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Turning Point: Mumbai Indians dig their own hole

April 25, 2018 10:11 IST

Rohit Sharma walks off after being dismissed by Shakib Al Hasan

IMAGE: Mumbai Indians Captain Rohit Sharma walks off after being dismissed by Shakib Al Hasan. Photograph: BCCI

Mumbai Indians -- the 2017 champions -- are having a torrid time this IPL season.

They have a herculean task ahead of them to make the Playoffs.

After Mumbai's bowlers gave the team a great start by dismissing the Sunrisers Hyderabad for 118, the defending champions made a hash of the chase.

The in form Suryakumar Yadav and Ewin Lewis started off casually, getting 8 off the first two overs.

While Surya looked comfortable, Lewis was edgy, poking at deliveries, exhibiting very little feet movement.

The West Indian had problems facing the moving ball and although he started the third over with a boundary, he fell to Sandeep Sharma in the same over.

Ishan Kishan fell in the next over, hitting spinner Mohammad Nabi to long-off for a duck.

 

The Sunrisers upped the pressure with their bowlers bowling to set fields, making runs difficult to get.

Captain Kane Williamson made a superb decision to replace Nabi with the experienced Shakib Al Hasan when an out of tough Rohit Sharma arrived at the crease and what a change that proved to be.

Coming around the wicket, Shakib got a bit of turn, Rohit tried to play it past the infield, got the edge and hand a catch to Shikhar Dhawan at slip.

Krunal Pandya and Surya put on a semblance of a fight, stitching up a 40-run partnership before Rashid Khan made the breakthrough.

The DRS showed that Krunal was struck on the back pad in front of the stumps and the writing was on the wall for Mumbai.

Kieron Pollard -- who has been a disappointment this season -- struck a six off Shakib, taking 11 runs off the over. That was Mumbai's one big over in the innings as wickets continued to tumble.

Dhawan took another good catch at slip, this time off Rashid's bowling, to send back Pollard.

Basil Thampi -- about whom Glenn McGrath has nice things to say -- took out Surya before Sidharth Kaul returned to take the wickets of Mitch McClenaghan and Mayank Markande in one over.

Rashid bowled a sensational maiden 17th over. The big-hitting Hardik Pandya could do nothing when confronted with the Afghan teenager's guile.

Kaul and Thampi wrapped up the innings taking out Hardik and Mustafizur to bring Sunrisers' campaign back on track.

Norma Godinho