IPL 2021 | SC’s Sedentary Review: MI vs SRH - Rahul Chahar spins a web as SRH bottle-up yet another chase

ByHarshit Anand, SportsCafe Editor

04/17/2021

It was Déjà vu for Sunrisers Hyderabad as pretty much like the RCB game, they choked big time failing to chase down 151 after starting with a bang. For MI as well, they replicated their last game's efforts, as Rahul Chahar spun a web followed by some quality death bowling by Bumrah and Boult.

Where SRH lost the game

It was the fourth delivery of the 18th over where the hard-hitting batsman Abdul Samad was run-out by Hardik Pandya and from there on, SRH couldn't fight back. Before the run-out happened, Hyderabad needed 22 off 15 and it looked like Vijay Shankar and Abdul Samad will help their side to cross the winning line.

Observations

Bhuvneshwar Kumar's Powerplay woes

1/47, 0/50 and 0/53 - these have been the Powerplay scores of the opposition sides against SRH, in the first three games, this IPL. Sunrisers Hyderabad are a top-notch side when it comes to making the most of the new ball. However, it has been an unexpected blip for them, so far. They have conceded 8.41 RPO, and have picked up just one wicket after 18 overs and have a SR of 107. One of the major reasons behind it, has been Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who has let down the team and has been striking once every 36 deliveries. Barring him, none of the other bowlers have even bowled more than two overs as he has been primarily handed over the responsibility of the strike bowler. Undoubtedly, it hasn't been easy to pick up wickets in the powerplay at Chepauk. But, Bhuvneshwar's wretched run of form has been persisting for a while now. Between the 2018 and 2020 IPL, in 31 innings, he could merely claim eight wickets and was striking every 48 balls, and had an average of 46.5, which is poor by any stretch of imagination. Going ahead, he would want to improve on his new ball displays as he's a far better bowler than these numbers suggest and would need to make better use of his experience and skills.

Ishan Kishan's nightmarish knock

Not very long ago, Ishan Kishan was smashing international bowlers for fun to announce his arrival in style. For someone, who has grown up playing spinners masterfully all his life, he was struggling to even get off strike against the Afghanistan spin duo of Rashid Khan and Mujeeb Ur Rahman. He could merely make 9 runs off the 18 deliveries he faced against them and was bullied into submission with Rahman getting the better of him. The MI middle-order batsman wasn't able to pick Rashid off his hands and was getting beaten all ends up. It was very unlike an international Indian batsman as you are supposed to find ways to bat effectively even on such difficult wickets. The southpaw ended up with 12 off 21, batting at a disastrous strike-rate of 57.1, and played 47.6% dot deliveries in his innings. In the 2021 IPL, Kishan is averaging 13.7 after three knocks with a SR well under 100 and with the T20 World Cup lined-up, later this year, he will need to prove that the last season wasn't a flash in the pan.

Bairstow makes opening position his own

Batting hasn't been easy at Chepauk. The wicket is sticky and most of the batters have struggled to get going. But then walked in, Jonny Bairstow, finally at his much preferred opening position, against a gun Mumbai bowling attack, and started putting up a masterclass. There was aggression, there was daredevilry, there was pure skill and the then near perfect execution as Jonny Bairstow pummeled 43 off 22 and made light work of the tricky conditions. It was a perfect start for SRH after they had struggled to put runs for the first-wicket, making 10 and 13 in the last two games. Trent Boult, one of the best bowlers last year, was taken for a ride in his second over with the Englishman thumping him for three fours and a six. He didn't stop there as he took Adam Milne, and Krunal Pandya to the cleaners as well to propel SRH to 57 for no loss in the Powerplay. If not for a lucky break for MI, with Bairstow getting out hit-wicket, the SRH batter was simply unstoppable. He also put an end to all the debates surrounding SRH's opening slot, and has now made the position his own.

Player Ratings

Hot-take Zone

Vijay Shankar, the underrated bowler

Ever since the 2018 Nidahas Trophy finale, Vijay Shankar hasn't been on the right end of the public spectrum. The moment he fails in the IPL, people start calling for his head. Especially after the KKR game, where SRH made a blunder by sending him ahead of Abdul Samad, he has been trolled immensely. But, in at least, one aspect, he has been doing really well and that's not batting, but his bowling. Since the start of the 2020 IPL, the Tamil Nadu all-rounder has claimed six wickets in seven innings and has been striking every 17.2 deliveries. More importantly, he has bowled with a remarkable control as his ER of 6.70 suggests. And today, against a strong Mumbai batting, with his team under pressure, he was again impressive, ending as the best bowler for the SRH with figures of 2/19. The way he mixed up his pace and used variations, and made the full use of his local experience, was simply outstanding. He got two big fish in the form of Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav, both looking in ominous touch, and made sure that MI ended 20 runs less than what they could have got with both the batsmen in prime form.

MVP

Rahul Chahar. Well, this leg spinner has turned his fortunes in the last two games dramatically. After a dream start for SRH, it was his great bowling in the middle-overs phase that helped Mumbai fight back in the game. He ended with figures of 3/19 and swayed away the SRH middle-order completely.

Match Frenzy O Meter - Roller-coaster ride

If there is any IPL game happening in Chennai, it's a given that there would be anti-climatic moments and things will take unexpected twists and turns. And the MI vs SRH game was no different. The viewers were witness to some effortless batting in the Powerplay overs in both the innings while the middle-overs was dominated by bowlers. Overall, it made up for an intriguing contest with no one even having a slightest of idea as to which direction the tides will turn in the encounter.