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Mumbai vs Rajasthan Live Commentary, Match 27, Indian Premier League, 2019, April 13, 2019

MI 187/5 (20)
Rajasthan Royals beat Mumbai Indians by 4 wickets
RR 188/6 (19.3)
Match over
Mumbai Indians Inning Rajasthan Royals Inning
0.0 : It's that time of the year when the Wankhede Stadium gets rich in the presence of specially abled and underprivileged children as part of the Mumbai franchise's excellent initiative - Education and Sports for all. On that note, we welcome you all for the coverage of Match 27 between Mumbai and Rajasthan at a venue which is bleeding blue. The hosts have been ruthless in their performance of late and will be eyeing their fourth win on the trot when they lock horns against a hapless Rajasthan unit.
Pitch - Simon Doull is near the surface inspecting it. Says this is an absolute belter of a wicket with nice covering of grass and is very hard. Shows the hardness of wicket by providing some knuckles to the pitch. Says it will have great bounce and good pace. Suggests to bowl yorkers or just below the bat as too full deliveries are dispatched at strike rate of 170 and the little shorter ones at 180. In the afternoon games, the teams batting first have won 6 matches out of 9 played, informs the
Toss - Up goes the coin, Ajinkya Rahane calls it correctly and RAJASTHAN WILL FIELD!
Rajasthan skipper, Ajinkya Rahane wants to bowl first as he feels that the pitch gets better in the evening here. On his team's performance, Rahane says they are playing good but need to capitalize more on crunch moments. Informs about the two changes in the playing XI - Ben Stokes is injured and gets replaced by Liam Livingstone while Riyan Parag makes way for Krishnappa Gowtham.
Mumbai skipper, Rohit Sharma says that there will be some help for the spinners. Feels that it has been high scoring games here and the pitch won't make much of a difference. Tells that he missed the last match due to precautionary measures and wants his team to continue with the good work. Only one change for Mumbai as Rohit has replaced Siddhesh Lad.
Rajasthan (Playing XI) - Ajinkya Rahane(C), Jos Buttler, Sanju Samson(WK), Steven Smith, Rahul Tripathi, Liam Livingstone (In for Ben Stokes), Krishnappa Gowtham (In for Riyan Parag), Jofra Archer, Shreyas Gopal, Jaydev Unadkat, Dhawal Kulkarni.
Mumbai (Playing XI) - Rohit Sharma(C) (In for Siddhesh Lad), Quinton de Kock(WK), Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, Kieron Pollard, Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Alzarri Joseph, Rahul Chahar, Jason Behrendorff, Jasprit Bumrah.
The two umpires are walking on the field. The boys in pink get into a huddle and now the two Mumbai openers, Rohit Sharma and Quinton de Kock are seen coming down the stairs. Spin to begin with. It's Krishnappa Gowtham to start proceedings with a slip in place. Sharma on strike. Here we go...
0.1 : K Gowtham to R Sharma, Starts with a very full length ball on off, Rohit pushes it down past the diving bowler for a run at long on.
0.2 : K Gowtham to de Kock, A flighted delivery, landing full and on off, de Kock pushes it through extra cover and gets off strike. Both the openers have not wasted any time in opening their accounts.
0.3 : K Gowtham to R Sharma, Flatter this time, on off, Sharma pushes it from the crease to extra cover.
0.4 : K Gowtham to R Sharma, A tossed up ball landing full outside off, Sharma drives it square of the wicket on the off side and finds the gap. A couple of runs added to the total.
0.5 : K Gowtham to R Sharma, Loopy one on middle, knocked down through mid on for a run.
0.6 : K Gowtham to de Kock, Flatter and a touch shorter outside off, de Kock mistimes his back foot punch to covers. 5 from Gowtham's first over.
Dhawal Kulkarni to operate from the other end.
1.1 : D Kulkarni to R Sharma, Starts off with a full ball outside off, Rohit goes for the drive but gets an inside edge on the leg side.
1.2 : D Kulkarni to R Sharma, Another full ball outside off, Rohit drives it towards mid off and scampers through for a quick run. Butler at mid off goes on his right and collects the ball quickly to have a shy at the non-striker's end but fails to hit.
1.3 : D Kulkarni to de Kock, Fuller in length on off, de Kock plays it to mid off.
1.4 : D Kulkarni to de Kock, Continues bowling on the fuller length, de Kock drives it to mid off and takes a quick run.
1.5 : D Kulkarni to R Sharma, Bowls it on a back of a length here, outside off, Sharma guides it to third man for a run.
