Mumbai Indians v Rajasthan Royals: IPL 2015 – as it happened
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http://www.theguardian.com/sport/live/2015/may/01/ipl-mumbai-indians-rajasthan-royals-live Version 0 of 1. 7.25pm BST19:25 Right, that’s all from me. The Royals stay second, the Indians stay second bottom. The losers won’t be too down, the victors won’t be getting ahead of themselves. Some say the IPL is meaningless, other say it’s a thrilling whirlwind of a contest. The former will be feeling smug tonight. Cheers for reading. Night. 7.20pm BST19:20 Mumbai win by eight runs 20 overs: Royals 179-7 (Binny 8, Theron 1) 10 needed Bunted into the on-side and they get a meaningless single. That’s that. 7.18pm BST19:18 19.5 overs: Royals 179-7 (Binny 8, Theron 0) 10 needed Binny is on strike then and it’s a good wide yorker from Kumar. Binny can’t get it away and that’s surely that. Updated at 7.20pm BST 7.17pm BST19:17 Wicket! Southee run-out 6 19.5 overs: Royals 178-7 (Binny 7, Theron 0) 10 needed Another high-full toss and Binny mistimes it. He’s caught at long-on but it’s surely a no-ball for being above waist-height? They’re checking it, and it is a no-ball. Oh but Southee has been run out looking to come back for the second. Updated at 7.20pm BST 7.15pm BST19:15 19.4 overs: Royals 175-6 (Binny 7, Southee 6) 13 needed Full-toss and Binny heaves it out to mid-wicket for a one-bounce four. The batsman asks about the height, but it’s fine. 7.14pm BST19:14 19.3 overs: Royals 171-6 (Binny 3, Southee 6) 17 needed Full again, this is great death bowling. Three sixes needed as Southee can just get this one down to long-on for another single. 7.13pm BST19:13 19.2 overs: Royals 170-6 (Binny 3, Southee 5) 18 needed Binny has a swing and a slog, connects but it just gets to long-on on the bounce. One run. 7.12pm BST19:12 19.1 overs: Royals 169-6 (Binny 2, Southee 5) 19 needed Southee on strike, Vinay Kumar the bowler. Full and slogged to long-on for one. 7.10pm BST19:10 19th over: Royals 168-6 (Binny 2, Southee 4) target 188 26 needed from 12 balls now and I’d say that over might well have ended the Royals’ hopes. Hooda’s wicket just about confirms it and the ones and twos that make up the six yielded runs won’t hurt the Indians too much. 20 needed from the final over and we’ll go ball-by-ball. 7.06pm BST19:06 Wicket! Hooda c Chand b Malinga 1 That’ll be that. Hooda looks to clear square-leg from a length ball and, well, doesn’t. 7.03pm BST19:03 18th over: Royals 162-5 (Binny 0, Hooda 1) target 188 That’s lowered the required rate a fraction, but what an over that was from Samson – that ramp from the final ball was absurdly impudent. It’s McClenaghan again, round the wicket to Samson and the batsman misses out on a rank full-toss outside off. But then the bowler serves up another and it’s driven brilliantly over cover for six! Shot! But that’s the end of his fun as he falls the next ball – Shane Watson’s face is a picture right now. McClenaghan makes it two in two and now he’s on what would surely be a match-winning hat-trick. Hooda faces it, final ball of the over, and drives it through point for a single. Updated at 7.05pm BST 7.02pm BST19:02 Wicket! Nair c P Patel b McClenaghan 7 Looking to run it down to third man, Nair feathers a catch behind! 7.01pm BST19:01 Wicket! Samson c Suchith b McClenaghan 76 A juicy half-volley, right in the slot and Samson can’t resist. It’s a flat, hard hit straight down the throat of the man at long-off. 6.56pm BST18:56 17th over: Royals 154-3 (Samson 70, Nair 6) target 188 48 needed from 24 balls, which, I’m sure you’ve figured out yourself, means 12 an over needed. Malinga is on to bowl – his experience against the impetuousness of Samson’s youth. There’s a shout for LBW and to be honest it could have been a touch louder. It was going down leg, I reckon, but not by much. You’ve seen more exuberant appeals for worse shouts. Oh and then there should be a run out as Nair comes out of his crease at the non-striker’s end – he’s miles down the pitch – but Pollard fumbles the pick-up at mid-on! That was an easy run-out. It’s a good