Anyway, thats us - we’ll be back tomorrow.
Mumbai, whatever they said or thought, didn’t score enough - they were too slow at the start, and, not having as deep a batting order as some, didn’t chance things, instead bargaining that death hitting would be enough when coupled with their handy attack. But Gambhir managed the first half of the chase supremely, before Yadav took over to sort things with a frankly outrageous piece of behaviour - if required, Kolkata would’ve chased 200, and easily.
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Kolkata win by seven wickets with 1.3 overs to spare!
Decent.
19th over: Kolkata 170-3 (SA Yadav 46, Pathan 14) Kumar returns to facilitate his team’s defeat. Pathan takes a single, then Yadav smites another boundary - a four this time, the malingering chancer - and it’s over. This has been a work of immense expertise by the champions.
18th over: Kolkata 165-3 (SA Yadav 42, Pathan 13) Yadav - hebrew translation, “his hands” - has some hands. Anyway, he sneaks a single off the returned in desperation Malinga, then Pathan “comes to the party”, snapping four down to long-leg. Then a single, then here comes our man, lofting an enormosix 101m - the best so far - like it’s nothing, which, to him, it appears not to be. Two off the final over make it 14 off the over, four to win, and Yadav has five sixes in his 42.
17th over: Kolkata 151-3 (SA Yadav 33, Pathan 8) Bumrah prances in and sends down an off-side wide, then, after a play and miss, Yadav belts six over cover, picking it up just on the half-volley, freeing his arms and getting it did - “a next-gen shot, reckons Harsha in commentary”. Bumrah responds with a well-directed bouncer, but Yadav is simply ridiculous, dismissing a swat over midwicket when he strays leg-side. The ease and grace of his stroke is beauteous. Wow, oh my days, strewth, and expletive - this time, a cross-batted flat six, massacred over midwicket. 20 off the over? This is done.
16th over: Kolkata 131-3 (SA Yadav 20, Pathan 2) And accordingly, Malinga returns - dots won’t do it, Mumbai need doubleyoos. But dots is what they get, to begin with anyway, three of them, then a single to Pathan down to third man. Next, some minor controversy: Malinga bangs one in, it goes by Pathan’s front shoulder, he tries to whip it over his head, misses, there’s an appeal for an edge, and the obfuscation saves Malinga from being called wide. Oh good, a timeout of strategic nature.
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15th over: Kolkata 129-3 (SA Yadav 19, Pathan 1) Yadav is something else, Bumrah tanks in and again, he carts over square-leg with impeccable timing and minimal effort; that’s ten off the over already, and two singles follow. 40 needed from 30 balls; this is almost over.
WICKET! Gambhir c Rayudu b Bumrah 57 (Kolkata 121-3)
Next ball, Gambhir goes again, wider this time, so when he doesn’t middle it, fetcing it from outside off, it matters, because he picks out the fielder on the midwicket fence. That’s saved Mumbai for the time being, but they need more, and quickly.
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15th over: Kolkata 121-2 (Gambhir 57, SA Yadav 12) This is a masterful knock from Gambhir so far. With mid-off up, he anticipates a full delivery and clouts over mid-off - it plugs and rolls for four. This has not amused Bumrah, who wanted the man back
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14th over: Kolkata 117-2 (Gambhir 53, SA Yadav 12) Single off Harbhajan’s first ball, and then Gambhir mullers one straight back at him - he offers hands and then fingers, but is lucky they missed - that would’ve taken them clean off, even if he’d hung onto the chance. It gets four, and Gambhir his fifty. Four singles follow, as discussion turns to Harbhajan’s unwillingness to go around the wicket - as it’s thought he should here, to Gambhir - and the final delivery yields two.
13th over: Kolkata 107-2 (Gambhir 47, SA Yadav 8) Oh, what a start this is, Yadav taking his second ball off middle, kneeroll high, and easing it high over midwicket for a mountainous six. But only three more from the over, the nine in total just above the required rate.
In commentary, the chatter is that Kolkata should look after this pitch and keep it lively for Morkel, given that not many teams have better bowler - they’ll be relieved to know that I agree. Anyway, more on that Downton story here.
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WICKET! Pandey c Pollard b Harbhajan 40 (Kolkata 98-2)
One big shot too many, Pandey splicing a slog-sweep that ends up at long-on, where, after a brief orbit of Uranus, it’s easily grasped by Pollard. And that’s over.
