IPL 10, Match 51, MI v KXIP Review: Pollard blitz not enough as Mohit keeps Kings XI Punjab alive

It was a no-flying zone over the Wankhede Stadium tonight as the ball flew to all corners of the ground. As many as 26 sixes were smacked in the game which was eventually snapped by Kings XI Punjab by 7 runs courtesy Mohit Sharma’s cool final over.

On the back of Wriddhiman Saha’s 93* and Maxwell’s whirlwind 21-ball 47, which was studded with 5 sixes, Kings XI Punjab amassed 230/3 – the highest score of this year’s IPL. A score in excess of 215 has never been chased down in IPL’s 10-year existence, which meant Mumbai Indians had to chase history.

Apart from Saha and Maxwell, Martin Guptill too contributed immensely to give Punjab a flying start with an 18-ball 36. The Kiwi basher was in red hot form and was the major contributor in the 68-run opening stand with Saha which took just 33 balls to fetch. After Guptill’s departure – he sliced Karn Sharma to long on as the leg-spinner smartly slowed it down after conceding a boundary on the previous delivery – it was Maxwell’s turn to unleash his wide array of shots. The skipper was severe on Harbhajan Singh – the most economical bowler this year – as he smacked the off-spinner for 3 sixes in his first over to dent the star bowler’s confidence.

Maxwell lost his off-stump to Jasprit Bumrah, who was the most economical bowler returning with 1/24 on a day where more than 450 runs were scored, Shaun Marsh and Saha took the fight forward. The duo added 52 runs in 26 balls before Marsh edged one to the keeper to fall for a quick 25. Due to some brilliant death bowling, Punjab managed to add 40 runs in the last four, slightly less than what they would have liked, to end the innings on 230/3. Rohit Sharma immediately summoned his troops for a mid-pitch conference and the message was loud and clear: back yourself to overhaul the daunting total.

Simmons and Patel begin with intent

Simmons and Patel had to go for it right from the start and so they did, collecting 68 from the first six, three less than what Kings XI Punjab had managed. Axar’s first over was targeted by Simmons, after he was dropped off the second ball at long off, as the West Indian hit two sixes to take 14 from the over. He also brought up his second fifty in three games in the process.

Mumbai took special liking to Mohit Sharma as they took 33 runs from his first two overs, though Parthiv Patel lost his wicket to him; not before he hit three consecutive boundaries off Mohit in the 9^th over. It is often said that one brings two, which held correct for Punjab tonight as Simmons followed suit 5 balls later courtesy a brilliant one-handed grab by Martin Guptill at long-on off skipper Glenn Maxwell. At the half way mark, Mumbai were still 123 runs adrift with 8 wickets in hand. They had momentum on their side, which is the key in T20 cricket.

The last ten overs saw the game oscillate from one side to another like a pendulum. Rohit lost his wicket to a leg-spinner yet again as he hit a rather innocuous short ball off Tewatia straight to long-on. No. 3 batsman Rana fell the very next over for a run-a-ball 12. Mumbai were left to get 108 in the last 7 overs but they had their two best hitters: Kieron Pollard and Hardik Pandya out in the centre.

Pandya-Pollard take them to the brink

Wickets off successive overs did not bother Pollard and Pandya as they were on the charge straightaway. Rookie Tewatia was drilled for two sixes in one over, one each by Pollard and Pandya, as Mumbai hinted that they are not going down without a fight. With 83 to get off the last five, Mumbai looked all but out of it but both batsmen got them back in the game as they thwarted Henry for 2 sixes each in the next over to take 27 runs off the 16th.

The asking rate had come down to 14 for the last four overs which looked manageable as Mumbai had the momentum. Sandeep removed Pandya to jolt Mumbai’s plans but Pollard continued to bat in aggressive fashion. Karn Sharma’s 6-ball 19 coupled with Pollard’s blitz got Mumbai to the brink of an improbable win.

Sandeep and Mohit at it again

Punjab are blessed to have two outstanding death bowlers in Sandeep Sharma and Mohit Sharma in their ranks. With 23 left to get in the last 2 overs, Punjab looked down and out but this is where the Sharmas put their hands up. Bowling the penultimate over, Sandeep conceded just 7 runs which meant Mohit had 16 to defend off the last. After conceding 7 from the first two balls, Mohit bowled immaculate full balls to deny any width for Pollard to swing his arms as Mumbai fell short by just 7 runs.

It was a cliff-hanger of a game which went down to the wire and the difference was the death bowling of Sandeep and Mohit. All the bowlers, barring Jasprit Bumrah and Glenn Maxwell, had a forgettable day as the batters sent them for a leather hunt at the Wankhede.

Brief Scores:

Kings XI Punjab- 230/3 in 20 overs (Wriddhiman Saha 93*, Glenn Maxwell 47, Jasprit Bumrh 1/24) 

Mumbai Indians- 223/6 in 20 overs (Lendl Simmons 59, Kieron Pollard 50*, Mohit Sharma 2/57)

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