Jun 3, 2008

Who sorted whom? IPL 2008- Part 2, Mumbai Indians Bowling

Part 2 of 2

Mumbai Indians- only team since Windies in 80s to dominate in India without a spinner?!

After that Harbhajan incident, it meant that Mumbai Indians would have a bowling attack without a top-quality spinner for 11 of their 14 matches. It is no wonder, that Tendulkar had to try Chitnis, because he knew it that deeper into the tournament, you cannot play in India without a spinner. Did it surprise any viewer that no channel analyzed Mumbais run in the context of not playing with a spinner?

Every other team had a top quality spinner, and except for the initial matches where dew was a big factor, later on spinners were the key. So give credit to Mumbai Indians for dominating 7 of 10 matches, and of the three they lost- they sorted the top order of two. Folks, Tendulkar and Pollock have worked out immaculate plans- for bowling the apt length and angles to dot around, and then sneak in the sort-of-score-able-ball to get the wicket. (Chennai did it to Punjab in the semis, and this exploiting of the dot dilemma happens in the first innings. Sehwag tried it in the semis to Rajasthan but with results on the wrong side).

In fact, expect Shaun Marsh (Punjab)- Mumbai had the better of every other side (if you take home and away, they lost marginally, but won convincingly). Here is their record.

How teams fared against Mumbai Indians:

1. Punjab- won both. The only team to get the better of Mumabi Indians.

2. Rajasthan- they won one on the last ball but lost their first encounter completely sorted and messed up. All out under 120.

3. Kolkata- lost both, and in Mumbai- they were dismantled with terrific dot bowling from Bravo and Pollock- 67 all out

4. Chennai- they won marginally by 6 runs but were sorted when they came to Mumbai. Dhoni, it must be said did salvage a 150 score by waiting around. This was the first match Tendulkar played and Jayasuria was given a serve and volley license- but on the opponent's serve!

5. Deccan- they routed Mumbai through Gilchrist but got beaten badly as well, with Nehra beating Gilchrist. Fernando got him and then trapped Rohit Sharma lbw by pitching middle and straightening.

6. Delhi- they won their home encounter in the last over but were cleaned up for 133 in Mumbai, with Sehwag as the lone hope after Delhi lost the plot in the first two overs.

7. Bangalore- they won in Mumbai in the last over, but were folded up badly at home.

As you can see it was the early losses against the 'weak' teams- Deccan and Bangalore that cost Mumbai dearly. Mumbai Indians were the only team not have an established opening anchor for 7 matches on account of Tendulkar's injury (Jayasuria is better off as an explosive opener, as we saw later). And Tendulkar's absence cannot be compared to how some other teams missed top Australian/NZ openers- because it was known that they would not be involved for the entire tournament before they were chosen.

And as far as trying to analyze those last three matches which went down the wire- where fans say this one should have bowled or that one should have fielded- the fact of the matter is that no team should let it get that close, if possible. And to get a decisive advantage while bowling through the middle overs in India, in any format, one needs a regular spinner, which due to unfortunate events they did not have (and they should have had a backup in their team anyway).

However, Tendulkar and Pollock need to be applauded for their dominance and sorting out top orders clinically, using a variety of pace in Indian conditions.

More later,
Saumil
Mumbai
3 June 2008