1.6 : D Kulkarni to de Kock, Fuller on off, de Kock goes on the front foot and pushes it mid off for a very quick run. 4 runs off the over. Good start for Dhawal Kulkarni.
2.1 : K Gowtham to de Kock, SIX! High and handsome, first big one of the game! Gowtham dares to pitch it full and on middle, de Kock clears his front leg and sends it packing over long on for a maximum.
2.2 : K Gowtham to de Kock, Slower through the air on middle, de Kock flicks it through mid-wicket for a brace.
2.3 : K Gowtham to de Kock, Fuller on off, de Kock pushes it on the off side for a run.
2.4 : K Gowtham to R Sharma, FOUR! Finds the gap superbly, Rohit! Once again Gowtham gets too full and straight, Sharma kneels and effortlessly sweeps it behind square leg for a boundary.
2.5 : K Gowtham to R Sharma, Knocks a full ball down to long on for a run.
2.6 : K Gowtham to de Kock, FOUR! Easy-peasy! The line and length from Gowtham is to Quinton's liking. The off spinner fires it flat and full around leg, de Kock stays back and powers it over mid on for a boundary. 18 coming from this one, a good one for the home team.
3.1 : D Kulkarni to R Sharma, FOUR! Excellent placement. Dhawal bowls it full outside off, Rohit leans on his front foot and drives it crisply through the covers for a boundary.
3.2 : D Kulkarni to R Sharma, Another full ball, Rohit drives it to covers where Smith makes a diving save and certainly saves a boundary.
3.3 : D Kulkarni to R Sharma, Length ball on off, Sharma guides it to third man, where Gopal keeps it down to one.
3.4 : D Kulkarni to de Kock, Short of a length delivery, de Kock rocks on the back foot and pulls it behind square on the leg side for a single.
3.5 : D Kulkarni to R Sharma, FOUR! Typical Rohit! Hops back to make room on the off side, receives a slightly short ball around off and lofts it easily over extra cover. It nearly went all the way.
3.6 : D Kulkarni to R Sharma, FOUR! Rohit is in fine touch here. The one match break has helped him it seems. Kulkarni bowls it fuller and outside off, Rohit drives it past the point fielder and finds the fence. Fourth boundary for him. 14 runs off Kulkarni's second.
Jofra Archer is introduced into the attack.
4.1 : J Archer to de Kock, FOUR! Edgy! A top nut to begin proceedings. Archer delivers it on middle and off, shaping away, de Kock is squared up there as he attempts to turn it on the leg side. Closes the face early and it goes off the leading edge to the third man fence.
4.2 : J Archer to de Kock, SIX! 50 UP FOR MUMBAI! Not cleanly hit by de Kock but he will get a biggie. A short ball, outside off, Quinton looks to pull but gets it high off the bat, due to some extra bounce. However, once you get height at the Wankhede, you generally get the distance. De Kock gets the same.
4.3 : J Archer to de Kock, Defended off the front foot by the batsman presenting the full face of the bat.
4.4 : J Archer to de Kock, Short ball outside off, de Kock goes on the back foot and pulls it to deep mid-wicket. Gowtham, at square leg, in the deep, runs to his right and saves it with a slide and does well to keep them down to two.
4.5 : J Archer to de Kock, Short ball on off, de Kock somehow manages to put bat on ball and push it back towards the bowler.
4.6 : J Archer to de Kock, Back of a length ball outside off, de Kock cuts it straight to point.
Jaydev Unadkat is into the attack.
5.1 : J Unadkat to R Sharma, Starts his spell with a good length ball on off, Sharma punches it off his back foot towards extra cover where Buttler from mid off makes a tumbling stop to his left.
5.2 : J Unadkat to R Sharma, Direct hit but no harm done! A length ball outside off has been dabbed down to short third man for a quick single. The fielder scores a direct hit at the striker's end but de Kock was easily in.
5.3 : J Unadkat to de Kock, Follows the batsman down the leg side with a length ball, de Kock eases it in the gap at mid-wicket for a run.
5.4 : J Unadkat to R Sharma, A lovely straight drive to Unadkat's full ball but Buttler makes a fine stop once again in this over, this time to his right from mid off. A single taken.
5.5 : J Unadkat to de Kock, Delivers it on a length outside off, de Kock walks forward and makes room on the off side but mistimes his shot back towards the bowler off the bottom edge.
