19 April,2021 07:08 AM IST | Mumbai | Shishir Hattangadi
Kieron Pollard
Rohit Sharma mistiming Vijay Shankar after scoring 32 may have been the moment when MI reworked their sums. Quinton de Kock and Rohit, when they get in, have a strike rate of over 150 but the sluggish nature of the MA Chidambaram Stadium surface didn't allow them the comfort of a healthy strike rate they are comfortable of achieving.
De Kock (40) and Rohit provided MI the start, but not the acceleration. After they fell, the middle and lower order could not provide the momentum needed for a comfortable total.
Kieron Pollard has been around for a while. He knows the trends of franchise cricket, especially IPL.
His innings of 35 may have been a sombre one by his standards, but it was a smart one. Playing his way into the death overs, not taking on the wily Rashid Khan was an indication that he had assessed the situation and surface well.
His two sixes in the final over showed that he had a total in mind if he stayed till the end. Big-hitters at times will not be able to play within their comfort zone.
But it's moments like these in which they put on their thinking caps and play a role different from their customary 200-plus strike rate character.
Pollard's innings is why Mumbai could touch 150 and leave the bowlers and the effort in the field to stifle the opposition.
David Warner and Jonny Bairstow are both devastating starters. They had the game under their belts till Bairstow went for 43. SRH's lower-order batting seems flakey and untested.
On a slow pitch they may need to look at Kedar Jadhav, who is capable of controlling an innings. And in Saturday's case they may have been better off countering the experience of Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah, Rahul Chahar and Krunal Pandya with experience.
There is a lot to think about for SRH and for MI, a concern would be the low scores that they will want to improve on, especially when their bowlers have an off day.
Former Mumbai captain Shishir Hattangadi is currently CEO of Baroda Cricket Association
