Today the Mumbai Indians lost their second game of the IPL 2009 to Kings XI Punjab, failing to chase 120 in 20 overs on a sluggish track. The previous loss was against Deccan Chargers chasing 169. In both matches they were well within reach and fell short by a few runs.
The good news is that they are finding the right combination and are now batting clinically, with roles well defined. Tendulkar, Duminy, Dhawan can provide the stock runs with par/above par strike rates. Jayasuria, Bravo, Abhishek Nayar can provide the burst.
The bigger question is who will provide the 20 odd runs which most teams fluke around with inside edges and mistimed shots?
In the match Mumbai lost against the Deccan Chargers, Duminy had one bottom edge square cut for four. Today they had a fluke four by Harbhajan to third man. Just 2 fluke boundaries in 240 balls is not acceptable by T20 standards!
Moreover, they had few wickets in hand. I think Harbhajan, Zaheer, and Malinga, (he can hit, and we do not know what Pinal Shah can do) can be used tactically, like a chess shot or at times like a tactical sacrifice or exchange....
In ODIs, there is often an issue about getting all out before the full quota of 50 overs. In Twenty20 Cricket, there is a concern that a side may not play itself in, as there are only 20 overs for 10 wickets.
Saumil
Mumbai,
29th April 2009
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