After a rocky start to the season, Mumbai Indians won their third straight game by narrowly defeating Sunrisers Hyderabad in Hyderabad. Following Mumba Indians’ impressive score, SRH made a shaky start to the chase but eventually turned things around, giving the hosts some optimism. However, they suffered a series of wicket losses that finally cost them the game.
Overview of the carnage
The Mumbai Indians and Sunrisers Hyderabad squared off at the latter’s home field on the 15th anniversary of the IPL’s first game. The hosts chose to bowl first after winning the toss and made a terrible showing, giving in to Sharma and Ishan Kishan’s mayhem. However, just as Rohit Sharma seemed poised for a significant innings, a slower ball from Natarajan removed him for an 18-ball 28. Following that, Cameron Green joined Kishan at the crease and initially battled with timing, trying to cut loose but frequently mistiming balls.
The middle overs spinning choking
Fortune smiles on the valiant. Yes, it does. Although not always. Despite bowling, some incredibly tight overs to Green and Kishan, Mayank Markande and Washington Sundar failed to get a wicket as they choked off the runs after the powerplay. With 56 runs coming off 8 overs following the powerplay, plus the wickets of Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav for good measure — both by Marco Jansen in the exact same over — this phase dragged on for an alarmingly long time.
Over the “surge”
Little did Jansen realize that Tilak Varma and Green would pelt him with pitches throughout the stadium in the very next over, scoring 21 runs and setting up the finish well. Before handing the ball over to Varma, who blasted the tall left-armer for two enormous sixes, Green hammered two boundaries to signal his intent. Even after Varma was out, Green erupted, and MI scored 82 runs off the next 6 overs, with Natarajan receiving some targeted special treatment from the bats. The Mumbai Indians reached 192 in 20 overs because of this surge.
Ineffective in the powerplay
The Sunrisers were damaged twice by Jason Behrendorff on the powerplay after losing the dangerous Brook early on. The first time, the loss of the in-form Rahul Tripathi caused the scoring rate to stall as the Sunrisers scored 42-2 in the opening six overs. Aiden Markram and Mayank Agarwal continued to play together and put together a stand of 46 runs, but the Sunrisers’ propensity to lose wickets in groups clearly affected Agarwal when Markram and Abhishek Sharma left the pitch in rapid succession.
A glimmer of hope and a dash of Klaas
After the fourth wicket fell, there was a tinge of panic. Then Klaasen entered. Singles, sporadic boundaries, and a partnership were developing. The heartbeats slightly decreased. Piyush Chawla was then dismantled for 20 runs in four balls (4,6,6,4), and the Sunrisers were once again in the game. Then, as Klaasen went for one too many, Tim David was given a catch off Chawla, and the situation changed once more. The play that got the Sunrisers back in the game was amazing.
After Mayank gives in, a collapse occurs
Mayank achieved only 48 in over 15 overs while wickets were dropping frequently at the other end, and he died while trying to clear long-on. The chase was given new life by some clean strikes from Jansen, but once more, just as things seemed to be picking up, he holed out to David (who made his fourth catch). The aim was much beyond their reach at this point because this was the seventh wicket, and the needed rate had risen to above 15. The Sunrisers’ fate was sealed by Washington Sundar’s botched piece of sprinting, which sent him back to the hut.
A spectacular conclusion Tendulkar feat
Arjun Tendulkar had plenty of room to maneuver in the final over, protecting 20 runs, despite a 19-run over from Behrendorff that featured many lucky runs. Tendulkar, a newcomer to the brutal death overs in the IPL, nailed his yorkers, gave up only 5 runs in the over, and got Bhuvneshwar Kumar off the ball that would decide the game, remaining composed under pressure and helping his team win. With the same number of points as the second-ranked LSG, the Mumbai Indians moved up the rankings to the sixth spot, with just a net run rate separating them.
Next, what?
The Mumbai Indians take a flight back home before playing host to Punjab Kings on Saturday, April 22. On Friday, April 21, Sunrisers Hyderabad will travel to Chepauk to take on Chennai Super Kings.