5.6 : J Unadkat to de Kock, A low full toss on off, de Kock once again toe ends his attempted drive to mid off and crosses. 4 from this over, 57/0 in the Powerplay, a very good beginning from the Blue team. Their second best Powerplay this season and also for the second time, they haven't lost any wicket during this period.
STRATEGIC BREAK. Mumbai are rocking hard here. Two quiet overs, then the carnage. They have got the start they were looking for. Now, to build on this. Meanwhile, Shreyas Gopal to have a go now.
6.1 : S Gopal to de Kock, Starts off with a googly on off and going away, de Kock pushes at it but gets beaten cleanly.
6.2 : S Gopal to de Kock, Fuller on the pads, de Kock goes on his knee and sweeps it at square leg for a single.
6.3 : S Gopal to R Sharma, Slower through the air and on middle, Rohit pushes it back to the bowler.
6.4 : S Gopal to R Sharma, Run out chance? But a poor throw from Rahane helps Mumbai. Sharma pushes this flighted ball towards cover. Rahane, at cover, runs inside and collects the ball with a forward dive, does well to collect it and throw it back to the keeper. But the throw was at a little height so Samson was not too quick to whip the bails and de Kock makes it in till then.
6.5 : S Gopal to de Kock, Appeal there from Samson but don't know for what. De Kock goes for the reverse sweep but the ball misses the bat and brushes his thigh pad. Samsom juggles, juggles and juggles and finally catches it on the fourth attempt. He then appeals for the catch but no interest shown by the umpire.
6.6 : S Gopal to de Kock, No run.
Debutant Liam Livingstone to bowl his leggies.
7.1 : L Livingstone to R Sharma, This one is around leg, Rohit tries sweeping but misses.
7.2 : L Livingstone to R Sharma, Tossed up delivery around off, on the shorter side, Sharma under edges his shot towards short fine leg for a run.
7.3 : L Livingstone to R Sharma, Short again and pulled to deep mid-wicket for a single.
7.4 : L Livingstone to de Kock, SIX! De Kock has nailed it! This is now the highest partnership for Mumbai this season. A full toss on middle as Liam tries to bowl an off-spinner de Kock muscles it over long on for a maximum.
7.5 : L Livingstone to de Kock, Loopy and on off, de Kock tries to drive but gets an inside edge onto the pads. It deflects on the off side, Rohit wants a run but is sent back.
7.6 : L Livingstone to de Kock, SIX! Yet another attempted off spinner goes wrong for the debutant. Reaches the batsman on the full and the South African shows no mercy. He just picks it up and dumps it over wide long on. 13 from the over.
8.1 : S Gopal to R Sharma, Tossed up, around middle, Rohit gets down and pull-sweeps it towards fine leg for a single.
8.2 : S Gopal to de Kock, Pitched outside leg, de Kock looks to sweep but misses and is hit on the pads. Samson and Gopal put in an LBW shout but then bail out. Jos Buttler then comes across and casually asks where did that pitch. Miles outside leg, as per the replays.
8.3 : S Gopal to de Kock, Short and outside off, the googly, pulled towards long on for a run.
8.4 : S Gopal to R Sharma, Slower through the air and pitching on off, Rohit dances down the track and flicks it to mid-wicket for a single.
8.5 : S Gopal to de Kock, Googly, pitching on off, and turning away, de Kock cuts it to covers.
8.6 : S Gopal to de Kock, Flighted outside off, de Kock goes on the back foot and pushes it through covers for a singe. Four runs from the over.
Krishnappa Gowtham is back on. 0/23 off 2 overs from him, so far.
9.1 : K Gowtham to de Kock, Tossed up outside off, de Kock waits and waits and finally cuts it just before the stumps. The ball goes to short third man and they take a run.
9.2 : K Gowtham to R Sharma, SIX! Wow, great flourish of the bat from Rohit and the ball goes into the sea of blue at mid-wicket. This one is served right in the slot for the batsman, Sharma picks it up and dispatches it with great swing of his bat, bye bye ball.
9.3 : K Gowtham to R Sharma, FOUR! Slapped and slapped hard. This one is flatter, on off, Rohit slaps it flat and straight over the bowler for a boundary. Fifth boundary for Rohit.
9.4 : K Gowtham to R Sharma, FOUR! Gowtham is taken to the cleaners here! He proved to be expensive in his first spell and nothing has changed in his second. A poor delivery, short and wide outside off, Rohit attacks it and slaps it through point for a boundary.
