WC stars show glitter of old
Yuvraj and Harbhajan emerge best performers for their respective teams Best show: 15 wickets, Last T20I: 4/23 8 Eco. May, 2014 Best show: 17 wickets, Last T20I: Best show: 11 wickets, Last T20I: Best show: 8 wickets, Last T20I: Best show:
The Wankhede turf holds great memories for Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh and Zaheer Khan. Four years ago, it was here the three had tasted the greatest triumph of their cricketing careers — winning the World Cup.
Time has flown and with each passing season, their reflexes and skills have diminished. They are no longer the feared warriors they were on that April night of 2011. Making a comeback to international cricket is now a distant dream. But, in a lesser contest like the IPL, they can have their moments.
On Tuesday, those present here, were provided glimpses of their prowess as the three turned back the clock by a few years.
While the toast of the home crowd was Harbhajan Singh, Yuvraj delighted them with some fine hitting towards the end of his innings and Zaheer put on an exhibition on the use of the new ball.
Not only Harbhajan shone the brightest because he was leading the home team’s attack, he was also the pick of the bowlers on display. The off-spinner has been bowling well this season, but not as confidently as he did against Delhi Daredevils.
Being a rhythm bowler, Harbhajan was off to a dream start when he struck off the first ball to send back young Shreyas Iyer. Thereafter, it was vintage stuff. It says a lot that off his 24 deliveries, 16 were dot balls. He didn’t concede a single four or a six and studded his show with a maiden over for final figures of 4-1-11-2. YUVI’S SMART PLAY His Punjab teammate, Yuvraj, seemed to sense Harbhajan’s mood and decided to play him out. It was a strategy which paid off. Being the player under most pressure due to the sheer weight of the ` 16 crore that the franchise paid for him, one of the mistakes Yuvraj seemed to be making was trying to make a quick impact rather than build his innings.
On Tuesday, he was willing to be patient and was able to register a crucial half-century, his second of this IPL, to help his team reach 152.
With the start of the Mumbai innings being played under the threat of rain, the opening overs became decisive. They were just the kind of conditions in which the old Zaheer was known to thrive. It again brought the best out of him.
The left-arm pacer was running in fast, the seam was upright and he was getting a shape on the ball. Zaheer found the length where the batsman’s bat is left hanging as he looks to push at the ball.
He gave Lendl Simmons the taste of why the openers used to dread facing him. The West Indian was left rooted to his crease as the ball swerved in just enough to trap him plumb. With Nathan CoulterNile also picking up a wicket from the other end to reduce Mumbai to eight for two, Delhi were in the driver’s seat. In an attempt to catch up with the D/L equation, Mumbai gambled with Harbhajan Singh at No 6. But it backfired and at 40 for four in 5.2 overs, the hosts were 16 behind the par score when the second rain interruption came. The 31-year-old Sri Lankan fast bowler had an unimpressive World Cup, soundly thrashed in the quarterfinal against South Africa. His start to the IPL season wasn’t great but the fourwicket haul against Sunrisers seems to have helped him regain rhythm. He is currently among the top five wickettakers (15). His economy rate in the last five games is around 7, with nine of his wickets coming in those games. Only thing missing are those sharp, toecrushing yorkers. His India days ended long back, and his domestic appearances have been blighted by injury. Thus, when the left-arm seamer was bought for R2 crore by CSK last season, questions were raised over his utility; an economy rate of almost 10 set tongues wagging. But Nehra, 36, has turned the clock back, emerging the top wickettaker with 17 wickets in 10 matches. With three triple-wicket hauls and one four-wicket haul, he is why CSK top the table. The 34-year-old off-spinner hasn’t set the stage alight, but he is chipping in with important wickets like those of Brendon McCullum, Chris Gayle and Virender Sehwag. He has also scored runs to add to his utility. Bhajji’s all-round show against KXIP — 64 and 2/20 — helped MI gain respectability in that loss. With an economy rate of less than eight and 11 wickets, he is a vital cog in MI’s wheel. On Tuesday, his 2/11 in 4 overs tied a noose around Daredevils’ neck. At 44, he is the oldest player in this IPL. With Sunil Narine sidelined due to a suspect action, the Aussie Chinaman bowler has eased into the role, helping the Kolkata Knight Riders with smart spells. Age has not withered his guile as batsmen have found in the last four games, and he is no slouch on the field either. His four wickets against Chennai Super Kings helped Kolkata beat the most fancied team of the tournament. A Mumbai maidan veteran, the leg-spinner made his IPL debut after turning 40 a couple of seasons back, without any first-class cricket behind him. His inclusion shocked everyone, but the 43-year-old has been bowling the full quota of four overs for Rajasthan Royals, demonstrating that he is a prized possession. Although he has just six wickets in 8 matches, an economy rate of less than 8 is good on batting tracks.