Five-time IPL winners Mumbai Indians have failed to live up to their reputation this season as they have managed just one win in the cash-rich league. In their most recent encounter on Friday, Hardik Pandya-led MI failed to chase down a total of 204 runs and eventually lost the match by 12 runs.
Hardik Pandya impressed with the bowl in the 1st innings where he took 5 wickets to break the back of the LSG batting and restrict them to a score of 203 despite an impressive start. However, the all-rounder could not finish the match for his team as his quickfire knock of 28 runs was unable to take them to the winning total.
In the final over of the match, MI needed 22 runs to win the match, but Pandya put the pressure back on bowler Avesh Khan by hitting him for a six. In the very next ball, Avesh changed his length and only allowed Pandya to take a double. The MI captain failed to hit anything big off the next two balls of the over, but he did have a single on offer, which he declined to take, leaving Mitchell Santner at the other end.
Pandya’s unusual tactic drew a sharp reaction from MI owner Anant Ambani, who was in the stands watching the match. Ambani could be seen throwing his hands in the air as he tried to decipher what Pandya was up to.
The MI skipper’s strategy seemed all the more bizarre given that the team had just brought in Santner in the final over after retiring Tilak Varma, as he got only 25 runs off the 23 deliveries he faced. In the end, Santner faced just 2 deliveries in which he took two singles.
Hardik Pandya on retiring Tilak Varma:
During the post-match presentation, Pandya justified the decision to retire Tilak Varma, saying, “I mean, I think that was obvious. We needed some hits and I think he was not getting, as you said. In cricket, sometimes (there can come) one of those days when you really want to try, but it does not happen. The decision says itself why we did it,”
“If we have to be really honest to ourselves, maybe in the field, you know, I think those 10, 12 runs, 13 runs margin, I think we gave too much on this wicket.” the MI skipper added