over... until Malinga serves up a juicy, slow length ball that Samson reads and launches clean over mid-on for six. Oh and then he charges forward and ramps it down to long-leg for four! 6.49pm BST18:49 16th over: Royals 140-3 (Samson 58, Nair 5) target 188 That over has perhaps swung this back in Mumbai’s favour – 12 an over needed from here. Nair gets off the mark first ball with a heave to mid-on for four. A single later and Samon plays a very strange shot, coming down the pitch and playing a dabbed pull against a ball well outside off. They get two for it, then get four for a similar shot that bisects the fielders converging on the mid-on boundary. He played that shot with both feet off the ground too. A single to finish a good over. 6.45pm BST18:45 15th over: Royals 127-3 (Samson 50, Nair 0) target 188 That four also brought up the 50 partnership. McClenaghan is back on for his third over and twice in a row beats Smith for pace. The Royals are probably, just, favourites from here but it’s mighty tight. Make that three in a row – Smith unable to read McClenaghan’s bounce. Just the wide so far, then Smith walks across his stumps and pulls another bouncer to mid-wicket for a single. Samson nudges to mid-wicket for his first 50 of the season, but then Smith goes to the very next ball! 6.44pm BST18:44 Wicket! Smith c Harbhajan b McClenaghan 23 Smith comes down the track, Mitch sees him coming and shortens his length; Smith goes anyway and top edges down to third man, where Bhahji clings on! 6.38pm BST18:38 14th over: Royals 124-2 (Samson 49, Smith 22) target 188 Harbhajan is going to bowl through and, second ball, there’s a huge shout for a catch behind off Samson. Can’t see anything myself and nor can the umpire. It’s a decent over, until Smith runs the final ball very fine down to third man for four more. Lots of runs being leaked down in that region today. Harby finishes with 0-34. 6.32pm BST18:32 13th over: Royals 115-2 (Samson 44, Smith 18) target 188 Speaking of Malinga, here he is! After leaking 11 runs each in three of the last four overs, Mumbai will be looking for him to put a brake on things Six from it, so that he does. 6.27pm BST18:27 12th over: Royals 109-2 (Samson 42, Smith 14) target 188 90 need off 54 and it’s almost impossible to call here. Another very faint edge down to third man for four from Samson and, while he’s looked occasionally like he’s about to get out, this is a fine chasing innings from the youngster. It’s worth bearing in mind that Malinga has three overs left though. Smith drives the final ball through extra-cover for four more. 6.23pm BST18:23 11th over: Royals 98-2 (Samson 36, Smith 9) target 188 “Laaaayla, you got me on my knees Laaaayla.” Not quite sure why Samson would address the third ball of Suchith’s final over as Layla, but he goes down on he knees to it anyway and smears it over mid-wicket for six. Prior to that there were two singles, and the same come from the following two. And the final ball too. 11 from the over. 6.20pm BST18:20 10th over: Royals 87-2 (Samson 27, Smith 7) target 188 Ah this is a lovely first ball from Bhaji, drifting and dipping past Samson’s outside edge. This is good stuff, difficult to get away and the required rate is near enough dead on 10. 6.16pm BST18:16 9th over: Royals 82-2 (Samson 23, Smith 6) target 188 Suchith gets the wicket with the first ball and that brings Steve Smith to the crease. The Australian captain gets off the mark with a push to cover, then Samson dabs nicely down to third man for three. He gets lucky a couple of balls later though, trying to run it down again and edging past his leg-stump. The final ball is short and put away behind square-leg by Smith for four. Updated at 6.20pm BST 6.12pm BST18:12 Wicket! Watson b Suchith 28 Watto goes! Backing away and looking to cut hard, he misses and gets bowled by Peter Such ! 