Updated: September 30, 2020 10:36:36 am
Historically, spinners have teased Rohit Sharma in the first six overs. In the last three editions of the IPL, he was removed six times. Perhaps this was what prompted Virat Kohli to bring Washington in on the second change.
At the end of the exciting IPL Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Mumbai Indians game that was decided in the super final, the talk was about Ishan Kishan’s lost hundred and AB de Villiers’ improvisational genius.
However, an outstanding bowling effort escaped the attention of fans and experts. In a game that saw 402 runs, 23 fours and 26 sixes, RCB Washington Sundar’s all-rounder’s 4-0-12-1 effort was an effective spinning bowling masterclass in the power play.
He conceded no limits, threw 13 point balls and created excruciating pressure. In rare praise for Washington on social media, India coach Ravi Shastri tweeted: “Best performance in IPL so far.”
That was how it was.
Background
Historically, spinners have teased Rohit Sharma in the first six overs. In the last three editions of the IPL, he was removed six times. Perhaps this was what prompted Virat Kohli to bring Washington in on the second change.
Washington’s 1st over (2nd innings): Rohit throws false
Washington knew exactly what Rohit likes at roulette and what he doesn’t. Likes flight and spaciousness. Washington didn’t give him either. Rohit likes to race around the track, but Washington’s fast pace, hitting the 90s, kept the IM captain glued to the crease. And he also knew that nothing frustrates Rohit more than being tied down by a roulette wheel, which he managed to do super efficiently.
The first ball spun toward him; it is a mistake to think that successful T20 spinners do not spin the ball. Rohit eyed the field warily. So Washington started mixing up the lengths.
The next ball landed in the proper length area of a roulette wheel. But because the first ball had spun, Rohit waited for the ball and played it with his back foot. The third was short of good length, so he stepped forward and drove with confidence.
Rohit felt that the next ball would be shorter. He felt an outlet for the built-up pressure. The jerk, after all, is your running percentage. In fact, the ball was shorter in length, just not short enough to throw, it came faster than he had expected and landed in the center, denying him the width that facilitates the free swing of the bat.
Rohit couldn’t time the ball; he did not clear the boundary, and was caught in the middle of a deep wicket.
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Washington figures: 1-0-2-1
Washington’s Second Change (Entry Quarter): The Strangler Job
For Ishan Kishan, he went flat and kept the ball on the stumps. The side of the leg was sufficiently padded with in-ring fielders, which meant that even singles were hard to come by. It wasn’t until the fourth ball, when the middle-on fielder was pushed back, that Kishan managed to smuggle a single.
Washington’s ploy was different against de Kock, as he shed his defensive attitude and went on the attack. Knowing the South African’s penchant for cutting, he leaned back a bit, tempting him to dig deep into the fold and cut late. He nearly got sucked into the trap, falling twice while trying to force the cut.
Bowling figures: 2-0-3-1
Washington’s third final (sixth innings): Simply impossible
The last end of the power play is when hitters, especially when chasing a steep target, go berserk. But they ran out of ideas against Washington. When they tried to fabricate a shot, Washington routinely outpaced them.
On the second ball of the over, de Kock tried to create space and go inside out, one of his reliable shots, but Washington threw it so fast to the middle stump that the shot had to be aborted at the last minute.
Bowling figures: 3-0-7-1
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4th Washington Final: (10th innings): Pandya locked up
Hardik Pandya loves to hit the spinners in the corner of the cow. She goes deep into the crease, gets under the ball and throws it over the middle of the gate. But just as it induced doubts in Rohit’s mind that he jerked backwards, Washington made the second ball grab the surface and bounce.
Here, he was spinning the ball too much, and immediately Pandya became cautious and was happy to spin the shot. That was the best strategy against Washington: tip and run singles. It turned out to be her most expensive ending of the day. Five races!
Bowling Figures: 4-0-12-1
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