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MI Vs SRH: Who Bowled The Best Spell?

By HARISH KOTIAN
March 28, 2024 10:50 IST
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In a match where a world record 38 sixes were hit and both teams combined for a total in excess of 500, the bowlers struggled to make an impact on a flat pitch at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad.

Sunrisers Hyderabad scored 277/3 -- the highest total in IPL history while Mumbai Indians made a strong reply with 246/5 but eventually fell short.

SRH Captain Pat Cummins stood out as the only bowler who made an impression, while Jaydev Unadkat and Shahbaz Ahmed also did well for the hosts.

A look at the best bowlers in the Mumbai Indians-Sunrisers Hyderabad match:

Pat Cummins

On a pitch where every bowler was taken to the cleaners, Cummins stood out for his excellent figures of 2/35 in four overs.

Unlike Hardik Pandya who struggled with his captaincy when SRH were dominating the game with the bat, Cummins showed great composure to make the right moves.

His move to bring in left-arm spinner Shahbaz Ahmed in the fourth over surprised many but the move worked as he got Ishan Kishan's wicket. Rohit Sharma was dropped off the same bowler, but Cummins ensured it didn't cost SRH much.

He brought himself into the attack at the other end and had Rohit (26) caught at fine leg after he top edged a pull shot.

Later, when Tilak Varma threatened to take MI close, Cummins again delivered with the ball. Once again the short ball with a slight change of pace caused Varma's downfall as he miscued the pull shot and was caught at long on.

Leading from the front, Cummins was not shy of bowling the difficult overs and made two vital breakthroughs at vital junctures to finish off MI's hopes.

Jaydev Unadkat

Unadkat's vast experience of IPL and domestic cricket came in handy on a tricky pitch for the bowlers.

Hit for a couple of sixes by Rohit in the second over, the left-arm pacer bounced back in the middle overs. Using the slower balls to good effect, he kept the MI batters guessing.

He dismissed the well-set Naman Dhir for 30 to end his dangerous partnership with Varma.

Unadkat bowled another superb over at the end when he conceded just five runs in the 16th over despite bowling to the dangerous duo of Pandya and Tim David.

The pacer was rewarded for his efforts with the wicket of Pandya, who top edged the pull and was caught by Henrik Klaasen.

Even though he expensive -- 2/47 in four overs, the way he kept things in check in the end overs was praiseworthy.

 

Jasprit Bumrah

The strange decision to not open the bowling with Bumrah seems to have hurt MI once again.

17-year-old pacer Kwena Maphaka opened the bowling for MI and was taken to the cleaners in his first two overs before Pandya brought on Bumrah. He was given just one over despite conceding only five runs.

Despite Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma going on the rampage, Pandya didn't bring Bumrah back Bumrah till the 13th over.

SRH pumelled 128 runs in eight overs when Bumrah was away from the attack.

When he came back, he continued to be tight, conceding seven runs in his second over for a total of 12 runs in two overs when the other bowlers had all gone above 12 per over.

Bumrah's late introduction didn't benefit MI as he had to bowl against two well-set batters in Klaasen and Aiden Markram. He finished with 36 runs from his four overs, the second best bowling figures in the match after Cummins.

Shahbaz Ahmed

Shahbaz Ahmed

After MI had raced to 50 from 3 overs, Cummins took the gamble to introduce left-arm spinner Shahbaz Ahmed in the Powerplay, to bowl the fourth over.

He repaid the captain's faith by getting rid of the dangerous Kishan, who had slog swept the first ball for a six, but perished off the next attempting the same shot.

Shahbaz was unlucky not to get Rohit's wicket in the same over. The MI opener had miscued the pull shot but Abdul Samad running back from mid-on put down a simple catch.

Even though he went for runs later on, Shahbaz had done his job with the dangerous Kishan's wicket.

MI vs SRH: Who Bowled The Best Spell?

 

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HARISH KOTIAN / Rediff.com

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