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Live Blog - Mumbai Indians vs Chennai Super Kings - Pathirana seals defence in Mumbai night
By Sidharth MongaA defensive masterclass
This match is a win for CSK's planning and execution. They had fewer options than MI both with the ball and the bat but what they had was perfect execution from Dube, Gaikwad and Dhoni earlier, and then from their fast bowlers at the death. We leave you with a teaser from our report. Thanks for joining us.
Sensational defensive bowling from Chennai Super Kings did what might have seemed unthinkable: successfully defend a total in the night at Wankhede Stadium. And it was not a huge total: pushed just over 200 by an MS Dhoni cameo off 22 off the last four balls of the innings after Shivam Dube had continued his dream season with an unbeaten 66 off 38. For large parts it was a contest that fit the billing: between the two-most successful teams in the IPL and two of three-most popular teams. For large parts, it seemed the defending champions CSK would be outgunned. Jasprit Bumrah restricted them with four overs for just 27, the MI innings looked like going smoothly, but Matheesha Pathirana started the comeback with two wickets in his first over. Still MI were favourites going into the last seven, needing 83 with eight wickets in hand, but, led by Pathirana, their fast bowlers executed their plans of making batters hit into the bigger part perfectly, eventually winning by 20 runs. Rohit Sharma scored a century but it was only to MI’s detriment: he scored just 17 off 16 in those overs and then found another wind when the task had become mathematically impossible.
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Defensive masterclass
Every over since Jadeja finished in the 13th has featured CSK doing just simple things: make batters hit into the big side. And they have completely stifled the MI innings, and are on the cusp of what will be a huge win: a successful defence in the night at Wankhede. They need 34 off the last over. Pathirana will bowl it.
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Over No. 17
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So much happened in that Mustafizur over but still only a par over for Mumbai Indians who need 53 off three now. Pathirana has two left.
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Scenes from the final huddle
S Sudharshanan with his hawkeye on the final huddles during the timeout.
Rohit was perhaps talking about the bounce that Deshpande and the pacers are generating from the surface during the timeout. He was gesturing about the balls climbing chest high and then about keeping the pull shot down, and then about pulling balls that are about head high aerially. David, the new batter, Shepherd, Boucher and Hardik paying close attention. CSK had a rather quiet huddle with Fleming giving his inputs. But after they dispersed, Dhoni had a longish chat - about 30 secs - with Pathirana stationed at short third before play resumed.
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Pandya's shocker ends
The match started well for Hardik Pandya with the big wicket of Ruturaj Gaikwad when he was looking extremely threatening, but then he has had a shocker of a final over in which he offered MS Dhoni hitting practice. Dhoni, of course, obliged. And then with the bat, Pandya has failed to connect almost everything. He is caught at deep midwicket for 2 off 6. He also made an ego review for a wide, and wasted it. Now MI need 73 off 27. Twelve of those will be bowled by Pathirana.
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Thakur piles on MIsery
Shardul Thakur follows up Matheesha Pathirana's effort with just the over CSK need: a two-run over. He bowls perfectly to his field, going wide outside off repeatedly, and not giving them the pace to hit. Both Rohit and Pandya face three balls each for a single each. They now need 75 off 30. That's 15 an over.
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Pathirana has a third
At 13.4, a dot ball from Matheesha Pathirana pushed the asking rate past two a ball for the first time in the match. The next ball was a subtle slower ball. Tilak Varma ended uo checking his shot. Shardul Thakur took another special catch running back. Game on again. MI need 77 off 37. Thirteen of those will be bowled by Pathirana.
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Jadeja 4-0-37-0
In the dewy conditions, in a high-scoring match, it is not a bad effort from Ravindra Jadeja, but in the process, Rohit Sharma has done well against the kind of bowling that has troubled him of late. He has scored 22 off 13 balls from Jadeja, including a reverse-swept four. MI need 83 off 42. Three Pathirana overs key here. He will bowl one of them now.
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Six No. 500 for Rohit Sharma
5 Number of players to have hit 500 sixes in T20 cricket. Rohit is behind Gayle, Pollard, Russell and Munro
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Rohit gets to fifty
He has been an intent monster this IPL, but in this innings he has lasted long enough to get to a fifty. Off just 30 balls. He has been slightly circumspect today compared to the rest of the IPL. MI 81 for 2 after nine overs.
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Pathirana drags MI back
Well this one is properly planned. Suryakumar Yadav's second duck this IPL. Pathirana first bowls a 151.2ks wide yorker. Then he gives him the short one, but the deep third is fine for the Surya ramp. Almost as a reflex action, Surya ramps it up, and Mustafizur Rahman takes a spectacular catch overhead, then throws the ball up before stepping over and comes back to complete the catch. Now we are cooking. MI 70 for 2 in 7.3 overs.