6.11pm BST18:11 8th over: Royals 71-1 (Samson 19, Watson 28) target 188 Harbhajan into the attack, which always goes down well with the crowd. A wide, then Samson sweeps hard and runs hard for two. For a spinner, he takes an age to bowl. With the camera pinging about all over the place so it’s hard to see what’s going on, Samson sweeps the final ball hard and it drops just inside the rope for four. Updated at 6.20pm BST 6.06pm BST18:06 7th over: Royals 62-1 (Samson 12, Watson 27) target 188 With the timeout done, Suchith will continue and he begins with a huge leg-side wide, off which the batsmen run two. Watson looks to go big but only toe-ends it down to long-on for a single. Couple more for Samson to the same region as Pollard slides across to make a good stop. Updated at 6.20pm BST 6.01pm BST18:01 6th over: Royals 55-1 (Samson 9, Watson 26) target 188 Samson brings up the 50 with a lovely little clip round the corner after walking a long way over to off. A dab down to third man for one, then Watson knocks another run to mid-wicket. Six off it and the Royals are almost dead on the required rate. Updated at 6.20pm BST 5.56pm BST17:56 5th over: Royals 49-1 (Samson 4, Watson 25) target 188 Jagadeesha “Peter” Suchith is having a bowl now and he begins with four dots to Watson, who responds by slog-sweeping a long-hop deep over mid-wicket for six. Another long-hop, on leg this time, and pulled away for four more. Updated at 6.20pm BST 5.53pm BST17:53 4th over: Royals 39-1 (Samson 4, Watson 15) target 188 Change of bowling, with Vinay Kumar on for Malinga. He couldn’t have hoped for a better start either, getting rid of the tournament’s leading scorer with his first ball. He really should have gone in the first over, but the damage isn’t too bad. Watson drives through cover, off the back-foot, for four. Oh and then four of the luckiest runs you’ll see: Suchith throws down the stumps brilliantly from side on, but Watson has just slid back by inches and the ball ricochets off for four overthrows. Updated at 6.20pm BST 5.48pm BST17:48 Wicket! Rahane c Rayudu b V Kumar 16 He comes down the wicket and mistimes it, getting a leading edge high in the air. Rayudu’s good day continues as he assuredly takes the catch at cover. 5.46pm BST17:46 3rd over: Royals 30-0 (Rahane 16, Watson 10) target 188 Once again McClenaghan finds the outside edge, a thick one this time, and again it’s safely away to third man for a run to Rahane. Six times as many runs for Watson as he plays a forehand smash over mid-wicket for, well, six. McClenaghan backs himself and responds with another bouncer, quicker, but called a wide on height. Also on height is the “nuh-uh” answer to McClenaghan’s final ball LBW appeal. Updated at 6.20pm BST 5.41pm BST17:41 2nd over: Royals 18-0 (Rahane 14, Watson 2) target 188 Malinga from the other end and he finds the edge, Rahane getting a run to third man. Watson gets the same, to mid-wicket this time, before Rahane reads a slower yorker well and neatly turns it round the corner for two. A great comeback ball though flashes past the outside edge. He’s warming up nicely, is Malinga, even if he’s not the force of old. Four now, through mid-on, purely down to timing as it teased and then escaped the chasing fielder Kumar. A single to third man ends the over. Updated at 6.21pm BST 5.36pm BST17:36 1st over: The Actual Royals 9-0 (Rahane 6, Watson 1) target 188 McClenaghan with the new ball and he starts with a wide that swings down the leg-side. Falls over in delivering it too. Let’s try that again, yeah? Rahane whips his first legitimate ball square through the leg-side for one. I think we can all agree that the most important thing is that Rameez Raja doesn’t make any more jokes about his penis here at the Wankhede stadium. Sorry. Watto takes a single to mid-on, then another leg-side wide. Rahane has a big wild swing at a straight one, weird shot, and inside-edges past his leg-stump for four to long-leg. An equally awful shot to follow and it goes up high, but it’s an even worse drop by Suchith at mid-wicket on the edge of the circle! He’s just allowed that to go straight through his arms, not even getting a hand on it. Updated at 6.21pm BST 5.30pm BST17:30 Right, here come the actual Royals openers. Should be a good contest this one. 5.24pm BST17:24 Refresh the page and all will be well, folks. 