IPL 6: KKR vs MI – Flops of the Match

The Mumbai Indians put it past the Kolkata Knight Riders in a close encounter at the Eden Gardens, in yet another last over finish in this year’s tournament. An above-par total put up by the home side who batted first, was chased down by the visitors, who had two West Indians to thank for their win. It was a mixed day overall for both teams, with both good and poor performances from their players; here are those of the latter category.

Harbhajan Singh – Past his best?

Key stats: Batting figures - Bowling figures - 2.0 – 0 – 35 – 0; Batting figures – 7 off 2 (1 six); Catches - 2

It is not often that someone who hits a six off the first ball he faces, majorly helping his team’s cause in the process, is on the list of flops for the day. Harbhajan Singh, however, is an exception. The first over of the match that he bowled was plundered for 26, and provided the Knight Riders the impetus to go on and set a stiff target. What was disappointing was not that he got taken for so many runs, but that he seemed at a loss for ideas, and simply tossed them up for Pathan and Gambhir to dispatch beyond the boundary. His fielding efforts along the boundary were extravagant, and while he did seem to put in a couple of dives, most other players would have been quicker on their feet and made those saves fairly easily.

Sachithra Senanayake – A night to forget

Key stats: Bowling figures - 4.0 – 0 – 50 – 1

For someone who has been in good touch for the reigning champions this season, Senanayake was treated with absolute disdain by any and every MI batsman that faced him. The 50 runs which he conceded were not really the result of a freak over as such, and were evenly distributed, with at least one boundary being hit in each of his overs. In a game where his spin counterparts were taken for a combined 52 in 8 overs, his figures are something at which fingers will be pointed at as the reason for his team’s loss.

Sachin Tendulkar – Nobody’s perfect

Key stats: Batting figures – 2 off 6 (0 boundaries)

Yes, he is a living legend. Yes, it was his 40th birthday. Yes, there is no way he could ever be bested in the story of cricket. But tonight, even the master was done in by a perfect off-break from Sunil Narine, which, in contrast to his previous delivery, turned a fair bit and left the middle stump lying on the ground. While Narine is a hard bowler to pick up at the best of times, to be comprehensively beaten in that manner, and be left squatting on the pitch, cannot be a good sign for Sachin.

Yusuf Pathan - Move those feet, man!

Key stats: Batting figures - 19 off 6 (3 fours, 1 six)

Yusuf Pathan gave Kolkata a flying start with some lusty blows to the fence in the aforementioned over from Harbhajan Singh. But he followed it up by nicking one straight to the same man off the first legal delivery he faced from Mitchell Johnson. It is incredible how Pathan seems unable or unwilling to move his feet to adjust himself better to play the ball, and his dismissal tonight was the result of that. It may be true that he gave them a flying sort of a manner to the game, but is that really what KKR payed such ludicrous amounts of money for?