Rayudu's Miandad moment
ESPNcricinfo presents the Plays of the Day from the IPL game between Kolkata Knight Riders and Mumbai Indians at Eden Gardens
Siddhartha Talya
22-May-2011
That winning moment • Associated Press
The mix-up
Jacques Kallis drove to mid-on and ran to the other end while his opening partner Sreevats Goswami's attention was directed at the ball. There was no communication between the pair and as Goswami turned his gaze to the other end of the pitch, Kallis had already run past him. Not for the first time were Mumbai Indians fortunate in this game.
Jacques Kallis drove to mid-on and ran to the other end while his opening partner Sreevats Goswami's attention was directed at the ball. There was no communication between the pair and as Goswami turned his gaze to the other end of the pitch, Kallis had already run past him. Not for the first time were Mumbai Indians fortunate in this game.
Bhatia lands on his head
That must have hurt, though he recovered well to take three wickets. Harbhajan Singh mistimed L Balaji over mid-off and Bhatia, stationed there, back-pedalled a couple of times but lost his balance, spilled the chance and banged the back of his head on the ground. He was in some pain and went off the field for a break, though his return and his spell of three wickets almost clinched the game for Kolkata Knight Riders.
That must have hurt, though he recovered well to take three wickets. Harbhajan Singh mistimed L Balaji over mid-off and Bhatia, stationed there, back-pedalled a couple of times but lost his balance, spilled the chance and banged the back of his head on the ground. He was in some pain and went off the field for a break, though his return and his spell of three wickets almost clinched the game for Kolkata Knight Riders.
Balaji's Holding moment
Kieron Pollard was under pressure to step up against the increasing required-rate and appeared to have got an ideal ball to dispatch. It was bowled full on leg stump and Pollard aimed for the long-on boundary. It turned out to be a little fuller than he would have liked, and the leg stump went cartwheeling towards the wicketkeeper. It was the last time Balaji smiled tonight.
Kieron Pollard was under pressure to step up against the increasing required-rate and appeared to have got an ideal ball to dispatch. It was bowled full on leg stump and Pollard aimed for the long-on boundary. It turned out to be a little fuller than he would have liked, and the leg stump went cartwheeling towards the wicketkeeper. It was the last time Balaji smiled tonight.
The trigger to the twist
Off the final ball of the penultimate over of the chase, Ambati Rayudu tried to sneak a leg-bye while Goswami, the wicketkeeper, aimed needlessly at the stumps at the striker's end, where James Franklin had comfortably made his ground. The ricochet produced an extra run, which meant Franklin would take strike in the final over. Gambhir gave Goswami a dressing down, and the captain's worst fears were to come true.
Off the final ball of the penultimate over of the chase, Ambati Rayudu tried to sneak a leg-bye while Goswami, the wicketkeeper, aimed needlessly at the stumps at the striker's end, where James Franklin had comfortably made his ground. The ricochet produced an extra run, which meant Franklin would take strike in the final over. Gambhir gave Goswami a dressing down, and the captain's worst fears were to come true.
The Miandad moment
And Balaji would have felt like Chetan Sharma. In his attempt to get one into the blockhole - one of several in the over that failed - Balaji ended up doling out a meaty full toss to Rayudu when Mumbai needed four to win off the final ball. We knew where it was heading the moment he made contact, much like Javed Miandad did around two and a half decades ago. Gambhir was shocked, his coach Dav Whatmore speechless and so were 70,000-odd others as Mumbai pulled off a heist. "I was pretty relaxed, and I knew he [Balaji] was under pressure," Rayudu said later. "I was just blank, anywhere he bowls I thought I could hit a boundary."
And Balaji would have felt like Chetan Sharma. In his attempt to get one into the blockhole - one of several in the over that failed - Balaji ended up doling out a meaty full toss to Rayudu when Mumbai needed four to win off the final ball. We knew where it was heading the moment he made contact, much like Javed Miandad did around two and a half decades ago. Gambhir was shocked, his coach Dav Whatmore speechless and so were 70,000-odd others as Mumbai pulled off a heist. "I was pretty relaxed, and I knew he [Balaji] was under pressure," Rayudu said later. "I was just blank, anywhere he bowls I thought I could hit a boundary."
Siddhartha Talya is a sub editor at ESPNcricinfo