In the thrilling TATA WPL 2024 Opening Match at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, the defending champion Mumbai Indians defeated the Delhi Capitals by four wickets after debutant Sajeevan Sajana’s incredible last-ball six finish.
The game swayed one way and then the other, making a movie-like ending appropriate only after the opening ceremony was lavished with glamour due to Bollywood celebrities.
Toss Update and pitch report
The batting surfaces of Bengaluru’s M. Chinnaswamy Stadium are among the best in the world. Given that the surface doesn’t help the bowlers, it is one of the hardest wickets in this format. The surface rewards spinners well because the ball frequently stops on the batters.
The Mumbai Indians women’s captain, Harmanpreet Kaur, chose to bowl first after winning the toss because there could be a possibility of dew in the second part of the match.
Mumbai Indians bowlers kept things tight for Delhi batters
Mumbai Indians started strong, holding Delhi Capitals to 25/1 in the powerplay. Saika Ishaque and Shabnim Ismail got off to a good start, giving up just three runs in their first two overs.
Shafali attempted a crazy heave but failed, shaking the stumps, and Ismail benefited from the mounting pressure in the following over. Though the Mumbai Indians’ powerplay prevailed overall, Alice Capsey immediately relieved a bit of pressure by hitting three fours when she reached the crease.
After that, Capsey and Lanning turned up the heat on Amelia Kerr and Sathyamoorthy Keerthana, scoring 39 runs in the next four overs to help DC reach 65/1 at the halfway point.
Capsey and Jemimah led the Delhi Capitals to a competitive total
The 64-run partnership was later broken by Nat Sciver-Brunt, who dismissed Lanning for 32 (27) using the slower back-of-the-hand. But Capsey didn’t stop attacking, hitting two massive sixes and a four to chase down Hayley Matthews in the 12th over and reach her fifty off just 36 balls.
After a somewhat sluggish start, Jemimah Rodrigues joined the party, as the two displayed incredible power and placement to add 74 off just 40 balls. The breakthrough came when Kerr trapped Capsey LBW for 75 (52).
In the next over, Jemimah departed for an aggressive 42 off 24. Kapp then put in the final touches for DC, taking them to 171/5, with a quick-fire 16 off 9.
Kerr and Nat Sciver-Brunt were the top bowlers for the Mumbai Indians, as they struck two wickets each, while Shabnim Ismail chipped in with one wicket.
Yastika and Nat Sciver-Brunt kept scoreboard ticking after an early wicket
The Mumbai Indians were blown away early in their chase of 172 when Hayley Matthews was caught behind off the second delivery of the innings by Marizanne Kapp. At the end of the powerplay, MI was down to 50/1 due to a counterattack led by Yastika Bhatia and Nat Sciver-Brunt.
In the seventh over, Lanning brought Arundhati Reddy into the attack, and it proved to be a wise move as she removed Sciver-Brunt with a superb inswinger. After giving up 30 runs in the next four overs to reach 80/2 at the halfway point, Mumbai Indians somewhat rebounded.
Following that, Bhatia and captain Harmanpreet Kaur increased the score, with the former hitting her first WPL fifty in just 35 balls. Reddy was brought back by Lanning as the partnership grew stronger, and she once again responded with a vital wicket, trapping Bhatia for 57(45).
Harmanpreet’s fifty set the stage for Sajana to finishes off in style
However, Kaur and Amelia Kerr maintained the pace. Shikha Pandey bowled a great over, giving up just eight runs and taking out Kerr 24 (18) with 30 needed off 18. Despite this, Kaur managed to steer MI in the right direction, completing her half-century with a six in the penultimate over.
Capsey removed Pooja Vastrakar with the first ball in the final over, with 12 needed off the last over. The following two balls saw three runs off them, but Kaur hit a four-over point to reduce the target to five off two. But Capsey recovered, catching the MI captain off guard to add yet another surprise.
When MI required five off the final ball, Sajeevan Sajana attacked down the track and smacked one over long-on for a six to seal a thrilling win for the Mumbai Indians. Arundhati and Capsey took two wickets each for the Delhi Capitals, while Kapp and Shikha got one wicket each.
