Saha's flying take
Plays of the day from the match between Mumbai Indians and Kings XI Punjab, in Mumbai
Abhishek Purohit
03-May-2014
Virender Sehwag was found short by a direct hit • BCCI
The take
Not only did Wriddhiman Saha top score for Kings XI Punjab, he also got them their first breakthrough. Ben Dunk drove at an outswinger from Sandeep Sharma in the first over of the chase, and the edge flew between the wicketkeeper and wide slip - the area in which MS Dhoni is often averse to going for catches. But Saha flew to his left and took the sharp catch quite smoothly.
Not only did Wriddhiman Saha top score for Kings XI Punjab, he also got them their first breakthrough. Ben Dunk drove at an outswinger from Sandeep Sharma in the first over of the chase, and the edge flew between the wicketkeeper and wide slip - the area in which MS Dhoni is often averse to going for catches. But Saha flew to his left and took the sharp catch quite smoothly.
The run-out
Virender Sehwag's approach was never textbook, and that extends to his running as well. He pushed his second ball into the covers, where Ben Dunk dived and parried the ball to his right. Sehwag hesitated on the single, but then decided to go for it. Rohit Sharma ran across from extra cover, picked up the ball and turned around to score a direct hit at the non-striker's end. Sehwag was watching all this but forget an attempt to dive in, he wasn't even at full stretch as he tried to make his ground. No wonder he was caught short.
Virender Sehwag's approach was never textbook, and that extends to his running as well. He pushed his second ball into the covers, where Ben Dunk dived and parried the ball to his right. Sehwag hesitated on the single, but then decided to go for it. Rohit Sharma ran across from extra cover, picked up the ball and turned around to score a direct hit at the non-striker's end. Sehwag was watching all this but forget an attempt to dive in, he wasn't even at full stretch as he tried to make his ground. No wonder he was caught short.
The early gift
Every batsman would like to get this delivery as his first ball. Corey Anderson dropped it short, wide and listless to George Bailey. The Kings XI captain only had to open the face of his bat and guide it past backward point. With such minimum effort, he easily beat Zaheer Khan running across from third man. Zaheer is not the man you can count on to cut off boundaries in the outfield, but even a much faster fielder would have struggled to stop this one.
Every batsman would like to get this delivery as his first ball. Corey Anderson dropped it short, wide and listless to George Bailey. The Kings XI captain only had to open the face of his bat and guide it past backward point. With such minimum effort, he easily beat Zaheer Khan running across from third man. Zaheer is not the man you can count on to cut off boundaries in the outfield, but even a much faster fielder would have struggled to stop this one.
The insult to injury
Lasith Malinga bounced Glenn Maxwell first ball of his second over, and the batsmen pulled him off the front foot over the deep-midwicket boundary. Maxwell stepped out to the next delivery, and Malinga hurled it in low and full. The batsman swung but only managed an inside edge that raced fine to the boundary past the wicketkeeper. Malinga had responded strongly after the six, but he was left with only a moral victory.
Lasith Malinga bounced Glenn Maxwell first ball of his second over, and the batsmen pulled him off the front foot over the deep-midwicket boundary. Maxwell stepped out to the next delivery, and Malinga hurled it in low and full. The batsman swung but only managed an inside edge that raced fine to the boundary past the wicketkeeper. Malinga had responded strongly after the six, but he was left with only a moral victory.
Abhishek Purohit is a senior sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo