Tilak Verma’s brilliant century takes MI to a resounding victory over GT
MI – 195/5 (Tilak Verma 101 off 45 balls) beat GT- 100 all out (Ashwani Kumar 24/4) by 99 runs
Man of the Match: Tilak Verma
The high-stakes IPL league match between MI and GT saw both teams with different motivations but the same intentions. GT, flying high after a good run in the past few matches, were trying to break into the top 4, while MI were almost down and out in last place and were desperate to salvage their IPL journey. MI have been notorious for their slow starts across seasons, but this year has been nothing short of a disaster so far. Their batsmen and bowlers have both looked out of sorts, and their only win came against an equally misfiring KKR team.
At the end, Tilak Verma played an innings for the ages. After a sedate start, he came into his own in the last six overs and led MI to a defendable score. The young and inexperienced MI bowling lineup, with three of their bowlers having played a combined total of 10 IPL matches, bowled superbly, and once the GT top order was dismissed within the power play, the middle and lower order folded without much of a fight to be roundly beaten by 99 runs.
MI batsmen struggle against opening bowlers
GT has a bowling lineup that would be the envy of many international teams. The opening overs are bowled by Siraj and Rabada, two world-class bowlers and then followed by Prasidh Krishna, a genuine wicket taker, albeit one with a high economy rate. Ashok Sharma, the fastest bowler this IPL, along with a deadly slower delivery, comes next. And Rashid Khan as the spinner, supported by Washington Sundar.
It can be difficult to target any of these bowlers with confidence, and one would have to play their A game in order to score an above-par score. The MI found this the hard way. The GT bowlers were on target from the first ball. Siraj got his outswinger going and only gave 2 runs in the first over. At the other end, Rabada bowled with fire. His pace was high, well above the mid-140s, and a few crossed the 150 kmph mark.
Danish Malewar, one of the two debutants, was unlucky to be in the line of fire and missed a fast-inswinging delivery to be given LBW. De Kock hit a rasping cut off a short delivery from Rabada for four, but next ball, top-edged a pull shot, the ball coming in too fast at 150 kmph, to be easily caught by the bowler for 13 off 11 balls. Surya Kumar Yadav came and played a couple of attractive shots, a flicked six over square leg, and a straight drive for four, but another full delivery at 152 kmph nipped back to evade his cover drive and shattered the stumps for 15 off 10 balls, and MI were in big trouble at 46/3 in 6 overs.
Naman and Tilak steady the innings
MI were in danger of yet another implosion, and both Tilak Verma and Naman Dhir took their time to get going. Naman was the aggressor among the two. A lovely cut shot using the pace of Ashok Sharma for four toward point and another next ball, slightly finer this time, got him going. Prasidh was hit for a textbook straight drive, evading a diving mid off for a good-looking boundary. He took toll on Washington’s solitary over, hitting him first for a six over long on and then straight over the bowler’s head for a boundary. He was looking good when he hit a short ball from Prasidh straight to deep square leg, and Rabada took a smart catch diving forward, and Naman was gone for a well-made 45 off 32 balls.
Tilak tees off in the last six overs
Hardik joined Tilak, and the score at the end of 14 overs was 103/4. The runs were looking woefully inadequate, and something special was required for MI to post a challenging target. Tilak was on 19 off 22 balls, incidentally the same score that Cooper Connolly was last night when he decided to unveil his range of shots to reach 87 off 46 balls.
That is exactly what happened next, and Tilak actually did one better and got to his century at the end. Only Rabada and, to some extent, Siraj were given respect and all the other bowlers were targeted. A slower full ball from Prasidh was dispatched to the long off boundary for a six, a leg side ball was scooped over fine leg and another wide and full delivery hit towards extra cover, both for a boundary. Rashid was tonked straight towards the sightscreen for an enormous six and a shorter ball hit on the off side, bisecting the fielders around the cover region for a boundary.
The score of 141/4 off 17 overs still looked slightly underwhelming, and the next over from Ashok Sharma turned the tide. It went for a massive 26 runs, and MI were truly back in the match. A short and wide ball was ferociously cut by Tilak for a six over deep backward point to bring his 50 off 33 balls. A legside scoop managed to elude the short fine leg fielder for a boundary, a straightish hit beat mid-off, also for a boundary, and GT were sweating. A manageable total was starting to balloon to dangerous territory. Tilak was now waiting for the slower one and hoicked the next one high and mighty over cow corner. The fifth ball was a fuller one and was hit straight over long off, with the fielder watching it go over his head. Hardik again failed to get his timing, but managed to stay at the other end to stitch a crucial partnership of 81 runs off 38 balls. He was caught by another brilliant catch by Phillips at deep midwicket off a Siraj full toss for a 16-ball 15. Prasidh came in for some more punishment as he was taken for 22 runs in the last over, Tilak preferring the leg side to score 21 off his last 5 balls, including a boundary on the last ball to finish with a scintillating 101 off 45 balls. MI scored 199/5, and they would have definitely been the happier of the two sides, considering the start they had.
MI bowlers put pressure on the GT top order
Bumrah had not taken a wicket this edition of the IPL, and this was reflected in MI’s performance. Today, he stuck first ball, swinging the ball away from Sai Sudharsan, who hit it straight to cover. Buttler faced the second over from Hardik and after hitting a beautiful cover drive for four, was trapped LBW next ball to an inswinging ball as he tried to play on the legside. He asked for DRS and was adjusted out on the umpire’s call. Hardik got some stick from Washington in the same over, conceding 18 runs, but his job as a bowler was done for the night. Gill, as he invariably does, played some delightful shots piercing the off-side fielders, but got out trying to pull a short ball on the body from Aswani Kumar, lofting the ball straight to deep square leg for 14 off 13 balls. GT’s top order had been dealt with, and the pressure was on the untested middle / lower order.
Sundar, who had got off to a bright start against the pacers, struggled to pick Ghazanfar’s variations, getting beaten multiple times. Next over, he hit Santner well enough, and the ball looked to be crossing the deep midwicket boundary, but was plucked out of thin air by an impeccably timed jump by Naman Dhir, who was having a good match. Washington was gone for 26 off 17 balls. Same over, Santner accounted for his New Zealand teammate Phillips. He bowled a slower delivery which gripped the surface and was lofted back to the bowler, who smartly pouched the catch. GT were 56/5 at the end of 8 overs and struggling. Tewatia and Shahrukh Khan tried pushing and nudging to a respectable position, but were going nowhere with the scoring and the asking rate climbing steeply.
Ashwani Kumar’s day out
Ashwani Kumar came in as an impact sub and had already contributed with the all-important wicket of Gill. He bowled with good line and length and ran through the lower order. Tewatia edged a length ball to the keeper, Rashid Khan slapped a short ball straight to cover, and Shahrukh Khan holed out to a pull shot to the long leg fielder. Playing his first IPL match this year, Ashwani completed his four overs for an impressive 24/4. Ghazanfar, who had been wicketless so far, polished off the tail with a double wicket over and GT were all out for 100 in 15.5 overs.
MI completed a resounding 99-run victory, and this will surely boost their confidence along with the net run rate. A few chinks remain, but for the moment, they would savour this win, and it was quite evident by their captain’s demeanour this day. Hardik was animated and energetic all throughout this match, and this showed how much this win means for the team. For GT, their top-heavy batting lineup remains a problem, and they would need to improve their weak middle order in order to do well this tournament.