Thanks to that over, CSK's win probability has gone from 60% to 80% on our Forecaster. I think it is 50-50.
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Pathirana gets a wicket first ball
Well it is the wicket going to him rather than him getting it. It is a gentle hit-me ball on the pads, Ishan Kishan has obliged too, but he has found midwicket with precision. Six feet either side, and this would have burnt a hole in the advertising boards. Still, CSK have barely stayed alive with this wicket: MI 70 for 1 in 7.1 overs. Enter Suryakumar Yadav
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MI well on their way
With no swing of Deepak Chahar and no Maheesh Theekshana in the squad today, CSK's medium-pace attack is a bit of a sitting duck against the powerful MI batting line-up. Both Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan have taken them apart to race away to 53 for 0 in five overs. Rohit 32 off 19, Kishan 21 off 11.
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How MS made it worth the entry money
S Sudarshanan is at the ground, and he sends us scenes from the end of the CSK innings.
The impatience of the crowd, that is decked more in yellow than blue, grew with every passing ball. Bumrah’s last over, the penultimate of the innings, only made the Wankhede crowd restless. When Mitchell was dismissed, the crowd roared as soon as they saw Dhoni walk down the steps. You struggled to hear others speak even in the press box, that is largely insulated from the outside noise. Three balls, three sixes, safe to say those at the Wankhede got their money’s worth.
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CSK start defence with Deshpande and Mustafizur
Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan start the chase against Tushar Deshpande and Mustafizur Rahman. Rohit dominates the strikes, hits two fours in the first two overs. MI 13 for 0 in two.
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CSK end up with 206
That was an innings and a half. Just 20 overs but so many subplots and drama. MI start superbly, then hide spin from Dube, who takes on medium pace, then Bumrah shackles CSK, only for MS Dhoni to hit three sixes in that last over. Dube and Bumrah are the real stars of that innings. Coetzee thinks this is about par. We agree.
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Mahendra Six Dhoni
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That's MS Dhoni's innings tonight. Walks in and smacks three sixes in the last over followed by a bottom edge for 2. He is now 59 off 25 without getting out this IPL.
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MS Dhoni is batting
Daryl Mitchell has found out long-on. That means MS Dhoni is in with four balks to go.
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Has Bumrah bowled another match-winning spell?
Jasprit Bumrah just pulls out straight yorkers in overs 17 and 19. Only one boundary off them in two overs. He ends up with just 27 runs off 24 balls. That is the difference between a par total and what MI will get to chase. CSK just 180 for 3 in 19 despite Dube and Gaikwad doing their best.
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Pandya drags MI back
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That's the 16th over, bowled by Pandya. Now Bumrah will bowl 17 and 19. Coetzee will bowl one. CSK go into death overs at 151 for 3 with Duce and Daryl Mitchell at the wicket.
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Pandya gets Gaikwad
Captain gets captain. A slower wide ball draws the mis-hit finally from Gaikwad. Since the drop, he scored 29 in nine, including three sixes. CSK 150 for 3 in 15.2. Eight balls from bowlers other than Bumrah and Coetzee since we last spoke have brought 18 runs.
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Fifty for Dube
Shivan Dube gets to his second fifty this IPL. Off just 28 balls. He has his seven fours and two sixes. CSK 150 for 2 in 15.1.
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Go time
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MI are now forced to go back to Shepherd in the 14th over, and Dube knows this is his moment. And he goes big with 6, 6 and 4 to now move to 43 off 24. CSK 132 for 2 in 14. Bumrah has two left, Coetzee has one left. Who bowls the other three? How many do CSK get in those three?
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Slowdown followed by a drop followed by two sixes
Interesting innings so far from Ruturag Gaikwad, who set off running, reached 24 off 12, then slowed down to 40 off 31, which is when Rohit Sharma dropped him at deep midwicket. After that he hit two sixes off two balls to reach 52 off 33. Still MI will be the happier side as CSK are 110 for 2 in 13. CSK, though, will be pleased they have gone through one Coetzee over because MI need him at the death.
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Dube up and running
Interestingly, after that one Bumrah over, MI have bowled their slower pace bowlers at Dube in Hardik Pandya and Romario Shepherd. I am not saying this in hindsight but I always felt they would have been better served bowling the quicker ones: Akash Madhwal and Gerald Coetzee. CSK are now 92 for 2 in 11. Dube has 26 off 15.
