spell by the opposition’s bowlers. They would do well to remember is that they took the game to the last over and almost crossed the threshold, one that was considered beyond their reach by many.
Kings XI Punjab: 177/5 (20), Mumbai Indians: 159/7 (20). Kings XI won by 18 runs.
