Harsha Bhogle Explained Mumbai Indians’ Problem In Just 6 Word: Five-time champions Mumbai Indians have had a poor start to their IPL 2022 campaign as they lost their first four matches, and since this is a 10-team tournament, they are close to elimination from the playoff race than they would have been in an 8-team IPL with the same number of losses at the start.
Languishing at the bottom of the points table, MI had another poor outing with the ball in their fifth game, against Punjab Kings. After winning the toss and electing to bowl first, MI bowlers couldn’t hit their straps as PBKS opener Mayank Agarwal and Shikhar Dhawan started off in their gung-ho approach, right from the first over that yielded 10 runs.
PBKS ended the powerplay at 65/0 and a mammoth total – in excess of 200 looked inevitable at this stage. Agarwal raised his fifty off 30 balls with a maximum to Tymal Mills but soon after got out to Murugan Ashwin giving MI their first breakthrough.
Dhawan raised his fifty off 37 balls, but MI meanwhile managed to squeeze out some inexpensive overs, getting rid of Jonny Bairstow (12 off 13) and Liam Livingstone (2 off 3) cheaply.
Livingstone has been the man in form for PBKS, having smashed consecutive half-centuries in the last two matches, and was the main threat to MI. But MI had a pre-determined plan against the England batter as Rohit Sharma’s main weapon, Jasprit Bumrah, castled him with an unplayable yorker.
Dhawan, though, then upped the ante before eventually getting out to Basil Thampi.
PBKS were smart in playing out Bumrah – whose last over, the 19th of the innings, was taken for only 8 runs with no boundaries in it – while Unadkat was carted for 23 in his last over, the 18th, and Thampi for 16 in the 20th over of the innings.
Bumrah finished with brilliant figures of 1/28 in PBKS’ total of 198 while two other bowlers leaked at more than 11 runs an over and the two others for above 8.5 an over.
Renowned commentator Harsha Bhogle summed up Mumbai Indians’ bowling woes in just six words: “Bumrah. And? Story of the bowling…..”
Here’s Harsha Bhogle’s tweet that summarizes the MI’s bowling attack:
Bumrah. And? Story of the bowling…..
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) April 13, 2022
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