So, Mumbai Indians ended their 13-year IPL opening match jinx with a sensational win over Kolkata Knight Riders in front of a buoyant Wankhede crowd. The match was all about runs, runs and more runs at the end of the day, as only eight wickets fell and 444 runs were scored across both innings.
At times like these, you tend to feel for the bowlers. It is never easy playing on tracks that have now become the norm in the IPL.
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Often, you just hope and pray that it is your day and that you return home with the least amount of damage. That is where Jasprit Bumrah simply stands apart from the rest.
Bumrah arrived late to join the MI squad but, as the famous Rajinikanth dialogue goes:”Naan late-aah vanthallum, latest aa varuven (Even if I come late, I arrive in style).”
So, what was the latest trick from the master who just seems to get better and better?
To begin with, it would be criminal not to doff your hat to Shardul Thakur, who picked up three wickets and dismissed KKR’s top three of Ajinkya Rahane, Finn Allen and Cameron Green.
Mind you, KKR were steamrolling the MI bowling at one point, and even Bumrah went for 11 runs in his first over. This is when Shardul did what he does best-pick up wickets.But this wasn’t the turning point of the game. It all comes down to the 12th over of the KKR innings, where Bumrah’s magic was in full flow.
HOW BUMRAH’S OVER CHANGED THE GAME FOR MUMBAI?
Before heading into this 12th over, let’s look at what happened in the game until that point. KKR got off to a dream start with the bat. Rahane and Allen added 69 runs off 32 balls, and Green came in and tried to continue the onslaught. Rahane was batting beautifully and 250-260 appeared to be on the cards at that point.
There were very few overs that went for single digits, and it seemed KKR were well on the ascendancy.
By the 10th over, KKR were 120 for two and sizing up a big total. They had Rahane and Angkrish Raghuvanshi going at a steady rate at this point, with Rinku Singh and Ramandeep Singh waiting in the wings.
That is when Bumrah came in for his second over. It followed the familiar template for the star pacer in the IPL-one in the powerplay, another in the middle, and two at the death.
The first delivery to Rahane was short and angled into the body, forcing him to guide it to third man for a single. The next ball to Raghuvanshi was a brilliant yorker, yielding just another run. Rahane then received a yorker he could only push for a single.
Another delivery, another yorker-this time Raghuvanshi couldn’t even get a run. The next ball was accurate in length, resulting in just another single. Bumrah did stray onto the pads once, but no damage was done. The stadium erupted in applause, and so did fans watching back home.
THE AFTERMATH
Now, there is a reason why this makes the Play of the Day. It wasn’t long ago that Bumrah produced something similar-at the very same ground.
He bowled a sensational 18th over against a marauding England in the T20 World Cup semi-final, conceding just six runs when it seemed like the game was slipping away. On that day, Hardik Pandya followed up on the good work and got the job done. Similarly, MI’s bowlers took a cue from Bumrah’s over and began to put the brakes on KKR’s run flow.
Trent Boult’s next over saw just eight runs come off it, while Shardul conceded six and picked up the wicket of Rahane after that. Ghazanfar and Shardul conceded 31 off the next two overs, but the damage to KKR’s momentum had already been done. Bumrah returned for his third over and gave away just eight runs in the 18th.
Hardik conceded 10 in the next over, and Bumrah rounded things off brilliantly in the final one, despite conceding a no-ball and a wide early on.
He may have ended up with no wickets to show for his effort and conceded 35 runs, but that crucial over ensured KKR’s run rate in the middle phase dipped below 10, and they struggled to regain momentum.
The signs do look good for Mumbai this season, especially with the batting clicking. But once again, it will be the bowling that determines whether they can go on to win their sixth IPL title. Or maybe, it just comes down to one man-with his unorthodox action-quietly reminding everyone why he is still the best in the business.
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