For Mumbai Rohit Sharma smashed a ton but it was Matheesha Pathirana‘s four-wicket haul that turned out to be a big difference-maker. Chennai Super Kings overcame Mumbai Indians in a hard fought contest that saw a number of remarkable individual contributions on either side. Ruturaj Gaikwad and Shivam Dube hit fifties for CSK while MS Dhoni marked his presence at the end. Matheesha Pathirana for Chennai once again proved what Bumrah is to Mumbai.
Matheesha Pathirana started the comeback with two wickets in his first over .For large parts, it seemed the defending champions CSK would be outgunned. Jasprit Bumrah restricted them with four overs for just 27 and the Mumbai innings looked like it was going smoothly.
Pitch and Toss
Terrific game in store with two of the most successful teams in the IPL. The expectation is for a lot of power hitting because the pitch we are on has the same dimensions as the RCB vs MI game. The shorter boundary to the left is only about 59m, and it is 65m to the right. The previous game here was a high scoring game, but when you venture longer into the tournament the wickets tend to play a bit differently. This surface is a lot drier and when you use the same pitch consecutively then the wicket will show some semblance of dry patches.
It still looks a beautiful wicket, not a wicket where you get rolled over for a 100 odd runs. There will be runs but today we could see the spinners play in the powerplay. They are spraying some anti-dew substance onto the outfield, but dew could play a factor. You certainly want to be chasing on the surface, suggests Ian Bishop and Kevin Pietersen.
Mumbai Indians skipper Hardik Pandya won the toss and chose to bowl with no changes in the team. Chennai Super Kings batting first made one change bringing in Matheesha Pathirana for Maheesh Theekshana.
A mixed bag in the powerplay
CSK opted to throw up a surprise by changing up their batting order. Ajinkya Rahane came up to open instead of Ruturaj Gaikwad. Rahane, a designated pace-hitter, threw a spade in the works for MI who then opted to open with the offspin of Mohammad Nabi. The change-up however did not bring about the desired impact for CSK. Rahane lasted just eight balls before he chipped a catch off Gerald Coetzee. However Ruturaj came in next and got going straightaway hitting Coetzee for two fours and a six. The powerplay saw CSK get 48 but lose a wicket.
This match was also a tactical classic from both sides. CSK promoted Ajinkya Rahane to open because he was carrying a niggle and thought it was better if he just batted in the powerplay. In a way it worked tactically too: Ruturaj Gaikwad hasn’t been going at a million miles an hour in the powerplay and could also be there for when Bumrah bowled. Either way, Rahane didn’t last, and Gaikwad had to come out in the second over. Mumbai then started to bowl cheap overs of spin before Dube got a chance to bat.
Shivam Dube, Ruturaj Gaikwad take charge in middle overs
Rachin Ravindra’s promise did not last long as he was out caught behind on review against Shreyas Gopal. But this brought in Shivam Dube alongside Gaikwad who was finding his feet. With spin now being taken out of the attack given Dube’s reputation as a spin hitter, the middle-order batter unleashed other skills.
He started off by picking three boundaries off Pandya and then two more off Romario Shepherd. Gaikwad, meanwhile, worked his way to his 16th IPL fifty and set up the innings for a big finish. Dube carted Shepherd for back-to-back sixes and a four as the duo picked up 22 in an over to up the ante before Akash Madhwal was meted out similar treatment as Dube raced to a 28-ball fifty.
When Dube came in, that was it for spin, and Bumrah came back to bowl a second over inside the first ten for only the second time this IPL. Except that Mumbai did have to bowl overs of less-than-express pace. Dube took a toll of Hardik Pandya and Romario Shepherd as Gaikwad slowed down from his starts of 24 off 12 to offer a catch on 39 off 31. Rohit dropped him, and Gaikwad took 29 off nine before he got out.
A roaring finish as MS Dhoni turns back the clock in the final over as Chennai puts 206 for 4 after 20 overs.
The 90-run stand from the duo helped CSK maintain a good run-rate through the middle overs but it threatened to come undone at the death when they lost a couple of wickets. Gaikwad holed out against his counterpart Pandya after a 40-ball 69 while Daryl Mitchell struggled to match the tempo from the get-go, hitting only one boundary in a 14-ball 17.
