November 11, 2020 1:16:12 am
Rohit Sharma in action vs DC in the final of the IPL 2020 (BCCI / IPL)
Powerplay executioner Trent Boult came close to finishing the final with the first ball of the match when he dropped Marcus Stoinis. That sinking feeling deepened when he knocked out Ajinkya Rahane in his second over and spinner Jayant Yadav knocked out Shikhar Dhawan to leave the Delhi Capitals reeling at 22 of 3. They rallied through Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant, but couldn’t get through. a fiery finished in the last five overs and finished 156 below par.
CHAMPIONS !! #Mumbaiindians # Dream11IPL pic.twitter.com/iJVilrC9WX
– IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) November 10, 2020
Supported by energetic cameos from Quinton de Kock and Suryakumar Yadav, Rohit Sharma solved the problem with a responsible 68 as Mumbai galloped home over five wickets with eight balls to spare.
Devilish First Ball
It was probably the first most poisonous ball of any IPL final, certainly the first to go through a wicket. It also led to a strange and surprising image: have we ever seen a batter fall to a regulation cut off the stump but turn 360 degrees to look at the goalkeeper over his left shoulder? Such was Stonis’s shock and amazement that he was crushed by a devilish ball from Trent Boult.
It rose from the back of a length, even as it straightened just outside the stump. And boy, Stonis was stunned by that extra bounce and off-court fizz. By the time he dropped the bat, the ball had hit him near the handle and flew toward the goalie. The heavy ball had opened Stoinis and put him in an awkward position.
The moment seemed like a throwback to the 2015 World Cup final when Brendon McCullum fell in the first over and the game became a one-sided affair in Australia’s favor. A feeling that strengthened after Rahane fell, strangled the side of his leg, and strengthened after Yadav cleansed Shikhar Dhawan.
The inclusion of Yadav was another good move from Mumbai, which went for him instead of Rahul Chahar against the left-handers from Delhi. Yadav, who has represented India in Tests and an ODI before being long sidelined with a career-threatening injury, is a brave offside. He proved it too, tossing the ball upward on the Powerplay, tempting Dhawan to go for the sweep and spinning it past thrust to rattle the stumps.
Iyer and Pant with the recovery
Perhaps, the terrible situation freed them. Perhaps, his own poor form raised any expectations. Whatever the reason, Iyer and Pant slowly began working their way back to 59 for 3 in 9 overs when Krunal Pandya helped their cause in the next over. The left arm spinner generally likes to keep it tight, but possibly moved by the fact that another wicket at the time could derail Delhi, he threw the ball much more than usual. Spinners have generally skidded the ball away from Pant, away from the stump, causing him to drag it across the line. Pandya threw him over the stumps and Pant hit him for two sixes as 16 runs came and the innings found some momentum.
Five times IPL CHAMPIONS @mipaltan 👏👏# Dream11IPL pic.twitter.com/tBI6xF1J2E
– IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) November 10, 2020
Iyer made a hard landing with Kieron Pollard for a six and was very well prepared for a takeoff in the final five overs when Pant fell off the last ball of 15, his favorite wrist slam to the side sent the ball straight deep. square leg back. From then on, Iyer also lost strength and, although he remained undefeated, the final flourish never came, neither from him nor from the others, as Delhi finished in 156.
Rohit raises the glass for the fifth time
The last few days have been controversial for Rohit, to say the least, because of the way he has handled the comeback from his injury. There was also a battle within the battle against R Ashwin, who opened the bowling alley after a previous success against him, but Rohit was quick to go down the lane to put him over long in the first over. With De Kock taking the pressure off with a thunderous cameo and Yadav also kicking off energetically, Rohit continued to flow with his inimitable style. There was also some interest in how Sharma would play Praveen Dubey, as he has had trouble picking the googly of most leggies. However, he resolved any doubts by depositing the young tweaker for two sixes in the ninth plus.
However, Rohit wasn’t entirely sure against Ashwin and a desperate attempt to rotate the strike with a fast single against him saw him run out of Yadav in the eleventh second. Yadav didn’t want that run, he stayed rooted at the non-front end, but Rohit didn’t break his career at any point and Yadav, Mumbai’s best hitter in this tournament, sacrificed his wicket for his well-established captain.
“He was hitting really good at the time and anchoring innings; I don’t mind sacrificing myself, ”Yadav would say later. Rohit continued to strengthen the chase and although he fell near the end, there was no doubt that Mumbai would win the IPL for the fifth time.
© The Indian Express (P) Ltd
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