HYDERABAD: Arjun Tendulkar’s outstanding last-over spell sealed the win for Mumbai Indians against Sunrisers Hyderabad by 14 wickets in Indian Premier League on Tuesday. After bowling the tense last over and taking his maiden wicket in IPL, Arjun revealed that he discusses tactics before every game with his father Sachin Tendulkar, who tells him to back what he practices.
“We talk about cricket, we discuss tactics before the game and he (Sachin Tendulkar) tells me to back what I practise every game,” Arjun said in a post-match presentation.
The 23-year-old took his maiden wicket in IPL against SRH in the last over, dismissing Bhuvneshwar Kumar and bundling out the whole SRH in 19.5 overs. Arjun had bowled his two overs at the start of the innings but when MI’s skipper Rohit Sharma was left out with options, he gave the responsibility to defend 20 runs in the final over to Arjun. Arjun only conceded 6 runs and took his first and last wicket of SRH.
Arjun said that he stuck to the plan and bowled how his captain asked him to deliver.
“Obviously it was great getting my first IPL wicket. I just had to focus on what was in hand, the plan and executing it. Our plan was just to bowl wide and get the long boundary into play, make the batsman hit it to the longer side. I love bowling, I am happy to bowl anytime the captain asks me to and just stick to the team plan and give my best,” Arjun added.
“I just focused on my release, bowling good lengths and lines up front. If it swings, it’s a bonus, if it doesn’t, so be it.” Arjun concluded.
Put to bat first by SRH, MI posted a total of 192/5 in their 20 overs. Openers Ishan Kishan (38 off 31 balls, with three fours and two sixes) and skipper Rohit Sharma (28 off 18 balls with six fours) gave MI a flying start once again with a quickfire 41-run stand. Following the dismissal of openers and Suryakumar Yadav (7), Cameron Green and Tilak Verma stitched a 56-run stand for the fourth wicket.
Tilak scored 37 in 17 balls, consisting of two fours and four sixes, continuing his good run in the tournament. Green also brought up his first IPL half-century, scoring 64* in 40 balls with six fours and two sixes. Green and a cameo from Tim David (16) helped MI reach a competitive total.
Marco Jansen was the pick of the bowlers for SRH, taking 2/43 in his four overs. Bhuvneshwar Kumar and T Natarajan got a wicket each.
In the chase of 193, SRH lost Harry Brook (9) and Rahul Tripathi (7) cheaply to Jason Behrendorff, reducing the side to 25/2. Then it was skipper Markram and Mayank Agarwal who stitched a 46-run stand for the third wicket to bring their side back into the game. Markram was dismissed for 22 off 17 balls. Wicketkeeper-batter Heinrich Klassen gave his side a chance at win with his 36 in just 16 balls, consisting of six fours and two sixes. But his dismissal and Agarwal’s wicket for 48 off 41 balls, with four boundaries and a six reduced SRH to 132/6 in 14.5 overs. The home side could not really make a comeback after it and was folded for 178 runs in 19.5 overs.
Behrendorff (2/37) and Riley Meredith (2/33) were the pick of the bowlers for MI. Piyush Chawla also took 2/43 in his four overs. Arjun Tendulkar took 1/18 in 2.5 overs and Cameron Green also got a wicket.
With this win, MI is at the sixth spot in the points table with three wins and two losses, with a total of six points. SRH is at ninth position with two wins and three losses, with a total of four points.
Green got the ‘Player of the Match’ award for his all-round performance.
Brief score: Mumbai Indians 192/5 (Cameron Green 64*, Tilak Varma 37; Marco Jansen 2-43) vs Sunrisers Hyderabad 178 (Mayank Agarwal 48, Heinrich Klaasen 36; Jason Behrendorff 2-37). (ANI)