Delhi Capitals needed 34 runs in their last over to win, but managed to score only 4. Mumbai Indians scored 32 runs in the last over of their innings. That’s the most straightforward way to explain Mumbai’s 29-run win at the Wankhede on Sunday.
The final over of Mumbai’s innings made all the difference. Caribbean import Romario Shepherd was the butcher with the bat as he chopped Anrich Nortje’s bowling to pieces in that over. Shepherd went 4, 6, 6, 6, 4, 6 off the last six balls to push Mumbai’s score to 234/5 in 20 overs.
But Delhi dared to chase down the tall target, as their top order, barring David Warner, fired lusty blows to threaten Mumbai with yet another reversal. However, despite Prithvi Shaw (60 off 40 balls) and Abishek Porel (41 off 31 balls) giving Delhi the momentum in the initial overs and Tristan Stubbs (71 not out off 25 balls) going hammer and tongs in the later stages, the visitors ultimately fell short, finishing on 205/8.
It was the contrasting tale of the last overs that stood out. South Africa speedster Nortje bled while bowling Delhi’s last over, but his compatriot Gerald Coetzee (4/34) enjoyed a different fate, picking up three wickets off the last six balls for Mumbai.
The day surely belonged to Shepherd, whose 39 not out off just 10 balls, helped Mumbai register their first win of the season after three defeats.
Shepherd, a T20 specialist, clobbered a total of four sixes and three fours. The 29-year-old later returned to pick up the important wicket of Warner with his medium-pace bowling. He, however, conceded 54 runs, the most among the Mumbai bowlers.
On that note, it’s important to highlight Jasprit Bumrah’s contribution to the win. In a match which saw almost 440 runs being scored, Bumrah gave away just 22 runs off his four overs. An economy of 5.50 and two wickets to show as well, Bumrah’s bowling was no less important than the Shepherd storm.
Mumbai, while registering their highest score at their home ground, also benefitted from the start given by openers Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan. Both batted with 180-plus strike rates, helping Mumbai get 75/0 in the Powerplay.
Suryakumar Yadav endured a forgettable comeback scoring a duck, but captain Hardik Pandya (39 off 33 balls) and Tim David (45 off 21 balls) played their hands well before Shepherd took over.
It was a welcome win, but though Hardik said “everything clicked”, the Mumbai bowlers, barring Bumrah, need to be sharper. If an attack is nervous even after having the cushion of such a big score, all is surely not well.