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12th over: Kolkata 98-1 (Gambhir 46, Pandey 40) Harbhajan stays on, those gold braces on his jersey glistening in the floodlights like so many winter suns, as Raymond Chandler once wrote.
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11th over: Kolkata 94-1 (Gambhir 44, Pandey 38) Unlikely this was in the plan, but Malinga returns, his first ball a dot when Pandey checks his shot. But the second squirts out all wrong, a high, leg-side full toss, and Pandey smokes is over square leg with mortifying ease. Mumbai are in the trouble.
Elsewhere, the ECB statement: “The England Cricket Department needs to deliver performance at the highest level and our structure needs to be accountable for reaching the standards we aspire to. The new role we are putting in place will deliver an environment where world class performance is at the heart of everything we do.
He continued: “Paul is a man of great integrity who has worked extremely hard to make a difference at the ECB. He joined at a very difficult time, but under his leadership the Test team have made significant strides. We thank him for his hard work, drive and determination and wish him every success for the future.
“The touring team in the West Indies are aware of the changes. The process for appointing the new role, with sole responsibility for the England set-up, will begin immediately.”
The Managing Director role will be removed from the ECB structure. A newly created role of ‘Director of England Cricket’, with a clear focus on delivering a world class performance environment for all formats will replace it. The restructuring follows a review of the team’s performance at the World Cup and a need to look to the long-term, putting a plan in place for 2019 and beyond.
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10th over: Kolkata 85-1 (Gambhir 43, Pandey 30) Pandey wallops down the ground doesn’t middle it, wallops the air in fury at his impending dismissal, Anderson hares in to nab the catch, comes too far! Anderson contorts into a dive, thrusting hand above head, and can only tip it over the bar! That stuff I said about fielding at the start - forget it - but, less importantly, Mumbai really can’t afford this, even less so when Gambhir crafts fours off the last two balls of the over, one chipped over cover, one between point and cover after making room.
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9th over: Kolkata 74-1 (Gambhir 34, Pandey 28) Pandey spies Ojha’s second ball from the womb, seizing onto it to marmalise six, off the back foot and skied over square leg. This releases the pressure, and they manipulate six more from the remaining five balls in expert fashion.
“Am supporting MI because: they are Mission Impossible” tweets Ravi Nair. “I grew up in a city called Bombay... passing resemblance to this one.”
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8th over: Kolkata 62-1 (Gambhir 30, Pandey 20) Here’s Bhaji; the beauty of intrateam competition begins with Gambhir mashing him through cover. Then two twos, then a cut for four - if Mumbai don’t find something quickly, Kolkata will glide to this target.
PAUL DOWNTON HAS GONE!
More as I get it.
7th over: Kolkata 49-1 (Gambhir 17, Pandey 20) Time for some spin, with Ojha - whose action looks reasonable, given the circumstances. Gambhir cuts his second ball to third man, then skips down the track, makes room, and bashes a vicious six over midwicket. Ojha comes back well, conceding just three singles, and it’s time for a timeout of intensely strategic nature.
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6th over: Kolkata 38-1 (Gambhir 6, Pandey 19) Bumrah jiggles in and his loosener sits up for Pandey, who crumps it for four through cover. But then, after a dot, he slings one towards the pads, only for Pandey to miss out, finding the fielder at fine-leg. Still, only six from the over.
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5th over: Kolkata 32-1 (Gambhir 6, Pandey 14) In comes Anderson, and after a dot, Pandey gets onto one knee and stretches to off stump which is where the ball arrives - he shmices it for six down the ground. And next comes a spawny four - he tries to clip midwicketwards, instead imparting a leading edge to find point. Anderson keeps to his line and length, though, full and at the stumps, and the ball’s moving for him, Pandey doing well to flick away for two down to square-leg. This is excellent stuff from Anderson, and, after a single, he spirits his final ball through Gambhir, somehow eluding his edge - and then leaves the field. He appears to have strained something...
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4th over: Kolkata 19-1 (Gambhir 6, Pandey 1) Gambhir isn’t missing Kumar’s first ball, short and on his pads - it’s pulled to square-leg in dismissive manner. Next comes a leg-bye, then a single, then two dots, and this is a decent start for Mumbai.
3rd over: Kolkata 13-1 (Gambhir 2, Pandey 0) Anderson beats Pandey all ends up with his final ball, a jaffa, inswinging with menacing jag to pass his inside-edge.
