Calm Ashwani fills the gaps in MI's Bumrah-centric bowling plans

B Sai Sudharsan had just missed a scoop off a full Trent Boult delivery. Unhappy that the umpire had not called it a leg-side wide, he signalled for a review. At that stage, Gujarat Titans (GT) needed 99 off 48 to knock Mumbai Indians (MI) out of IPL 2025. It was a proper dogfight.

As the third umpire did his work, and concluded that Sai Sudharsan had moved across his stumps too much, Hardik Pandya called his quicks for a conference. A few animated words and a slight shuffling of the fielders later, they dispersed. But the pause didn't help MI; Boult ended up conceding 18 runs in that over, with Washington Sundar plundering two sixes and a four. Heavy dew, something MI hadn't anticipated, had set in.

Now, Hardik felt the need for another meeting. A message was on its way from the dugout, too, but the umpires politely instructed the reserves to go back. Just then, Suryakumar Yadav signalled for medical help, suggesting that he was cramping. MI now had the time they wanted. Gamesmanship? Genuine injury? Either way, it was a momentum-breaker for GT.

In the huddle, Jasprit Bumrah took charge of the conversation. And as they dispersed, Ashwani Kumar looked like he would bowl. Before Hardik asked him to stop and handed the ball to Bumrah instead. In an ideal scenario, Hardik wouldn't have brought Bumrah on for a third over this early - it was the 14th; but desperate times called for desperate measures.

With the equation having been whittled down to 81 off 42, and the Washington-Sai Sudharsan partnership having reached threatening proportions, this was Hardik's last roll of the dice. And four balls in, his call stood vindicated. A searing yorker had Washington completely off balance as he tried to evade the toe-crusher, and the ball snuck between his legs and smashed into the stumps.

Bumrah ran down the pitch, his fists punching the air downwards. MI had the breakthrough they were after. "It's very simple. Whenever you think the game is going away, just bring him [Bumrah] on," Hardik said with a grin after the match on the broadcast. "When you have that [Bumrah], it's a luxury. It's like Mumbai housing prices - he's that [precious]."

Ashwani bowled the next over. It's likely he wouldn't have not played the game, since the team management had been toying with the idea of playing an extra spinner because the surface wasn't anything like the one that hosted Qualifier 1. While there was consistent bounce, there was no exaggerated seam movement. But the call to bring Ashwani on at that moment - with 77 needed from 36 - was in itself a massive show of faith.

Earlier this month, he had come in as a concussion sub for Corbin Bosch and dismissed Jos Buttler at a crucial moment en route figures of 2 for 28. On March 31, he had ended with the best figures on IPL debut - 4 for 24. With Bumrah still recovering from injury then, Ashwani's performance had been timely, one that helped kickstart a turnaround.

On Saturday, as per ESPNcricinfo's pitch map data, 15 Ashwani deliveries were either full or yorker-length. His focus on nailing what he had been asked to do was unwavering, and a nine-run over at that stage, keeping the equation at 68 off 30, was gold.

Ashwani's eagerness to bowl had been evident from even before MI took the field. Their batting innings had barely wound down when he followed bowling coach Lasith Malinga out to the field, stump in one hand and cone in the other. The warm-up over was done.

"We have given him simple plans so that he doesn't get confused," coach Mahela Jayawardene said of Ashwani at the post-match press conference. "A lot of guys on the field help him. Booms [Bumrah], Deepak [Chahar], Hardik, all those guys have those chats. But it is all about execution and the pressure and what we have seen in him.

"I mean, this is not the first time. We use him tactically when we need to against opposition. In big games, if he can produce this, he will get more confident. What you see is not the full Ashwani. There is much more to come from him; he is a fabulously skilled bowler. We just need to keep grooming him in the right direction.

"I think the first season itself, the way he has responded to the challenges that we put him through, he has done brilliantly. I know he hasn't played much state cricket as well but when we saw him, we saw the skill that he has."

If Ashwani's second over went for nine, his third, which came on the back of Richard Gleeson dismissing Sai Sudharsan, was equally noteworthy as he denied Rahul Tewatia and Sherfane Rutherford - two powerful left-hand batters who pride themselves on finishing games. Again, he conceded just nine to leave GT needing 45 off 18.

Bumrah and Boult then took over to leave GT needing 24 from the last over. This was now Ashwani's chance to close out the game he had played a massive part in already. But Gleeson had the ball. It felt as if Ashwani was robbed of his opportunity.

Not quite. As Gleeson walked off clutching his hamstring three balls in, Hardik threw the ball to Ashwani to complete the job. But even with 21 to defend off three balls, Bumrah kept signalling to him from short fine leg, trying to make sure he didn't bowl a wide or no-ball. Suryakumar and Hardik ran in from their positions to speak to him. And when he had M Shahrukh Khan tamely chipping a full delivery to extra cover with his first ball of the over, they were all over him.

Bumrah had brought the fire, and Ashwani the calm. At the end of it, MI were within two wins of a sixth IPL crown.