5.17pm BST17:17 Er, you might notice a problem with the score... 5.16pm BST17:16 End of innings 20th over: Indians 187-5 (Harbhajan 0, Rayudu 53) Apparently Rusty Theron is a death bowling specialist. We’ll see if he’s a good one, here then, I guess. Singles from the first two balls and Pollard comes back on strike. A mighty hard hit and the ball flies across the turf, scorching the ground through square-leg and bringing four. He’s gone next ball though, top-edging and departing for 24 from 14. Job done for Pollard, I guess. Harbhajan is the new man, but won’t face. Rayudu slugs unconvincingly, short of deep mid-on for two, then cuts down to third man for four off the final ball to get his 50. Well played him. Updated at 5.23pm BST 5.14pm BST17:14 Wicket! Pollard c Samson b Theron 24 Pollard looks to slog, top edges straight in the air and the keeper takes. 5.10pm BST17:10 19th over: Indians 175-4 (Pollard 19, Rayudu 46) Time for Tim Southee to finish his allocation. Rayudu cuts a slower, shorter ball nicely over cover for four. They take a single each, then Rayudu takes a full-toss from deep in his crease and clears mid-wicket for six more. Oh and another full-toss outside off and Rayudu cracks it over extra cover for four more! Updated at 5.23pm BST 5.05pm BST17:05 18th over: Indians 159-4 (Pollard 18, Rayudu 31) 170-180 should be the target for Mumbai from here and you feel that they need to be right at the higher end of that range to have a chance. Short and on leg from Watson and it’s at an easy height for Rayudu to swing through square-leg for four. Three singles, then another short one, to Pollard, and the big man uses his strength to power a short-arm jab over mid-on and into the stands for six more. Oh then a full-toss, chest-height, so it’s a no-ball and, furthermore, Pollard has deposited it behind square-leg for four more. Another full-toss and Ankit makes an excellent stop on the fine-leg boundary to save two. Watson’s figures take a bit of a bruising there as his seven-ball over disappears for 20. Updated at 5.23pm BST 4.58pm BST16:58 17th over: Indians 139-4 (Pollard 5, Rayudu 25) Is “canny” a euphemism for “eminently smackable”? Theron has just been described as “canny”. These two don’t seem that inclined to go after him just yet. A leg-bye, a single and a wide, then Pollard clumps awkwardly, square of the wicket, for two and then one. Theron doesn’t really offer the pace for Pollard to work with... so Rayudu launches a length ball miles over mid-on with a lovely, clean hit for six. One more to finish. Updated at 5.23pm BST 4.52pm BST16:52 16th over: Indians 126-4 (Pollard 2, Rayudu 17) “If Pollard hits five sixes, then Mumbai are guaranteed 180-plus,” says the commentator, failing to understand how mathematics works. Ankit, lifted by that excellent catch, is on to bowl and he concedes singles from his first five, before a drive for two finishes the over. Updated at 5.23pm BST 4.47pm BST16:47 15th over: Indians 120-4 (Pollard 0, Rayudu 13) Back on comes Kulkarni. On? In? Meh. Short, outside off-stump and slow to Rohit and you know exactly what he’s going to do with that: dump it miles back over mid-wicket for six. That’s as good as it gets though, as Rohit misreads the next ball and is caught trying to scoop. Pollard the new man. Updated at 5.23pm BST 4.46pm BST16:46 Wicket! R Sharma c A Sharma b Kulkarni 27 Clever stuff from the Royals this. Rohit looks to paddle it round the corner, fine-leg is up and Ankit leaps and takes it one-handed above his head. 4.42pm BST16:42 14th over: Indians 112-3 (R Sharma 20, Rayudu 12) At least I hope that was a joke from Rameez. Binny returns and Rohit pushes for a single that brings up the 100. A pair of singles lately and he drives elegantly, from the crease, through cover for four. That’s lovely from Rohit. The final ball is smacked straight back down the ground by Rayudu and just evades the flying* Steve Smith’s attempt at paddling it back inside the rope. Six. *Look, he’s not actually flying, but you know what I mean. Updated at 5.23pm BST 4.37pm BST16:37 13th over: Indians 99-3 (R Sharma 15, Rayudu 5) This over’s