IPL 2017, KKR vs MI: The more things change for Mumbai Indians

At 126/5 after 13 overs, Kolkata Knight Riders had suddenly gained the upper hand despite losing wickets at regular intervals. Manish Pandey and a more aggressive Colin Grandhomme had been turning it on. However, it was Kolkata’s last recognised batting pair. Mitchell Johnson returned for his second spell and beat Pandey for pace, as the ball took the under edge to the keeper. Umpire S Ravi turned the appeal down, much to Mumbai captain Rohit Sharma’s chagrin.

Much to Mumbai’s respite, Hardik Pandya dismissed Grandhomme on the first ball of the next over and the visitors started to tighten the screw. Kolkata hit back with a 14-run over, thanks to multiple strokes of luck including Pandey being dropped at deep midwicket by substitute Jagadeesha Suchith, Kuldeep Yadav surviving a run out chance and a no-ball being called because three fielders were inside the circle.

With 25 runs to get off the last three overs, the game was Kolkata’s to lose. But Pandya got Pandey on the first ball of the 18th over – this time Suchith didn’t err – and conceded only four runs from his next five deliveries. Yet again, the pendulum swung.

The equation eventually came down to 14 off 6. In the absence of Lasith Malinga and Jasprit Bumrah, Pandya rose to the occasion. Only four runs conceded and Mumbai won by nine runs. They finished as table-toppers with 20 points but more importantly, Pandya’s maturity as a bowler bodes good news for Indian cricket with the Champions Trophy around the corner. In fact, Mumbai flexed their bowling reserves in this game – Tim Southee brilliantly set up Sunil Narine before getting him out in his first over, Vinay Kumar got the better of the dangerous Chris Lynn with a slower bouncer and Johnson put the pressure back on the hosts at the back end of the innings. Kolkata still qualified for playoffs but they will have to play the Eliminator.

The Rayudu blast

On April 6, Ambati Rayudu had been stretchered off the field after suffering a groin injury. That was Mumbai’s’ first match in this year’s IPL, against Rising Pune Supergiant. Twelve matches and 37 days later he got a game because Mumbai rested six key players – Parthiv Patel, Nitish Rana, Harbhajan Singh, Bumrah, Malinga and Mitchell McClenaghan – in their final group league fixture against Kolkata at Eden Gardens on Saturday. Rayudu announced his return with a blazing 37-ball 63.

Thick clouds loomed large on the horizon at around 4 pm. A dark afternoon followed by a Nor’wester and persistent drizzle delayed the start of the match by half an hour. Kolkata won the toss and promptly decided to bowl first on a pitch that had sweated under covers. Boult’s first ball pitched outside the off stump and swung a mile, bringing out a collective gush from 65,000 fans. At Eden press box, Fifa U-17 World Cup tournament director Javier Ceppi, who turned up to get a first-hand account of the security arrangements for a big sporting event in Kolkata, looked on curiously.

Boult, meanwhile, removed an in-form Lendl Simmons in his second over. Rohit came and started off with a princely back foot flick against Umesh Yadav at his happy hunting ground. His four off Sunil Narine, a sweep to the backward square leg fence, had that lazy elegance. A flat six off Umesh attested power and another sweep off Kuldeep that bisected two leg side fielders in the deep showed precision. Rohit looked set to extend his love affair with Eden. But Ankit Rajpoot played ‘spoilsport’, trapping the Mumbai skipper leg before in his first over.

Mumbai then progressed through a 61-run third wicket partnership between Saurabh Tiwary and Rayudu; the latter a little rusty to begin with, but gradually grew in confidence.

After a meaty four off Narine, Rayudu launched into Umesh with a boundary and a six. Proceedings slowed down a tad as Mumbai lost Tiwary in the final ball of the over. The left-hander made a valuable 43-ball 52 in his first match of the season but his dismissal was down to sloppy running between the wickets for which he deservedly received a tongue-lashing from his partner.

A peeved Rayudu turned his anger towards Boult, hitting him for a four and a six to reach his half-century. Kuldeep was taken to the cleaners as well but the chinaman bowler responded with a beauty to dismiss the batsman. Rayudu was beaten in flight and the turn, with Uthappa completing an easy stumping. A fantastic final over from Boult restricted Mumbai to 173/5.