Mumbai Indians’ batting woes continued at home as they succumbed to some disciplined bowling led by Chennai Super Kings’ spinners Ravindra Jadeja (3-20) and Mitchell Santner (2-28) as they could only manage a modest 157/8 in 20 overs in an IPL 2023 match at the Wankhede Stadium, here on Saturday.
The fans had turned in huge numbers to watch the home team return to winning ways after suffering an eight-wicket defeat in their opening match to RCB. But it seems they will have to wait for some more matches to see that the score looks difficult to defend unless CSK make a hash of this easy chase.
Jadeja was brilliant in the execution of his plans as he bowled a fine length and line to claim the prized scalps of Ishan Kishan (32), Cameron Green (12) and Tilak Varma (22) and Santner bagged the wickets of the struggling Suryakumar Yadav (1) and Arshad Khan (2).
Tushar Deshpande had given Chennai Super Kings the breakthrough when he sent Mumbai Indians to skipper Rohit Sharma’s stumps cartwheeling with a superb inswinger for 21 and then had Tim David, who had hammered him for 18 runs in the 17th over for two sixes and a four, holing out in the outfield for 31.
Hrithik Shokeen (18 not out) and Piyush Chawla (5 not out) added 26 runs off 18 balls towards the end as Mumbai managed to cross the 150-run mark.
Four of Mumbai Indians’ batters got decent starts but could not convert them into big innings, it appeared they wanted to blast their way out of trouble which proved futile.
Asked to bat first, Mumbai Indians got off to a dismal start as skipper Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan managed to raise 38 runs for the opening stand. Rohit (21) started with a four off Deepak Chahar over extra cover and then sliced the same bowler over mid-off for another boundary. Rohit also struck Tushar Deshpande over point for a boundary but was troubled by his Mumbai Ranji teammate, who missed the inside edge with a good outswinger and beat him again a ball later with another outswinger.
Rohit responded by hammering a short one from Deshpande over point for a flat six but the bowler had the last laugh as he castled the India skipper with an angled delivery that skidded in late and squared up Rohit to breach the defense. It was entertaining cricket between a top-class batter and a fine bowler but it did not last long and Mumbai were reduced to 38/1 in the fourth over.
That started the slide for Mumbai Indians as Ishan Kishan departed soon after the Power-play as Mumbai slumped to 64/2 in the 7th over. Kishan drove, cut, and pulled over midwicket Sisanda Magala for three boundaries in the third over taking 14 runs in all.
He hammered Magala for back-to-back fours in the 6th over before holing out to long-on off Ravindra Jadeja, back in the dugout with 32 off 21 balls, hitting five boundaries.
Suryakumar Yadav’s poor form of run continued as he was out for 1, MS Dhoni’s keen sense of the game came good once again as he used the DRS without hesitation to get the decision in CSK’s favour. Yadav was caught behind as he gloved back a faint edge off Mitchell Santner.
Jadeja and Santner then shared the next three wickets to fall — the former CSK captain from Saurashtra was lucky to snap up a fierce shot drilled by Cameron Green (12) off his own bowling and then trapped Tilak Varma, Mumbai Indians’ best bat in their last match against RCB, lbw for 22 (18 balls, 2×4, 1×6). Santner trapped Arshad Khan (2) lbw as Mumbai Indians were in deep trouble at 102/6 in the 13th over.
Tim David hammered Tushar Deshpande for two sixes interspersed by a four to score 18 runs in the 17th over but was out off the final delivery of that eventful over, holing out to Rahane at deep midwicket, dragging a wide one to the outfield in a desperate attempt to add some quick runs. He was out for 31 off 22 balls, hitting one four and two sixes as Mumbai slumped to 131/8.
Brief scores:
Mumbai Indians 157/8 in 20 overs (Ishan Kishan 32, Tim David 31; Ravindra Jadeja 3-20, Mitchell Santner 2-28, Tushar Deshpande 2-31) against Chennai Super Kings.