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WICKET! Uthappa c Harbhajan b Anderson 9 (Kolkata 13-1)
This isn’t exactly a wicket-taking delivery, but it nabs a wicket all the same. Uthappa swishes outside off, bat well away from body, looking to drive through cover. He misses, edging an easy one to slip that’s taken just by the face.
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3rd over: Kolkata 13-0 (Uthappa 9, Gambhir 2) Just the one for Malinga, Anderson on, and his first ball, on Uthappa’s pads, is feathered over midwicket for six - blimey, that was a shot. Then, after a dot, Uthappa pushes down the track, and Anderson, following through, misses the cee and bee down low to his right.
2nd over: Kolkata 5-0 (Uthappa 2, Gambhir 1) Vinay Kumar opens up from the other end, and Gambhir goes to slam through cover, instead contacting the splice and sending the meat of his bat flying off to silly point. Oh, what larks, dear old Pip, dear old chap. Anyway, another quiet over, until, last ball, Gambhir flashes outside off - Kumar looks like he’s put on half a yard to my amatuer eye - and diving to his left, Tare can’t hang on to the chance. He ought to have done.
“For once, the Indian cannon sound-effect for slow motion replays was just wonderful,” emails James Lane. I’m trying to embrace the hype - don’t tell Chuck D, please.
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1st over: Kolkata 3-0 (Uthappa 1, Gambhir 0) Kolkata’s yellow-gold helmets and pads look bare silly, verily they do, and Uthappa defends Malinga’s first delivery, earning one. Then a wide and a leg-bye and a dot, before a slingy one, even by Malinga’s epochal standards, spits past the outside edge as Uthappa presents the full face. Meanwhile, in opposite of IPL news, Stuart Broad has become injured.
Right then, here we go. Sugar Loy has the ball, and in he comes...
Ok, go on then: movie psychos.
A short message from our sponsors:
Kolkata need 169 to beat Mumbai.
Well, that was interesting. I wonder if Mumbai now regret not going a little earlier - three wickets down for a par score doesn’t sit quite right. That said, they’re not understaffed in the bowling department, so this should be a pretty lively chase to enrich our eventides.
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20th over: Mumbai 168-3 (Sharma 98, Anderson 55) Shakib with the joy of the final over, and Anderson snaps down onto one knee, basing over long-on for six. He goes again next ball, hitting wider, but Morkel, falling forward, can’t hang onto a nasty but far from impossible chance; they run two. Then a single, and then Sharma somehow times a carve, legs wide, stretching - it’s a shot - and he moves to 98 with the single that means he’s not getting his ton, unless there’s an illegal delivery. There isn’t - Anderson just annihilates over long-on again, making it twenty from the over, the partnership 131 in 88 balls, and Mumbai have their par-ish score.
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19th over: Mumbai 148-3 (Sharma 93, Anderson 40) Russell in, Anderson makes room right away, edging leg-side to batter an ungainly six over long-off - with him, it would be unwise to tangle. Then a single, then Sharma times one over long-off - this is Benn-Eubank, basically - but Russell responds, ceding just two from the final three deliveries.
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18th over: Mumbai 133-3 (Sharmam 86, Anderson 32) Shakib assumes Sharma is coming down the track so fires wide, Sharma stays, it look silly and wide. Then Sharma clumps down to long-off, Russell hares around from cover, slides, retrieves, makes contact with the rope anyway, and it’s four. But Shakib keeps the heid and after a dot and a single, curves one into Anderson’s ankle, before he makes rooms and clatters four to long-on.
17th over: Mumbai 122-3 (Sharmam 81, Anderson 27) Here comes Narine, ceding singles from his first two balls - he’ll be comfy with that - and then Sharma comes down the track, edges behind, and is dropped by Uthappa. Next ball, the inevitable heave, Sharma reading an off-spinner, down on one knee, stretching, and forcing four to square, before fairly caning six over square-leg.
16th over: Mumbai 109-3 (Sharma 69, Anderson 26) Shakib returns and Anderson goes immediately, hitting with the turn but not hard enough - amazingly! - picking out Russell at deep-midwicket. It’s a dolly, but he drops it anyway, they run one, and then after two dots, Sharma makes room to punish through the covers for a boundary-four. its time for another commercial break “strategic timeout” commercial break.
