IPL 2018: 4 masterstrokes from the SRH vs MI encounter

The caravan of Indian Premier League today moved to the Southern part of the country after a Northern derby the other night. A confident looking Sunrisers were to host the Mumbai Indians, who were returning from a heartbreaking loss in the league opener.

Put into bat by the home team, Mumbai didn't fare well as they lost their three crucial wickets in the powerplay. To add to their worries, they were without the services of their star all-rounder Hardik Pandya, who was out pertaining to an injury. But lower order contributions from Pollard and Surya Kumar ensured that Mumbai made a respectable total to leave Sunrisers with a target of 148 to chase.

Chasing a paltry 148, Hyderabad got off to a flier as Dhawan and Saha blazed the opposition bowlers in first six overs. Though, MI pulled things back courtesy their leg-spinner Mayank Markande who bowled a game-changing spell of 4/23 to put the brakes on the scoring rate. The drama unfolded in the third last over when Sunrisers lost four quick wickets. But it was some cool hitting under pressure from Deepak Hooda that saw them over the line to register their second win by one wicket.

Let’s take a close look at some of the MasterStrokes during the course of the match.

#1 Knuckle delivery to fox Evin Lewis

Despite losing some crucial wickets upfront, Evin Lewis was batting as if he wanted to send a clear signal to all the teams to be aware of his threat. But Siddharth Kaul didn't like his approach and foxed him courtesy his slow knuckleball to make it two wickets in the over for himself.

Earlier in the over, Kaul was smashed down the ground for a boundary and on the next delivery, Lewis mistimed a heave over long-off to fetch him two runs. But on the last delivery, in the quest to clear the mid-wicket region, he couldn't pick the knuckleball from Kaul and was sent packing as the bails' lights flashed when ball met timber.

#2 Saving Rashid Khan for Pollard

This was a deliberate move from Williamson as he saved his trump card in Rashid to attack against the big hitter Kieron Pollard. This came in as no surprise as the Caribbean batsmen always find it difficult to score against a leg spinner. The move just paid off as Rashid was able to deceive the Big man at numerous occasions.

Pollard has born the brunt of Rashid's bowling even in the past and the story was no different this time even. It was a daunting task for the Caribbean to get past the leggie as he couldn't even manage to rotate the strike. On the last delivery that he bowled to him, Pollard was almost clean bowled after he failed to read a googly from the world's No.1 T20 spinner.

#3 Mumbai opting for reviews at crucial junctures

At one stage when Dhawan and Saha were going all guns blazing, it seemed that they will chase the target with few overs to spare. But MI bowlers had their own plans and especially Markande who trapped Saha in front of the wicket. This saw Mumbai using a DRS at the apt time which worked in their favor to get them their first breakthrough.

Another review came in handy for Mumbai when a caught behind appeal was made against Kane Williamson. Kane was trying to work the ball away to the third man but got a faint edge to help it carry to the keeper. The umpire wasn't convinced with the appeal when Rohit went to review the decision and Ultraedge was quick to show the evidence to rule Williamson out.

#4 Giving four straight overs to Markande

After the kind of start to the game, Mumbai looked in all sorts of trouble and Rohit was finding the bowler who could give him the first breakthrough. His next bowling change was going to do him the trick, Markande struck in his very first over to dismiss Saha in front of the wicket.

The hero from the previous game was then on a roll as he bowled his four overs on the trot. Riding on the youngster’s performance, Mumbai staged a comeback into the game as he went onto dismiss the dangerous looking Dhawan in his next over.

The decision to keep going with the leg-spinner paid off for Mumbai as he went onto strike two more wickets in his later overs as the Punjab-born cricketer had another great day at the office.