Quick guide:
Mumbai Indians vs Chennai Super Kings
The table topper CSK took on their rivals over the years MI in the 27th match of the IPL 2021 in Delhi. It was well expected to be a high scoring venue. MI won the toss and decided to bowl first with 2 changes in their playing 11: Dhawal Kulkarni and James Neesham replacing Jayant Yadav and Nathan Coulter-Nile against the unchanged CSK side.
Also read: Royal Challengers clinch a close victory
1st innings
CSK opener Ruturaj Gaikwad, fell early to Boult in the first over in the game for run a ball 4 runs. The scoring responsibility was then on the shoulders of the overseas batters du Plessis and Moeen Ali to which both responded positively to take CSK 49/1 at the end of powerplay. Both the batters punished the bowlers for boundaries setting base for a big score to defend. After a flurry of 5 fours and 5 sixes, Moeen was dismissed by Bumrah, when Moeen mistimed a late cut to the wicket keeper for a well compiled 58(36) to bring in Suresh Raina to the crease.
Watch: Moeen Ali’s quickfire 58 (36)
MI came back strongly into the game when the part time bowler Pollard shocked CSK with a twin blow by dismissing dangerous du Plessis after a quick 50(28) and Raina for 2(4) in successive deliveries. Reduced to 116/4, CSK needed Jadeja and Rayudu, the two new batters on the crease to perform the repair work.
After a quiet over, both the batters took charge to take CSK over 200 and did not even spare the ‘Bumrah-Boult’ combo that was considered the best in death overs. Ambati Rayudu led the destruction with flurry of sixes and fours and negated the middle over bowlers. The CSK batters attacked the 8 overs between Bumrah and Boult who went for 98 runs in total.
CSK successfully went on to put a mammoth total of 218/4 at the end of 20 overs with Rayudu and Jadeja unbeaten on 72(27) and 22(22) respectively. CSK proved a life lesson that the best way to face the deadly challenges like Bumrah-Boult is to face them straight and not hold back!
2nd Innings
With 219 to be chased, MI had a flying start from openers Quinton de Kock and the skipper Rohit Sharma to take the side for 58/0 at the end of the powerplay. As the openers were set, Shardul Thakur provided the much needed breakthrough by dismissing Rohit for 35 off 24 balls.
Suryakumar Yadav who stepped in next, had a short stay before being dismissed for 3(3) off Jadeja. To tighten the grip of CSK, Moeen got better of de Kock for 38 off 28 balls and looked to be CSK’s game then! Struggling on 81/3, Krunal Pandya and the big hitting Pollard were expected to do the same as what Jadeja and Rayudu did for CSK.
The mighty Pollard showcased his brutal hitting at the crunch of the game and was not in a mood to hold back till the last moment to unleash his shots and displayed his power with a 17 ball 50, the quickest of this season yet. Krunal also had a brief hitting before being dismissed for 32(23) by Sam Curran in the 17th over to bring his brother Hardik to the middle.
Just as the game was heading towards a nail biting finish, Pollard was dropped by du Plessis who is one of the safest fielders of CSK for a 68 that could very well cost the game for CSK. Hardik Pandya never waited long to attack the bowling and returned to pavilion by a du Plessis catch off Sam Curran for 16(7) that included two sixes. The debutant Mumbai Indian James Neesham was out for a duck in the same over.
Amidst all these drama, Pollard who was determined to take his team home, needed a 16 off last over from Ngidi. Hesitant to pass the strike to new batter Kulkarni, Pollard was all set to finish the game by himself. He was lucky to have a boundary off the perfect Yorker from Ngidi who then gifted 2 full tosses that were Yorkers gone wrong, costing a 4 and a 6 from the willow of Pollard!
The game came down to 2 runs needed off 1 ball. Pollard finished the game by running the required couple of runs in the last ball to register the 4th win for MI this season ending the CSK’s winning streak of 5 continuous game.
Do not miss: Pollard’s Mighty innings
Key Takeaways
- You can always make a comeback, be patient with yourself, keep practicing and it will all come together one day.
- You can rise up after the fall despite the odds.
- Its never over until the last ball is bowled.
- Sometimes the only difference is not the excellence and skill but the execution of it on the given day.
When you’re under the pump, you learn more. Irrespective of where we are on the points table, we look at one game at a time. Ultimately, if you do that, the points table will take care of itself.
~M. S. Dhoni (post match interview)
Do your best, each day. Take it one day at a time and the results will take care of itself.
-By Dhinesh Babu (Guest Author), Urvi Shah (Author)