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15th over: Mumbai 101-3 (Sharma 64, Anderson 23) Yadav returns, and Anderson bangs him away to point for two. Then, after a single, Rohit does to slap him over midwicket, not getting all of it but getting it wide enough of Morkel at wide long-on to get four - that’s his 50. Then, next ball, he flays through cover, then absolutely spanks over long-on for six, then times one so beautifully that all it takes is a tickle to shoot away to the point fence. We’re off!
14th over: Mumbai 80-3 (Sharma 46, Anderson 20) Narine continues - at the moment, he’s not as threatening as before, the spin not quite as taxing - but he’s still been economical. His first four balls yield four singles, then two dots, and it’s basically the case that whatever happens in the final six overs, if Kolkata bat half-decently, they’ll win comfortably.
13th over: Mumbai 76-3 (Sharma 44, Anderson 18) Chawla’s first ball is a jazzer, slower, then dipping and turning past Rohit’s outside edge. In response, he tries a mow to leg that gets him one, and two singles are all that follow from the next three deliveries, before Anderson hops to leg and bench-presses four down the ground, crossbatted.
12th over: Mumbai 69-3 (Sharma 42, Anderson 13) Sharma takes a single from Russell’s first ball, bumping down to long-off, as Ricky Ponting says a score of 160ish is competitive; his team need to go some to get those. And that’s another good over, finishing with venomous bouncer, just three from it.
11th over: Mumbai 66-3 (Sharma 40, Anderson 11) Chawla into the attack, and Sharma nudges his first two balls go for a two and a one. Two more singles follow - he’s pitching it up and cramping the batsmen - before Anderson loses patience and wallops him through cover.
10th over: Mumbai 57-3 (Sharma 36, Anderson 7) Mumbai need to get a wriggle on as Andre Russell comes into the attack, and Sharma forced the issue, attempting am expansive hoik to a short one, instead wearing it on his funny bone, no doubt to his intense mirth. Three from the over; this is rapidly becoming a problem, as the covers chaps are poised - hopefully only as a precautionary measure.
9th over: Mumbai 54-3 (Sharma 34, Anderson 6) Narine, in Luke Skywalker red spikes, comes in again, and he’s got a silly point in - good captaincy from Gambhir that, trying to show faith. And this is a decent over, a single from the first ball and then four dots, before a wide one has Sharma literally climbing over himself to hammer four to backward point. There shall be a tactical timeout.
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8th over: Mumbai 48-3 (Sharma 29, Anderson 4) Gambhir decides to bowl out Morkel - he’s got other death bowlers, and one more here would really make things difficult for Mumbai. And he’s got Anderson struggling, on 0 after 7 and then a lifter than whizzes across him is ignored when he’s clearly dying to have a shy. He does next ball though, which is right in the slot on about fifth stump - he powerleans forward into a fat stride and creams it through cover. Morkel finishes with 2-18 from his four overs.
7th over: Mumbai 42-3 (Sharma 28, Anderson 0) It’s time for Narine, a line that Nas wishes he wrote - and he starts with a full toss, a wide full toss, that Rohit crunches for four through cover. The question is whether the elbow-generated whip that generated the quick turn is still intact - and he beats Anderson with a quicker, straighter one, clumping the pad. It looked a good shout, but the umpire said no, and we’ve not been shown either way. But, either way, good over that - Narine must’ve felt serious pressure, and he barely showed it.
6th over: Mumbai 37-3 (Sharma 23, Anderson 0) Morkel is properly into this, slanting a fuller one across Anderson and then again - that’s a wicket-maiden.
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WICKET! Rayudu c Pathan b Morkel 0 (Mumbai 37-3)
The truism that good bowling is good bowling isn’t quite true, but Morkel does his best to prove otherwise. He forces Rayudu to ignore his first ball, a bouncer, but his second extracts make-you-play bounce, elicits the edge, and it’s an easy catch for first slip.
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WICKET! Tare c Yadav b Shakib 7 (Mumbai 37-2)
And, with the extra ball, Shakib nabs Tare! He slows it right down, Tare comes down the track and looks to clump him over cover, but is through the shot far to early, picking out Yadav again, this time at long off.
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5th over: Mumbai 37-1 (Sharma 23, Tare 7) Shakib’s left-arm twiddlies into the attack, and perhaps he’ll be handy - the pitch looks pretty true for handling the pacemen. But, second ball, Rohit waits and zetzes over his head - he doesn’t get all of it, but it’s enough to clear the fence. On which point, this is my only gripe as regards the bats - should you need to clobber it properly to score a maximum? Anyway, then a single and a wide.