As he became Pandya’s second wicket in the final over, CSK were in danger of finishing well before 200. However, MS Dhoni walked in and turned back the clock smashing a hat-trick of sixes as Pandya missed his lengths woefully. His four-ball 20* powered CSK past 200 and eventually proved to be the decisive margin of victory.
Hardik started reining CSK back in with clever use of a wide slower ball to get Gaikwad. Then Bumrah just bowled two ruthless overs full of attempted yorkers. Only one boundary came off the 17th and 19th, leaving CSK at 180 for 3. The problem for Mumbai was, that they had to now go to Hardik, Shepherd or spin for the last over.
The captain took the challenge on, but came a distant second to Dhoni, offering him the length to hit a hat-trick of sixes. Dhoni’s IPL this year: 25 balls, 59 runs, no dismissal.
Matheesha Pathirana delivers the body blows after Powerplay for MI.
Up against a power-packed batting line-up, CSK’s chance of a comeback lay in picking up wickets. Their best bet was slinger Pathirana, who had replaced Maheesh Theekshana for this game. Pathirana made immediate impact coming in in the eighth over first getting Ishan Kishan to clip to the midwicket fielder.
A ball later, he had Suryakumar Yadav caught at third man where Mustafizur Rahman did exceptionally well to keep his balance and the ball in the play. The wickets, particularly the first one, came at a much-needed juncture after Rohit and Kishan had put on 70 in the first-seven overs. But Pathirana wasn’t done with just that. He came back at the death and bagged both of MI’s big-hitters – Tim David and Romario Shepherd – which robbed them off crucial boundaries at the back-end.
Yet again Mumbai started like they would make short work of a target around 200 after gunning RCB’s 196 down in 15.3 overs. Rohit and Ishan Kishan looked smooth and brutal. Seven overs, 70 runs, not a sweat broken. Enter Pathirana, coming back from an injury break. The first ball was a loose one on the pads, and Kishan found midwicket with precision.
Six feet on either side and it would have left a hole in the boundary boards. However, following that lucky break, Pathirana was sensational. He welcomed Suryakumar Yadav with a 151.2kmph wide yorker and followed it up with a wide bouncer with the deep third placed fine just for the ramp. The assist came from Mustafizur Rahman, who took it overhead, flicked it back up, stepped outside, and came back to take the catch.
A middle-overs choke as MI batters except Rohit Sharma falters.
With MI needing 77 off the last six overs, Shardul Thakur and Tushar Deshpande found the cutters into the pitch highly effective. The duo bowled two overs for just five runs even with Rohit Sharma batting in the 70s. Thakur also accounted for the wicket of Hardik Pandya in the period, making the equation even tougher and putting pressure on the batters to follow with CSK managing the follow-up overs adeptly.
For CSK, the batting innings progressed on a more even course with a final take-off elevating them further.Ravindra Jadeja bowled four overs on the trot for 37, which is commendable in dewy conditions on a Mumbai night. Rohit, though, seemed to have overcome his recent threat of left-arm spin by taking 22 off 13 Jadeja deliveries. Runs kept coming from the other end until Pathirana came back.
Rohit’s ton goes in vain as Pathirana nails final nail in the coffin.
Rohit had seen through the innings from the first ball, first setting the ball rolling inside the powerplay with some innovative batting that put pressure on the likes of Mustafizur and Ravindra Jadeja. Through the middle overs, he managed to stitch together a crucial 60-run stand with Tilak Varma after that wobble. But with Pathirana striking once again through the end overs, MI fell behind even as Rohit collected a hundred in the final over.
It was all in Pathirana’s basket now. Three overs to bowl out of seven with Mumbai needing just 83 with all the firepower in the dugout. Matheesha Pathirana began with a dot to push it over two a ball for the first time. Then a subtle slower ball got the fluent Tilak Varma out. Then both former and current captains of Mumbai froze.
Shardul Thakur followed that over with wide-line slower balls. Both Rohit and Hardik faced three each for a single each. A frustrated Hardik even wasted a review on a wide. Tushar Deshpande followed it up with a boundary-less over and the wicket of Hardik. Rohit seemed to have run out of gas and timing.
Tim David raised some hope with successive sixes off Mustafizur but he again went wide and out of David’s reach to get the wicket. Matheesha Pathirana provided the finishing touch by rattling Shepherd’s stumps with a quick, straight delivery, the license for which he got because he had the bigger leg-side boundary to play with.
