IPL 2017, Match 45, DD v MI, CT Player of the Match – Lendl Simmons

The Mumbai Indians have stormed into the playoffs with a crushing win over the Delhi Daredevils at Feroze Shah Kotla. They got all their boxes ticked correctly in the game to come up with a perfect performance on display. After having scored a mammoth 212 on the board riding on fifties from Lendl Simmons and Kieron Pollard, the bowlers rose up to the occasion by cleaning up the opposition for just 66.

It all started with the onslaught initiated from openers Lendl Simmons and Parthiv Patel. After being benched for the entire season thus far, Simmons got his first shot at the tournament today. The West Indies batsman, who has an IPL century for Mumbai Indians, arrived in grand style. During his stay at the crease, never did he give the impression that this was his first game in the season.

He lost the support of his opening partner after adding 79 for the first wicket as Parthiv Patel was stumped off the bowling of Amit Mishra. The wicket did not bother his spirits and he continued to rally along. He found homely support with Kieron Pollard coming good on the day with a thunderous fifty too. But the guiding knock that Lendl Simmons played, helped Mumbai post 212/3 in the match.

A classy 66 off just 43 balls with 5 fours and 4 sixes fetches him the CT Player of the Match for the DD v MI encounter:

Coming after a long layoff

Simmons had been warming the bench for almost 40 days of the tournament. It can be heart wrenching for any player who has been benched for so long. The team went in with the opening duo of Parthiv Patel and Jos Buttler in the matches that preceded this game. However, with Buttler not being available for selection, Lendl Simmons got his first shot in the tournament.

Despite not being in the thick of action in the tournament leading up to the match, Simmons managed to keep himself match ready. This was very much evident from the way he batted on his Mumbai Indians return. He scored a magnificent fifty in the match that set the tone for Mumbai’s victory.

Taking the charge, forging partnerships

The Delhi Daredevils did not expect Simmons to fire up right from the very first over. They were certainly taken aback when the West Indies batsman took the charge to the opposition. His attack in the early overs helped Mumbai Indians finish with 60 runs to their credit in the powerplay overs.

Little did it seem that he was not the senior partner in the partnership with Parthiv – considering that Parthiv had played all the matches this season. He added an attacking 79 run opening stand with Patel and then continued the brutal hitting along with his West Indies team mate Kieron Pollard. Pollard and Simmons added 37 runs for the second wicket before Simmons lost his wicket on 66.

Plays the anchor role

In the match, Lendl Simmons played an ideal innings where he knew when he had to switch gears in the match. He played the role of the aggressor when he batted with Parthiv. After Parthiv was dismissed in the 9th over, Simmons assumed the senior role as Kieron Pollard found it tough to get going from the very first ball.

Simmons played some attacking shots to ensure that Pollard does not get under the pressure of being the bludgeoning partner in the partnership. He played well to keep the pressure off him by playing his free flowing shots. In a nutshell, it was his anchoring knock that helped the other batsmen build the massive total around his pivotal innings.