incidental music is a godawful dance version of Pink Floy’d Another Brick in the Wall (Part Two). This over’s bowler is Rusty Theron. We begin with three singles and then RAMEEZ RAJA MAKES A JOKE ABOUT GETTING AN ERECTION WHILE LOOKING AT THE CHEERLEADERS. God knows what happened in the rest of that over. Four from it. Updated at 5.23pm BST 4.32pm BST16:32 12th over: Indians 95-3 (R Sharma 13, Rayudu 3) Ankit is perhaps a surprise inclusion today, at the expense of the leg-spinner Tambe, but he hasn’t embarrassed himself by any means. Five ones and one two from this, his third over. Updated at 5.23pm BST 4.28pm BST16:28 11th over: Indians 88-3 (R Sharma 9, Rayudu 0) A recall for Tim Southee, whose first two overs might have gone wicketless for 13, but were absolutely beauties. Now we cut away for an interview with OH FOR EFFS SAKE THEY’RE GETTING A SMARMY MAN TO INTERVIEW THE BLOODY CHEERLEADERS. “Oh wow she knows Hindi,” the smarmy man patronises. Blessedly, we cut away from this PG-13 sleazefest when Southee gets his first wicket with a short ball that the batsman wasn’t expecting. Rohit is expecting it, however, and helps it round the corner with an ungainly swivel-pull for four. Happily, our cheerleaders are now too otherwise occupied for Mr. Smarm to go and drool over them. Updated at 5.23pm BST 4.26pm BST16:26 Wicket! Chand c Binny b Southee 13 Chand goes after the short ball and can only get the top edge. Up it goes and Binny takes a good steepling catch, falling backwards and holding on on the edge of the circle at mid-on. 4.23pm BST16:23 10th over: Indians 81-2 (R Sharma 2, Chand 13) It’ll be one Sharma to another as Ankit removes Simmons first ball. Oh I’ve just seen the replay, that came off the face of the bat into the pad; it was outside off when he hit it and the ball struck him in line with off. That’s pretty poor umpiring, the batsman middled it. Rohit gets off the mark with a hard sweep. An exchange of singles, then Chand drives hard off the front-foot, through extra cover for four. Updated at 5.23pm BST 4.18pm BST16:18 Wicket! Simmons lbw b A Sharma Huh, that came out of nowhere. Sharma bowled round the wicket, Simmons tried to play the dab-sweep and simply missed it. 4.17pm BST16:17 9th over: Indians 73-1 (Simmons 38, Chand 8) Also changing ends is Watto. He drops short and Simmons pulls through mid-wicket, easy as your like, for four. The next ball is fuller and in the slot, Simmons runs at it and launches a flat six over mid-wicket. Always enjoyable, watching this being done to Watson. Simmons goes after him again and flays a thick outside edge down to third man for a single. For the final ball, the bowler sticks Southee back on the rope and goes full, so Simmons drives to backward point, where Hooda gets around well to keep them to two. At the end of the over, the PA plays a curiously slowed down version of Queen’s anthem-for-thick-people, We Will Rock You. Updated at 5.23pm BST 4.10pm BST16:10 8th over: Indians 60-1 (Simmons 27, Chand 6) Time for some spin now, Ankit Sharma the bowler. He has a very strange round-arm action that, to my naked eye, looks a bit dodgy. Actually calling him a spinner may be a bit of a misnomer too, as these are very flat deliveries. He drops short and Simmons muscles him over mid-on for four. “Lendl forehand” says the caption on the big screen. I’ll give them that: for the IPL that’s pretty good. Simmons dabs down to mid-wicket for a couple, then rushes a single to finish the over. Updated at 5.23pm BST 4.06pm BST16:06 7th over: Indians 52-1 (Simmons 20, Chand 5) Stuart Binny is the new bowler, giving hope to people who aren’t very good everywhere. Luckily for him, these are two equally mediocre batsmen, so you won’t be surprised to know that five singles come from the over. What the hell is Rohit Sharma doing, hiding himself down the order? Updated at 5.23pm BST 4.01pm BST16:01 6th over: Indians 47-1 (Simmons 18, Chand 2) A big wicket that as Patel was smacking it about a fair bit. Shane Watson brings himself on. Good, unremarkable stuff, with three singles and leg-bye coming from it. Updated at 5.24pm