Steve Smith continued with his jaw-dropping form as he hit a brilliant unbeaten 84 off just 54 balls to help Rising Pune Supergiant win a last-over thriller in his first game as captain of the franchise. Ajinkya Rahane at the top of the order had allowed Smith his time to settle in with a scintillating 34-ball 60 early in the innings on Thursday (April 6).
Mumbai Indians, having been asked to bat first, had earlier amassed 184/8 thanks to Hardik Pandya’s unbelievable 15-ball 35. The all-rounder recovered from a slow start to slam Ashok Dinda for four sixes and a four in the final over to give them a big total. However, Rahane and Smith combined to devastating effect in a well-calculated run chase and win the game by seven wickets.
How do you dismiss Steve Smith?
There’s being in form, and then there’s playing like you’re from another planet where batting is the equivalent to breathing. Steve Smith, the Australia and Rising Pune SuperGiant captain, certainly seems like he belongs to the second category.
He sent the Indian bowlers on a leather hunt during the four-Test series that just recently concluded. In Pune, he meted out similar treatment to a bowling attack that also included two New Zealanders and a West Indian apart from three Indians.
Smith slammed a superb 84 off 54 balls to help RPS get their IPL campaign off to a winning start. Needing a tricky 185 to win, Smith anchored the chase with a cautious start, before stepping on the pedal and taking the game away from Mumbai Indians.
He got just 28 off his first 26 deliveries, but then took off without warning and left Mumbai Indians trailing in his wake. Off the next 28 balls, he smashed 56 runs, including two sixes to finish off the game.
Wonder when bowlers will figure how to get him out, until then, sit back and enjoy some breathtaking batting.
What did Ajinkya Rahane have for lunch?
Ever since Rahane stepped out to bat during India’s second innings in Dharamsala, he’s looked a totally different batsman. He had slammed a quick-fire knock against Pat Cummins and Co to win the game for India. On Thursday, he came out in the same mood – ready for carnage.
By the time he was done, the right-hander had whacked his fastest ever IPL fifty, he had smashed six fours and bashed three sixes. It was a version of Rahane not many envisioned existed. Make no mistake, it did.
Needing a solid start in chase of Mumbai Indians’ tall total, Rahane went berserk with shots all around the park. His trademark drive, albeit in the air, were conspicuous, but when the ball was pitched short he showcased his liking for the pull.
His stunning barrage of strokes helped RPS score 93 off the first 10 overs, and that turned out to be the difference as Smith, Ben Stokes and MS Dhoni were able to settle in and take their side home.
Where were the spinners Mumbai?
This was not the kind of pitch that welcomed India and Australia during the Test series. This one had a decent covering of grass. Perhaps that coaxed Mumbai Indians into thinking that it would be great for pacers. On the contrary, it was the lack of pace that helped the bowlers.
Pune read the pitch perfectly, and filled their team with two leg spinners (Adam Zampa and Imran Tahir) and a medium-pacer who could also easily be classified a spinner (Rajat Bhatia). Mumbai had the pace of Mitchell McCleneghan, Tim Southee, Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah to fall back on. Their only spin option was the left-arm spin of Krunal Pandya.
For Pune, Zampa (1-26), Tahir (3-28) and Bhatia (2-14) were all amongst the wickets. Tahir’s experience and guile took centrestage as RPS overcame a fiery start from Mumbai Indians’ openers to put themselves back on top. Adam Zampa and Raja Bhatia too did a similar job.
Mumbai’s pace battery, meanwhile, could only get three wickets for their side, and that perhaps was the difference.
Where could it have all gone wrong for RPS?
6.6.6.6.4.6 – In the space of six balls, Mumbai Indians’ score had jumped from a weak 148/7 (18.5 overs) to 182/7 (19.5 overs).
Hardik Pandya had scored just seven off nine balls until then. Tim Southee launched the last ball of the penultimate over for a six, but Mumbai Indians still needed a mammoth last over. Even by their expectations, what Hardik did was crazy.
Ashok Dinda went full, then pulled it back, then went wide outside off and Hardik responded each time with a big six. He added another four and another six in the next two balls as Mumbai went past 180. It was a total that gave them a massive boost, but alas it just wasn’t meant to be.
So where did it all go wrong for Mumbai?
Towards the very end in the next innings. Jasprit Bumrah doled out a friendly full toss to MS Dhoni off the last ball of their 19th over. Tim Southee grassed an easy catch in the deep. and that gave Pune the shot in the arm. The drop left Mumbai Indians needing to defend 13 in the final over, to be bowled by Kieron Pollard. After a superb first three balls, Steve Smith walloped two sixes back to back to win the game for Pune.
Who’s to blame?
Everyone gets their fair share as far as Mumbai Indians are concerned. The team management perhaps missed a trick with the team selection, while Rohit Sharma’s plan of bowling Kieron Pollard, who had hurt his elbow while batting, for the final over was not really a master-stroke.
Nitish Rana had done well with the bat, but his drop off Steve Smith while the batsman was in his thirties will be a huge ‘what-if’ moment of the game, whereas Tim Southee’s costly drop in the penultimate over will leave the two-time champions deeply disappointed as well.
It’s still only the start of what will be a long tournament, and Mumbai Indians will have plenty of chances to overturn their false start.
Scores at a glance: Mumbai Indians 184/8 in 20 overs (Jos Buttler 38, Hardik Pandya 35*; Imran Tahir 3-28, Rajat Bhatia 2-14) lost to Rising Pune Supergiant 187/3 in 19.5 overs (Steve Smith 84*, Ajinkya Rahane 60; Tim Southee 1-34, Hardik Pandya 1-36) by seven wickets.