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4th over: Mumbai 28-1 (Sharma 16, Tare 6) Kolkata adjust their off-side field, but but when Morkel gives Tare room, he’s airbourne and down with an open face at precisely the right juncture, slapping four to point. And he goes again next ball, slashing hard, but getting only one to third man, and two more singles make this another good over for the bowling side.
Below: Morne Morkel as school bully.
3rd over: Mumbai 21-1 (Sharma 15, Tare 0) Yadav tries an inswinger, but it disobeys, continuing towards the pads and inviting Rohit to flip it to the square leg fence. But, when he does entice that movement, it’s with a slower ball, and Rohit eases into a cover drive for four more. Again, though, Yadav allows width, and this time, is flayed through point - his wrists are loose, here.
2nd over: Mumbai 9-1 (Sharma 3, Tare 0) Morkel dashes in and catches Rohit on the pads as he misses his drive, his feet cemented to the pitch - not out says the umpire, to concerted consternation. Very handy over, but.
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WICKET! Finch c Yadav b Morkel 5 (Mumbai 8-1)
Morkel again slants across Finch, who attempts a pull when leaning forward - he top edges, and Yadav holds onto a steepler at deep fine-leg which he made look far easier than it was.
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2nd over: Mumbai 8-0 (Sharma 2, Finch 5) Morkel’s first ball flies down leg-side, so Finch rolls away and whips it behind for four. But Mokel responds well, a dot slanting into off-stump, and then:
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1st over: Mumbai 4-0 (Sharma 2, Finch 1) Yadav’s first ball is on the money, but the second is leg-side - Sharma turns it away to long leg, and the one they run is probably a fair old relief. Then another good delivery, rushing Finch onto his toes - he jumps to bump away for one more - before a lovely ball, on about off, elicits an edge and one more to third man. A further single off the fifth ball - a leg-bye - and then a lovely cover drive picks out the man. Excellent over.
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And here comes Umesh Yadav...
Down is counted...
Players are middled, guard is taken...
The backing track to Sky’s latest voiceovered montage minds me ever so slightly of this; any excuse.
The success of Morne Morkel in T20 ought to be a salutary lesson for England’s fast bowlers - someone not by description a limited overs bowler, who has adapted and embraced the format, bending it to his qualities and them to it.
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Is it just me who calls SL Malinga “Sugar Loy”?
And our teams in full; feast your meats.
Kolkata: G Gambhir*, RV Uthappa†, MK Pandey, SA Yadav, YK Pathan, Shakib Al Hasan, AD Russell, PP Chawla, SP Narine,UT Yadav, M Morkel.
Mumbai: RG Sharma*, AJ Finch, AT Rayudu, AP Tare†, CJ Anderson, KA Pollard, Harbhajan Singh, SL Malinga, R Vinay Kumar, JJ Bumrah, PP Ojha.
Rohit would’ve batted anyway - so would Ravi have.
Kolkata win the toss, and will bowl - Ravi Shastri is exceedingly excited.
And what a game we’ve got to begin with: Rohit Sharma’s Mumbai Indians visit Eden Gardens, to play Kolkata Knight Riders, last season’s champions. We’re about to see - amongst others - Aaron Finch, Gautam Gambhir, Kieron Pollard, Lasith Malinga, Corey Anderson and Robin Uthappa, and yet, the greatest, most rivetingly bananas excitement of all, even more than the return of Sunil Narine, is the presence of KC Cariappa, a previously unheard of, er, mystery spinner, er, plucked from club cricket in Bangalore. The genius of the IPL, right there.
Preamble
The experience of brilliance is not something that taxes us very often in our regular lives; the occasional snaffle of a seat on public transport, a bodily function here and there, a forgotten drunken non-insight. Good old us.
Sport, on the other hand, provides precisely that with alarming regularity, intimidatingly, depressingly, wondrously better than us and all that we are. And this is precisely the beauty of the IPL: artificial, disruptive and avaricious, brilliant, brilliant and expletive brilliant. The unforeseeable skill and power of the batting, the cunning, zestful, crafty bowling, the battle between the two, the athleticism in the field, the nous and invention of the captains, vicarious pleasure in the pleasure of the players, the thumping, pulsing vim of the crowd; all of cricket is here and all of sport is here. And so are we.
