IPL 2017, MI vs RPS: 5 things that went wrong for Mumbai Indians

Action resumed at the 2017 season of the Indian Premier League as league toppers Mumbai Indians took on second-placed Rising Pune Supergiant in Qualifier 1 of the Playoffs stage at the Wankhede in Mumbai.

Mumbai Indians won the toss and opted to field in this all-important Playoff which would determine the side making a straight entry into the finals.

Wickets at the start justified Mumbai’s decision to bowl first. However, the Supergiant slowly rebuilt their innings through fifties from Ajinkya Rahane and Manoj Tiwary and ended with a flourish from Dhoni, posting a defendable target of 163.

In reply, Mumbai Indians suffered a top order collapse. Though they were kept in the hunt for a while by Parthiv Patel, they eventually fell 20 runs short of the target.

With this win, the Rising Pune Supergiant have marched into the finals of IPL 2017, while Mumbai Indians will have to face the winner of the Eliminator clash between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Kolkata Knight Riders.

Let’s look at 5 things that cost Mumbai Indians an immediate berth in the finals:

#1 Failing to capitalise on early wickets with the ball

Having opted to bowl first, Mumbai Indians started perfectly when Mitch McClenaghan cleaned up opener Rahul Tripathi in the very first over of the innings. It was a big moment in the game as Tripathi’s breezy starts had been a key factor in Pune Supergiant’s improved showing this year.

Not much later, Lasith Malinga scalped the prized wicket of Steve Smith. With the departure of their skipper, Pune were left stranded at 9/2 at just the end of the 2^nd over of the innings.

However, Mumbai Indians failed to capitalise on this start. An 80-run partnership for the third wicket between Ajinkya Rahane and Manoj Tiwary undid the early damage and set Pune up for a good total.

#2 McClenaghan leaks plenty at the death

Dhoni moved on to an unbeaten 40*(26) while Supergiant posted 162 on the board

Despite the 80-run partnership between Rahane and Tiwary, Pune’s rate of scoring in this phase was not really impressive. With the formidable batting line-up that Mumbai Indians possess, Pune definitely needed a move on at the end of the innings. The push on the scoring rate came from none other than Dhoni.

Walking in at the departure of Rahane in the 13^th over, Dhoni, as has been the case in many of his recent knocks, started slowly and the Supergiant was a mere 121/3 at the end of the 18^th over.

However, the penultimate over of the innings bowled by McClenaghan just changed the complexion of the game. The over began with a waist-high no ball that was promptly dispatched to the long leg boundary by Tiwary.

When the delivery was rebowled, Tiwary sent it straight down the ground for a six. Dhoni then finished with a couple of mighty sixes, the over yielded 26 runs. With a couple of sixes off Bumrah in the final over, Dhoni moved on to an unbeaten 40*(26) while Supergiant posted 162 on the board.

#3 Mumbai Indians rocked back early

Shardul Thakur ran Simmons out early on in the innings

While chasing in a high-pressure game, the loss of early wickets can most often spell a situation of no comeback for the chasing team. This was exactly how things panned out for Mumbai Indians in the Qualifier.With only 163 to chase, just a solid start from the openers would have seen Mumbai Indians through to the finals. They did get off to a flying start at one end, with Parthiv hitting a few sixes. However, they lost Lendl Simmons very early in the innings after a struggling stay.

The West Indian consumed 13 balls to score 5 runs before being caught short of the crease at his end. Parthiv’s shot straight down the pitch managed to find Shardul Thakur’s fingers on the way before hitting the stumps at the other end, where Simmons had his bat in his right hand and feet well outside the crease.

#4 Rohit Sharma done in by umpiring howler, again!

Rohit was dismissed in a similar manner off Sunil Narine in one of the league games

‘Cometh the hour, cometh the man’. Rohit Sharma may not have had the best of IPLs by his standards, yet, come the Playoff stage, his experience and big-match temperament were going to be crucial to Mumbai Indians’ hopes of lifting the Cup again.

However, his innings was nipped in the bud, very much to his dismay, by an umpiring howler.

Off just the second delivery he was facing, Rohit attempted to guide an off-spinner from Washington Sundar pitched on off-stump, past the short fine leg fielder but seemed to have been rapped on the pads. The umpire’s hand went up straightaway.

However, as replays would reveal later, the ball had actually struck the inside edge of the bat before hitting the pads. This was not the first time in Rohit’s case, as he had been dismissed in a similar manner off Sunil Narine in one of the league games.

#5 Parthiv Patel running out of partners

Parthiv was eventually dismissed by Thakur for a fighting 52(40) at the end of the 15th over

While Mumbai Indians lost Simmons, Rohit and then Rayudu for a duck at one end, Parthiv was still soldiering on at the other. All Mumbai Indians needed was someone to stay around with him as the target was never out of reach after the quick start.

The wicket-keeper batsman, after beginning his innings fluently, buckled down to play a long innings. However, he kept losing partners at the other end. Mumbai Indians’ middle order of Kieron Pollard, Hardik Pandya and Krunal Pandya failed to rise to the occasion and left in quick succession.

Parthiv was eventually dismissed by Thakur for a fighting 52(40) at the end of the 15^th over.