S10M02

Bowler management comes to the fore!

6664611 – Seems a phone number straight out of an Australia telephone directory.

Well, almost but then those were the numbers that had an impact on the game at Pune where the home team skipper learnt a lesson or two in bowler management, same goes for the Rohit Sharma too!

Four sixes and a four were what Hardik Pandya scored off the last over to take Mumbai Indians to a respectable 184 from an almost uncompetitive 154. While the power hitting skill of the batsman is not at all in doubt, it speaks more about the thoughtless bowling of hapless Ashoke Dinda.

It’s really a wonder how captains haven’t read a bit of history of their team mates who have been extremely charitable in the end overs. Dinda has been an average bowler in all the years in IPL and has some very forgettable performances in the death overs.

While the spectators get a treat when batsman go hammer and tongs at bowlers for the adjective-redefining-display giant screens that scream Humungous or Mammoth, it also puts to shade some extraordinary bowling of the likes of Imran Tahir, Adam Zampa and Rajat Bhatia, who quite literally had the visitors on the mat.

To his credit Steve Smith redeemed his composure from the brutal assault on his senses (avoiding the phrase ‘brain fade’ here) by scoring the required runs at the end with much aplomb. 

The Rising Pune Supergiants must also thank Ajinkya Rahane who set the ball rolling with his classy innings that kept the required run rate in check throughout.

As much as Dinda was a bad choice for the last over, Rohit Sharma too must have rued the fact that he used up his frontline bowlers early to be left with an injured Kieron Pollard to bowl the last over, when 13 had to be defended.

Skippers need to do a bit of homework to get their game plan right, more so in the bowler management department, and of course the ground fielding too.

There was couple of outstanding catches in the match, one each from both sides with Mayank Agarwal and Nitish Rana put in great diving efforts. But then just two matches and this edition of IPL is already being remembered for the number of sitters being put down. Catches that have gone begging have had immense impact on the result, with both the Man-of-the match performers being the prime beneficiaries.

Brief Scores

Rising Pune Supergiant 187 for 3 (Smith 84*, Rahane 60) beat Mumbai Indians 184 for 8 (Buttler 38, Hardik 35*, Tahir 3-28, Bhatia 2-14) by seven wickets

Man of the Match: Steve Smith