playoff hopes were in line with KKR need for very getTable 12 runs from the last time, with Yusuf Pathan – the latest and most reliable version – on strike.
The bowling of death always reliable Malinga had abandoned today as it was for nine runs in the nineteenth time. So when Rohit Sharma gave the ball – and with it, the responsibility of keeping alive in Mumbai competition – Kieron Pollard, some eyebrows were raised.
Kieron Pollard and celebrate Bombay beat Kolkata. Pollard and celebrate Bombay SportzpicsKieron beat Kolkata. Sportzpics
Pollard is a useful player bowling and is known to have the ability to pick up windows with their variations. Mumbai but I I have not needed all year. Before this in front of KKR, who had shot a total of 40 balls in the tournament, picking up just one wicket.
So what does? He dismissed Yusuf Pathan, who was well-established in 52 with the first ball. A mis-field Malinga horrible and some wild punches after Piyush Chawla, Mumbai Indians won a thriller of a match at Wankhede by five runs.
More importantly, Rohit men live to fight another day.
In a way, Rohit hand was forced. With 21 required of the latest two acquisitions, which had no choice but to go to their best bowler as captains usually do. Malinga finished with their quota, their other choices were young Hardik Pandya or even younger Jagdeesh Suchith.
Then he turned to Pollard, who was not having the best of days. He had played an atypical hit 33 of 38 balls with only one four one six. It is one of those entries that make you feel on the fence. If Mumbai will win, as they did, it becomes a crucial innings that kept the middle order together and Hardik Pandya allowed to cut loose in the end. If Mumbai lose, then start slow Pollard – took eight balls to get off the mark – it becomes the anchor that dragged its downside. The truth, as always, is somewhere in between.
SEE ALSO
IPL 8: Pollard, star Pandya in thrilling victory to keep Mumbai Indians in the playoffs
IPL 8: Pollard, star Pandya in thrilling victory to keep Mumbai Indians in the playoffs
IPL 8: more definitive Pollard was more important than my posts, said Hardik Pandya
IPL 8: more definitive Pollard was more important than my posts, said Hardik Pandya
IPL 2015: We had to be smarter in surplus death against me, says Gambhir
IPL 2015: We had to be smarter in surplus death against me, says Gambhir
But with the ball in hand, he turned out to be the winning goal for Mumbai. Very often in situations like the one faced in the past again, the first ball is the most crucial. You get hit a limit and pressure on the bowler jumps. Pollard gave an off-cutter slightly less than the length cramped for room and top edge Yusuf was happily taken by Parthiv Patel.
Despite an excuse for an attempt to stop the ball at short fine leg by a ball after Malinga, Pollard did not lose his focus. He was helped by Piyush Chawla aimlessly he swung his bat off-cutters angled away from him. Pollard finished with three balls on point.
“It was a gamble, but looking at his body language, his confidence, I knew he could throw the ball and he was going to do the job,” Rohit said after the game.
Man-of-the-match went to Hardik Pandya for their tickets Pollard-esque 61 of 31 balls pushed Mumbai to a total of struggle. And rightly so. But the tournament in Mumbai is still alive thanks to his West Indian talisman Pollard.