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Bumrah keeps them quiet
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This is only the second time Bumrah has bowled his second over inside the first 10. And that other time was only because they were defending a paltry 126. CSK have opted to play him out quietly. Are they leaving it too late? CSK 65 for 2 after nine. And we have Hardik Pandya bowling the 10th.
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Gopal gets Ravindra
Ishan Kishan is the only one who is anywhere close to being convinced of an edge as Shreyas Gopal pushes one across Rachin Ravindra. Hardik Pandya is convinced easily, he calls for a review, and it shows a little scratch off the toe of the bat. Ravindra is gone, and now we have game on. Shivam Dube is in, and Jasprit Bumrah is back early. Bowling his second as early as the ninth over. CSK 61 for 2 after eight.
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Nabi 3-0-19-0
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Superb tactics from Mumbai Indians, who take the timeout as soon as the powerplay ends and then go back to getting another quiet over in from Mohammad Nabi before Shivam Dube comes in to bat. And Nabi has bowled well, conceding just 19 off three overs. And immediately after Nabi, they go to Shreyas Gopal. The added advantage also is to get through the spin overs before the dew comes in.
CSK need to take a risk here otherwise they are knocing their way to a below-par total.
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Powerplay goes MI's way
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Despite two good overs to end that powerplay, CSK are just 48 for 1 in six overs. However, there is a good sign in that Ruturaj Gaikwad is looking threatening at 29 off 17. Rachin Ravindra is just 12 off 11, though.
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Bowlers keep CSK in check
A great start for Mumbai Indians so far. They have got through with Mohammad Nabi overs relatively cheaply, have taken a wicket, and have kept CSK to a run a ball in the first four overs. CSK 24 for 1 after four.
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Rahane falls early
Ajinkya Rahane starts with a swept boundary off Mohammad Nabi, but in the next over, he pulls Gerald Coetzee straight to mid-on to be dismissed for 5 off 8. Unlike in the last match, the ball is not seaming so Nabi gets another over.
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Another reason why Gaikwad might not have opened
26 Number of runs Gaikwad has scored off 13 balls from Bumrah, who doesn't open the bowling
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Possibly why Gaikwad is not opening
125 Gaikwad's strike-rate in the powerplay this IPL. Only Shikhar Dhawan and Jos Buttler have been slower among regular openers.
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Rahane opens for CSK
Well CSK have made the first move here. Ruturaj Gaikwad hasn't had a great time in the powerplay so they have promoted Ajinkya Rahane to open with Rachin Ravindra. This is both progressive from CSK and selfless from Gaikwad.
And Mumbai have responded by opening with Mohammad Nabi.
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Pandya wins the big toss
The toss is huge at Wankhede, and Hardik Pandya has won it again. They have retained the XI that smashed RCB earlier in the week.
CSK are welcoming back Matheesha Pathirana, and he takes the place of Maheesh Theekshana.
All eyes on Japsrit Bumrah now, who ended the last match as a contest when he bowled and took a five-for. Also on Ruturaj Gaikwad, who has been a little slow in the powerplay.
Chennai Super Kings R Ravindra, RD Gaikwad*, AM Rahane, DJ Mitchell, S Dube, RA Jadeja, Sameer Rizvi, MS Dhoni†, SN Thakur, TU Deshpande, Mustafizur Rahman
Impact Players M Pathirana, N Sindhu, M Santner, M Ali, S Rasheed
Impact Players M Pathirana, N Sindhu, M Santner, M Ali, S Rasheed
Mumbai Indians RG Sharma, Ishan Kishan†, NT Tilak Varma, HH Pandya*, TH David, Mohammad Nabi, R Shepherd, S Gopal, JJ Bumrah, G Coetzee, A Madhwal
> Impact Players SA Yadav, D Brewis, N Dhir, N Wadhera, H Desai
> Impact Players SA Yadav, D Brewis, N Dhir, N Wadhera, H Desai
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Can you do the dew?
Night games at Wankhede Stadium is when the toss becomes extremely crucial. That is because it can start a little sticky, then flatten out, and then become a bowlers' nightmare with the dew. MI and PBKS are two sides who have managed to defend successfully in the last couple of years or so. The key is to score huge. Let's see if one of these sides can overcome the dew.
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One of the three
Welcome to the match between two of the three most popular teams in the IPL. But unlike when RCB are involved, also the two most successful teams in the IPL: Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians.
A new set of captains too. MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma have moved on from captaincy in what seems to be contrasting styles. Be that as it may, time doesn't wait. We now have Ruturaj Gaikwad and Hardik Pandya in the hot seat. CSK are among the top sides this season, and MI are on a roll. At the small Wankhede Stadium, many runs are in store.
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