However, it was the slower balls from the other end that complemented Pathirana. At one point, they had bowled 13 for just four runs. They ended up with 27 slower balls for 36 runs, which was still way better than Mumbai’s execution of the delivery.
For large parts it was a contest that fit the billing: between the two most successful teams in the IPL and two of the three most popular teams. For large parts, it seemed the defending champions CSK would be outgunned. Jasprit Bumrah restricted them with four overs for just 27 and the Mumbai innings looked like it was going smoothly, but Matheesha Pathirana started the comeback with two wickets in his first over.
Still, Mumbai were favorites going into the last seven, needing 83 with eight wickets in hand, but their fast bowlers led by Matheesha Pathirana executed their plans of making batters hit into the bigger part perfectly, eventually winning by 20 runs. Rohit Sharma scored a century but it was only to Mumbai’s detriment: he scored just 14 off 14 between overs 13 to 18 and then found another wind when the task had become mathematically impossible.
Presentations and Road Ahead.
Hardik Pandya the loosing skipper said : It (target) was definitely gettable, but they bowled pretty well. Pathirana was the difference. They were smart with the plans and their approach. They got the hang of it, there’s a man behind the stumps (Dhoni) who tells them what’s working, that helps. It (pitch) was holding up a bit and getting difficult.
It was about batting well and keeping the intent. We were going quite well (in the run chase) till Pathirana came into the attack and took those two wickets. It was about what is best at that time, we could have done something different. I like to play percentage cricket, it would have been difficult for him (Dube) against seamers rather than spin. We are on the road for the next four games, need to play good cricket, need to keep the intensity high.
Ruturaj Gaikwad the winning skipper said : The young wicketkeeper scoring those three sixes helped us a lot, that proved to be the difference. We needed those 10-15 extra runs for this kind of venue. In the middle phase, Bumrah bowled really well. I feel we were spot on with our execution with the ball despite them scoring some great shots.
I would have taken 6 overs 60 at the powerplay. You need to be on the mark with bowling and batting at this venue. Our Malinga bowled really well today, he nailed those yorkers. Not to forget, Tushar and Shardul also did well. (On plans ahead) I think we need to keep it simple, encourage all to be in a good headspace and continue the same way.
Jinks was carrying a bit of a niggle, so thought it was better for him to open. I’m fine batting anywhere, plus it is the added responsibility as the team captain.
Matheesha Pathirana for his four wickets was Player of the Match said : When we were bowling in the powerplay, I was pretty nervous. I was told to keep it calm and do my thing, that gave me the confidence today. I don’t think too much about results, just concerned with my execution. If I execute, I will get my rewards.
Sometimes I have to change my plans depending on the batters. I was struggling with a bit of a niggle two weeks ago, but the support staff all backed me and that’s been the main reason for my form.
Age is just a number. If you needed any more proof, just look towards the 42-year-old MS Dhoni or the 21-year-old Matheesha Pathirana who proved to be the difference makers in this epic contest. Between their ages, you can fit in all the cricket experience of all the star studded rosters, but that can’t substitute for what the power of a united team with a clear vision can do on the big stage. Chasing 206, Mumbai Indians got off to a great start as they raced past to 70 after 7 overs.
However, Matheesha Pathirana struck with his first ball, and then dismissed Suryakumar Yadav in the same over. MI however recovered with Rohit Sharma and Tilak Varma stitching a partnership again, as they kept in check with the asking rate. Once again, Matheesha Pathirana proved to be the difference as he dismissed Varma.
That wicket brought Hardik Pandya to the centre and it really wasn’t his day, as he chewed up six balls and took the momentum off the chase. He holed out to Deshpande and from that point, MI never got back in the chase. A famished Rohit Sharma kept fighting till the end, but he didn’t get the support from the other end. Despite a superb 100 from the opener, the hosts fell short by 20 runs.
MS Dhoni scored 20 runs off four balls, and that proved to be the exact margin of victory for CSK today. Thala for a reason! Not many visiting teams win here at the Wankhede, even fewer while defending a total with dew around against Mumbai Indians. And probably only an MS Dhoni galvanized CSK can upstage a Rohit Sharma hundred to win. A big blotch of yellow mars the beauty of the Bombay blue today at the Wankhede.
Mumbai Indians will travel to Mullanpur to take on Punjab Kings on April 18 while the Chennai Super Kings will be in Lucknow on April 19 for their next fixture against the Super Giants