The Mumbai Indians’ win over Delhi Daredevils on Tuesday at the CCI has opened the tournament up with three semi-final berths up for grabs. Twenty20 is a format where it is the instincts and not the logic that often works.
Adam Gilchrist bowling Harmeet Singh against Royal Challengers Bangalore and Sachin Tendulkar playing Ali Murtaza were both instinctive decisions which paid off well.
Talking about the match, I think Sachin Tendulkar was under less pressure than Gautam Gambhir going into the match and he read the wicket well. The decision to play Ali Murtaza ahead of Dhawal Kulkarni and Zaheer and Bravo not bowling their quota of overs was based on the wicket and instincts.
The wicket was slow and it would have been interesting to see Daniel Vettori bowl against Mumbai Indians. I think Gambhir missed a trick there when he decided to rest the Kiwi spinner.
Sachin has been saying that Mumbai Indians is not just about him but also other match-winners but the experts kept repeating the term ‘one-man show’. However, the win against Delhi Daredevils ended all speculation on that front.
Sachin has been watching these players closely in the nets so he understands them better than most of the experts. Most people’s opinions are based on what the scoreboard shows but the Mumbai Indians skipper backs his players on their ability.
Another reason for youngsters blossoming under him is the security he gives to his players. His nature is easy going and quite informal with the boys which are two attributes a captain requires in club cricket.
Robin Singh, too, is a likeable man. I am sure that his presence in the dug-out has helped youngsters believe in their ability and back themselves when on the field.
Coming back to the match, Keiron Pollard did what he is best known for. His scoop against Ashish Nehra was the highlight of his innings with innovation being the criteria. The Twenty20 format has pushed batsmen to use unconventional shots to maximum affect.
I remember Andy Flower using a lot of reverse sweep in his playing days but most of them were grounded shots. As time went by, we saw Kevin Pietersen take the reverse sweep to another level and hitting it over the ropes with the experts terming it – ‘switch hit’. The same goes with the scoop shot. Batsmen have used it to get fours but now we saw Pollard getting the maximum result.
It will be interesting to see how Pollard performs against quality spin bowling on slow tracks. The straight six he had hit off Ladda was not convincing.
Delhi Daredevils were done in by their carefree attitude. But one can’t blame them because that is the way they play their cricket and that is why they have been so successful. Sehwag and Gambhir didn’t apply themselves and could not execute the plan while chasing the total. In the end, the visitors wanted to bat through the 20 overs with the net run-rate playing at the back of their minds.
In the second game, Chennai Super Kings registered a convincing win over Kolkata Knight Riders and they looked pretty certain of making it to the semis. Royal Challengers Bangalore and Deccan Chargers are the other two sides who are looking good as the race for the semi-finals berth reaches its final stage.
I wouldn’t be surprised if these three sides complete the semi-final line-up but there is no denying the fact that the unpredictable nature of the Twenty20 format could throw up surprises.
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