Delhi Daredevils skipper Zaheer Khan insists his team can still make the play-offs despite the drubbing it received at the hands of table-toppers Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League. Disaster, however, was quick to strike when Pant gave away his wicket to Jasprit Bumrah’s slow and short delivery for a duck, his pull terminating at midwicket.
Advertisement
They were five down in the chase before the Power Play was done and bowled out for their lowest IPL total of 66 in 13.4 overs two nights after achieving the second highest run chase to lose by an IPL record margin. Brought on to bowl in the fifth over, he immediately made an impact accounting for risky looking Karun Nair. Corey Anderson followed him in the next, all of them falling to flashy but unsafe strokes. The West Indies duo of Lendl Simmons and Kieron Pollard played enthralling knocks.
Former Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene feels India’s domestic structure has improved significantly in the past 10 years and thanks to the IPL, the country churns out world-class players faster than any other nation. By the time the stand was done – Parthiv was stumped off Amit Mishra – Mumbai’s openers had set up a drubbing of Daredevils.
It hardly made a difference though.
Earlier, the Zaheer Khan-led side allowed Lendl Simmons and Kieran Pollard to hit blistering half-centuries as the visitors posted a enormous total of 212/3 in their stipulated quota of 20 overs.
Simmons came out through that period unscathed, and as he confessed in his post-match comments, the ball began to come on to the bat a lot better once dew settled in.
The Caribbean flavour: The Caribbean flavour added spice to this IPL 10 encounter, as two Trinidadians Simmons and Pollard stole the show. Alas, Daredevils couldn’t even come close.
Daredevils have replaced Chris Morris with Marlon Samuels while Mumbai have brought in Lendl Simmons for Jos Buttler and left out Krunal Pandya to include Harbhajan Singh. Extras (LB-9, W-10) 19. Total (for 3 wkts, in 20 overs) 212.
Pollard, Simmons’s teammate, was promoted to No. 3 in the batting order.
“There is nothing much you can do”.
FoW: 1-79, 2-116, 3-153. After looking rusty for early part of his innings, Simmons came to the party later on, thrashing the famed DD pace attack all over the park.
Advertisement
However, the standout feature of Mumbai’s clinical display was the performance of their old guard consisting of Simmons, Pollard, Lasith Malinga and Harbhajan Singh. The move seemed to pay off as the visitors scored only 24 in the next fours and Mishra in particular was impressive, giving just eight runs in two overs and also picked up a wicket.