BST 3.56pm BST15:56 5th over: Indians 43-1 (Simmons 17, Chand 0) A change of ends for Kulkarni and a half-volley is slogged to long-on for four by Simmons; a shot so ugly that David Lynch might make a film about it. Short next and slogged to mid-wicket for a single with no great timing. We may bemoan the number of West Indians playing here rather than in the Test series, but, Gayle and his dodgy back aside, are there any here who look like Test cricketers? Patel once again goes after a quickfire insubstantial score. Updated at 5.24pm BST 3.55pm BST15:55 Wicket! P Patel c&b Kulkarni 23 Patel gives Kulkarni the charge and flat-bats one straight back to the keeper, who takes a good low catch by his ankles. 3.51pm BST15:51 4th over: Indians 38-0 (Simmons 12, P Patel 23) A change of bowling as Rusty Theron replaces Kulkarni. I won’t lie to you, I’ve never heard of him. Simmons has a push at his first ball, slightly uppish but it lands safely and they get a single. Parthiv gets the strike and cuts a wide one through point for four. Focussing on the important issues, it’s revealed that Finch has a very cute dog. More width and Patel will drive those, from the crease, through cover point to the boundary all day. A wide down the leg-side, then the final ball of the over is pushed back past the bowler for the 12th run of the over. Updated at 5.24pm BST 3.45pm BST15:45 3rd over: Royals 26-0 (Simmons 10, P Patel 14) Oh for... they’re taking up half the screen with a Skype interview with Aaron Finch in Australia. Tight from Southee, until the final ball is flicked round the corner for four by Patel. Just the four singles otherwise. 3.40pm BST15:40 2nd over: Indians 18-0 (Simmons 7, P Patel 9) Kulkarni from the other end and, after his first ball is clipped off the pads for two, he sends a wide down the leg-side. To compound that, Samson fumbles it again, allowing the batsmen to run through, then Patel carves a wide one, hard through cover for four. Then a leading edge through the same area that races across the outfield for another boundary. Could be a high-scoring one, this, if that’s anything to go by. Kulkarni then sends down a filthy wide one that’s cut straight to the man at cover. Updated at 5.24pm BST 3.35pm BST15:35 1st over: Indians 5-0 (Simmons 5, P Patel 0) 10, 9, 8... etc. etc. Southee it is with the new ball, looking to swing it away from the right-handed Simmons. Ooh in fact he finds the edge second ball and Samson puts it down! That’s a pretty poor drop by the keeper. Two balls later, Simmons cracks a full one imperiously over mid-off for four. One more next ball, but that’s a wonderful over from the New Zealander. I’d be pissed off at Samson if I were him. Updated at 5.24pm BST 3.30pm BST15:30 Right, here we go. Simmons and Parthiv to open, Southee, I guess, will take the new ball. Both teams in blue here. 3.17pm BST15:17 Oh Trotty. 3.12pm BST15:12 Aaaand the teams The Royals make two changes. Juan Theron is in for James Faulkner and Ankit Sharma for Pravin Tambe. Mumbai are unchanged. Mumbai Indians: LMP Simmons, PA Patel†, UBT Chand, RG Sharma*, KA Pollard, AT Rayudu, Harbhajan Singh, J Suchith, R Vinay Kumar, MJ McClenaghan, SL Malinga Rajasthan Royals: AM Rahane, SR Watson*, SPD Smith, KK Nair, SV Samson†, STR Binny, DJ Hooda, J Theron, TG Southee, DS Kulkarni, Ankit Sharma 3.04pm BST15:04 The toss The Royals win it. They will have a bowl, as you’d expect. Most sides seem to win chasing in the evening matches. 3.00pm BST15:00 Preamble Afternoon folks. I’ll be honest, there isn’t a huge amount to say about this match. Which is handy, as there’s not a lot of time in which to say it. Mumbai: pretty damn poor so far. Royals: pretty handy. The home side have won just the two matches and sit second from bottom (or, if Kings XI won earlier, they’re bottom) and their most reliable batsman so far has, arguably, been Harbhajan Singh. The Royals sit pretty in second and will be confident of topping it in four hours’ time. There’s no team news as yet, but y’know, I’ll bring you it when I have it. Expect the following though, in terms of line-ups and the result. |