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How Mumbai Lost The Plot

April 26, 2023 13:32 IST

IMAGE: Abhinav Manohar showed his range of shots during his 42 off 21 balls. Photograph: BCCI

It was a mid-table clash that was expected to bring out the best from both teams. However, what was witnessed in Ahmedabad between the Gujarat Titans and Mumbai Indians was anything but.

The fans in Ahmedabad came out in numbers to watch the cream of IPL play out a thriller; instead all they got was a whimper of a game as Mumbai were flattened by a good all-round show from the home team.

Gujarat have leapt back to the top rung are now sitting pretty in the second spot with 10 points after this win.

On an overcast day in the Gujarat capital, with the pitch watered just before the match, Rohit Sharma called right at the toss and decided to bowl first.

With a pace attack featuring Jason Behrendorff, Cameron Green, Riley Meredith and Arjun Tendulkar, MI expected to get some assistance from the moist pitch and put GT on the backfoot early.

Tendulkar had Wriddhiman Saha caught behind off a faint edge and deny him a memorable 150th IPL match.

But that didn't deter Shubhman Gill (56) who played some beautiful shots to get his third half-century this season after he almost single-handedly brought up GT's 50 inside the Powerplay.

IMAGE: David Miller was at his attacking best, scoring 46 off 22 deliveries. Photograph: BCCI

Hardik Pandya, Gill and Vijay Shankar were sent back by the 13th over when David Miller was joined by Abhinav Manohar with the scorecard reading 103 for 4.

With seven overs to go and two new batters at the crease, it was MI's game for the taking. Instead of going for the jugular, some poor bowling allowed GT a passage back into the game.

Miller had said on Monday that Gujarat needed to cash in one big moment if they are to find victories, and that is what he and Manohar did.

Miller took no time to get going and once he was off the blocks -- he smacked MI chinaman bowler Kumar Kartikeya for a six and a four -- Manohar took his chances too.

In the 15th Manohar smashed Piyush Chawla for 17 runs before the GT duo upped the ante in the next five.

They made every ball count, taking singles and twos when Behrendorff bowled a fairly tight over giving just seven runs.

Manohar was given a lifeline when Chawla put down the batter in the deep off Meredith and he made MI pay.

He blasted Green, who had an off day, for two massive sixes before Miller closed the over with another maximum.

Abhinav and David put on a 71-run stand that had the Gujarat fans on their feet.

 

IMAGE: Noor Ahmad finished with 3 for 37 off his four overs. Photograph: BCCI

After Manohar's dismissal (42 off 21) in the 19th over, Miller (46 off 22) kept his foot on the pedal before Rahul Tewatia put the final touches to take GT past the 200 run mark.

Rohit looked worried for most of the evening as the Miller-Manohar juggernaut saw GT take 94 runs off the last 6 overs.

MI needed a good start, but with Mohammed Shami weaving his spell with the moving ball, beating Ishan Kishan on numerous occasions before his wretched stay at the crease was ended by Rashid Khan in the 8th over.

With Rohit's early dismissal and Green and Ishan managing only 29 in the Powerplay, it looked grim for MI.

The MI batters were further tormented by the guile and precision of Rashid and fellow Afghan, Chinaman bowler Noor Ahmad who claimed three wickets to cap a spectacular evening for his team. GT defeating the five-time champions by 55 runs.

 
NORMA ASTRID GODINHO