Updated: September 30, 2020 10:36:36 AM
Historically, spinners have put Rohit Sharma in trouble in the first six overs. In the last three editions of the IPL, they have dismissed him six times. Maybe this was what Virat Kohli had to face Washington in the second over.
At the end of the Royal Challengers vs Mumbai Indians IPL match scheduled in the Super Over, the talk was about Ishan Kishan’s missed hundreds and AB de Villiers’ temporary talent.
However, an excellent bowling attempt escaped the attention of both fans and pundits. With 402 runs, 23 fours and 26 sixes in the match, RCB all-rounder Washington Sundar’s 4-0-12-1 attempt was a masterclass of effective spin bowling in the power-play.
He took no boundaries, bowled 13 dot balls, and created unbearable pressure. Highly praising Washington and Washington on social media, India coach Ravi Shastri tweeted: “Best performance ever in the IPL.”
Here’s how it went.
Background
Historically, spinners have put Rohit Sharma in trouble in the first six overs. In the last three editions of the IPL, they have dismissed him six times. Maybe this was what Virat Kohli had to face Washington in the second over.
Washington Washington’s first over (second innings): Rohit pulls and loses
Washington knew exactly what Rohit liked and did not like about spinners. He likes flight and width. Washington did not give them. Rohit loves to take the track down, but Washington’s fast pace, touching the 90’s touch-up, kept the MI captain glued to the crease. And he also knew that nothing disappointed Rohit more than being built by a spinner, which he managed to do very effectively.
The first ball bounced back. It is a misconception that successful T20 spinners do not spin the ball. Rohit stared suspiciously at the pitch. Then Washington Shington began mixing in length.
The front ball landed on the spinner’s proper good length field. But as the first ball spun, Rohit waited for the ball and played on the hind legs. The third was a good length short, in which he came forward and walked confidently.
Rohit felt that the front ball would be short in length. He saw an outlet for the throat pressure. Pulling, after all, is its percentage stroke. The ball was really short in length, just not too short to pull, it came faster than he expected, and landed in the middle of the ball, denying it a width that facilitated the free swing of the bat.
Rohit failed to give the ball time; He couldn’t clear the boundary, and was caught out on a deep mid-wicket.
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Washington Statistics: 1-0-2-1
Washington Washington’s second over (4 innings): Strangle job
Ishaan Kishan went to the ball flat and kept the ball on the stumps. The side of the foot was padded enough with fielders inside the ring, which meant that even singles were hard to get. It wasn’t until the fourth ball, when the midfielder was pushed back, that Kishan managed to smuggle a single one.
Washington’s run against De Kok was different, in which he defended himself and attacked. Knowing South Africa’s penchant for cutting, he pulled back a miniature of his length, tempting him to go to the crease and cut late. He was almost twice knocked down when he tried to push on the cut.
Bowling statistics: 2-0-3-1
Washington’s third over (6th of the innings): Only unheard of
The last over of the powerplay is when the batsman sits down, especially when the ep chase chases the target. But they moved away from anti-Washington ideas. When they tried to make a shot, Washington Shington thought of them regularly.
On the second ball of the over, De Cock tried to make a place out of his reliable release stroke and go inside, but Washington Shington pushed him so fast in the middle stumps that he had to drop the shot at the last minute.
Bowling statistics: 3-0-7-1
Also explained | IPL 2020: Running on the field, and getting injured
Washington Washington’s fourth over: (10th inning): Pandya locks
Hardik Pandya will relieve the spinners hitting the corner of the cow. That ball goes inside the crease, comes off the ball and goes straight to the mid-wicket. But as he spread doubts in Rohit’s mind which quickly turned back, Washington caught another ball to the surface and bounced.
Here, he was over-spinning the ball, and immediately Pandya became alert and was happy to spin the strike. That was the best strategy against Washington – tip and run singles. It became the most expensive atmosphere of the day. Five runs!
Bowling statistics: 4-0-12-1
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