By Jamie Alter
Rohit and Symonds pieced together the innings with a fifth-wicket stand of 102 in 65 balls, but it was a becalmed performance by their usual action-packed standards.
Published: Apr 24, 2011, 05:44 PM (IST)
Edited: Apr 24, 2011, 05:44 PM (IST)
Andrew Symonds
By Jamie Alter
Hyderabad: April 24, 2011
A double-wicket ninth over from Amit Mishra turned the momentum Deccan Chargers’ way after Mumbai Indians had raced to 47 in five overs, but Rohit Sharma and Andrew Symonds, architects of the win over Chennai Super Kings on Friday, pushed on the score with some hectic running and calculated hits. It was the highest fifth-wicket partnership for MI and came at a good time for the visitors, who will need to take a cue from Mishra as they attempt their third straight win.
DC won the toss and put MI in to bat. In sunshine and in front of a good crowd, MI made a steady start, with Davy Jacobs the more attacking of the openers, until, with 11 off Daniel Christian’s first over, they reached 47 after five overs. Then Jacobs danced down to Ishant Sharma and picked out mid-on for a 20-ball 32.
Sachin Tendulkar, on his 38th birthday, began hastily with some sublime strokes off Dale Steyn and Ishant but then slowed down to make 28 off 24 balls before slogging a catch to Steyn at long-on off Mishra. Two balls later, Mishra tossed it up and got Ambati Rayudu to miscue a slog straight to Shikhar Dhawan at deep square leg.
Then Pragyan Ojha came back for a third spell and immediately had Kieron Pollard out for first ball. Pollard, who had not faced a ball all series, chose to paddle Pragyan Ojha and Kumar Sangakkara held a simple top edge. MI had slumped to 70 for four after a hurried start.
Rohit and Symonds pieced together the innings with a fifth-wicket stand of 102 in 65 balls, but it was a becalmed performance by their usual action-packed standards. The run rate dipped as a result of that collapse, expectedly, but Rohit and Symonds ensured wickets were in hand for a late surge. Mishra finished four overs with two for 14, only for Ishant to concede 12 in his third over over as MI gained momentum after the second strategic timeout; 114 for four after 16th overs.
Both batsmen ensured a boundary came off the next two overs, and it wasn’t until the 18th over of the innings that they hit their first six, as Symonds followed a smear over extra cover for four by lofting Steyn over long-on. Another four cracked through the off side ensured DC took 16 off Steyn’s final over, and three sixes to Rohit off Christian meant MI had scored 40 off the last 12 balls.
Brief Scores: MI 172 for 4 in 20 overs (Rohit Sharma 56*, Andrew Symonds 44*, Davy Jacobs 32, Sachin Tendulkar 28; Amit Mishra 2 for 14, Pragyan Ojha 1 for 29, Ishant Sharma 1 for 39) v DC.
(Jamie Alter is a freelance cricket writer, having worked at ESPNcricinfo and All Sports Magazine. His first book, The History of World Cup Cricket, is out now. His twitter feed is @jamie_alter)
Pictures © AFP
