Rohit’s freeflowing fifty in vain
The MI skipper scores his first halfcentury of the season but fails to take his team to a seventh straight win
With 24 needed off 12 balls, it all boiled down to the battle between the best batsman of the day and the best bowler of the day. Ben Stokes had been outstanding with the ball for Rising Pune Supergiant (two for 15 in three overs) and the strokes were flowing from Rohit Sharma’s blade. The MI skipper had raced to his half-century off just 33 balls.
Rohit also had the support of in-form Hardik Pandya at the other end. But as the game entered the decisive 19th over, Stokes sprung into action. He restricted Rohit and Hardik to just seven runs, one wide and six singles, to leave Mumbai needing 17 off the last six balls in their chase of Pune Supergiant’s 160 for six.
Stokes then took a tough catch off the first ball of the final over of the match to send back Hardik and by the time the game reached the third-last ball of the day, Rohit had lost his composure, arguing with the umpire over a wide ball decision.
The next ball, Rohit walked back to the pavilion after a miscuing wild heave off Unadkat. Harbhajan Singh did smash a six off the final ball, but it was not enough as Mumbai Indians finished with 157 for eight to lose by three runs.
It was Pune Supergiant’s third straight win. They have defeated Mumbai Indians in both the games this season.
Despite the loss, it was a fine effort from Rohit . Putting his sluggish form behind, the MI skipper treated the Wankhede Stadium crowd with some great strokeplay. Rohit, whose best effort before this knock had been an unbeaten 40, smashed his first half-century of IPL-10. When he gets into rhythm, he is the most devastating batsman in Twenty20 cricket. He had made his intentions clear early with a pull off Dan Christian of the third ball he faced. Pune Supergiant brought on Imran Tahir, trying to prey on his vulnerability against leg-spinners. Rohit’s heart must have skipped a beat when Tahir fired in a googly to rap the batsman on the pads. A vociferous appeal followed but the Wankhede crowd heaved a sigh of relief as the umpire’s finger stayed down. It was the only blemish in Rohit’s innings. He stepped up the charge and targeted Tahir for special treatment, bringing up Mumbai Indians’ hundred with a four and a six.
It was a see-saw battle which had the crowd on the edge. With 39 needed off 24 balls, the equation favoured the batting team. But a brilliant running catch in the deep by Steve Smith to send back Kieron Pollard kept Pune Supergiant’s hopes alive. Buoyed by the wicket, Tahir conceded just four runs in the 17th over to take the equation to 35 off 18 . Then, Stokes delivered the knock-out punch.