9.5 : K Gowtham to R Sharma, Great presence of mind! First the bowler senses the charge from the batsman and smartly fires one down the leg side. Rohit advances down the track but after seeing the ball way down the leg side, he immediately kicks it towards deep square leg. Had he not done so, Samson would have got the stumping opportunity. The ball has gone in the deep but they didn't run as the batsman was not offering any shot.
9.6 : K Gowtham to R Sharma, Tossed up on the legs, Rohit moves forward and flicks it towards mid-wicket for a single.
Jofra Archer is back into the attack.
10.1 : J Archer to R Sharma, Rohit guides it to third man. They pick up a single.
10.2 : J Archer to de Kock, Fine shot and a good piece of fielding as well by Liam Livingstone. A pitched up ball on off, de Kock makes room after skipping down a bit and lofts it over the bowler's head. The debutant rushes to his right in the deep and saves a certain boundary. Immediately turns and returns the ball in play and the batsmen get only one.
10.3 : J Archer to R Sharma, Slower ball outside off, Rohit waits for it and then guides it towards third man for a single.
10.4 : J Archer to de Kock, Full toss on the pads, de Kock flicks it towards deep mid-wicket and changes strike.
10.5 : J Archer to R Sharma, OUT! A wicket against the run of play! Rohit Sharma has mistimed this lofted shot his time. Archer serves a well-disguised scrambled seam delivery, it's on the shorter side as Sharma shapes up for the pull shot across the line. But the face of his bat doesn't close at the right time and he ends up mistiming it in the air towards long on. A simple catch for Buttler in the deep and a dejected Rohit departs. Once again he misses out on a half century this season. Anyway,
Suryakumar Yadav is the new man in.
10.6 : J Archer to S Yadav, Fullish and on middle, flicked away to fine leg for one. Successful over for Rajasthan, 5 runs and a wicket from it.
Bowling change. Jaydev Unadkat is into the attack.
11.1 : J Unadkat to S Yadav, Length ball on the pads, Yadav flicks it to mid-wicket for a brace.
11.2 : J Unadkat to S Yadav, 100 up for Mumbai. Another length ball on the pads, Yadav flicks it to deep mid-wicket and takes a single.
11.3 : J Unadkat to de Kock, Fifty up for the southpaw. A well-timed innings as he looked out of tough for the last few matches. But de Kock comes back in style. His 8th in the Indian T20 League. Reaches there by pulling a short ball on off. The ball goes to deep mid-wicket and they take a run.
11.4 : J Unadkat to S Yadav, Slower ball on off, Yadav plays it to mid on and completes a quick single.
11.5 : J Unadkat to de Kock, Back of a length ball outside off, de Kock plays the square cut and changes strike.
11.6 : J Unadkat to S Yadav, Leading edge... but safe! Unadkat bowls an off cutter on off, Yadav goes for the flick but the slow pace does him in, as he mistimes it towards cover. The cover fielder is slow to the ball so they complete a quick run. Good over by Unadkat, given the current run-rate, he does well as he just gives 7 runs off it.
Shreyas Gopal is back on.
12.1 : S Gopal to S Yadav, Tossed up ball on middle, Suryakumar flicks it through mid-wicket for a single.
12.2 : S Gopal to de Kock, Good stop, Gowtham! A floated full ball on off, de Kock goes down on one knee and sweeps it through square leg for a couple of runs.
12.3 : S Gopal to de Kock, Hangs on the back foot and punches it to long on for one.
12.4 : S Gopal to S Yadav, SIX! Lovely straight hit! A flighted full ball on off, this one is right in the zone for the batsman who spanks it over the bowler's head for a biggie at long off.
12.5 : S Gopal to S Yadav, As expected, the bowler goes flat and quick after getting hit for a biggie. Yadav helps it with gentle hands through mid-wicket for a brace.
12.6 : S Gopal to S Yadav, Quick again, full and on middle, forced down to long on. 13 from the over, it's the first expensive over from Gopal.
Dhawal Kulkarni is back into the attack.
13.1 : D Kulkarni to S Yadav, OUT! Dhawal returns into the attack and tickles the off stump. Yadav is bowled after playing a little quick knock. This delivery is on the shorter side, it lacks the desired pace for the batsman who makes space for the swing of his bat. Does so very early though as the ball arrives late and kisses the off bail. An excellent start to the over for Rajasthan but Mumbai won't mind much as they have plenty of power-hitters in their ranks.
0.0 : Kieron Pollard arrives amidst a huge ovation from this capacity crowd at the Wankhede Stadium.
Direct hit! But Quinton de Kock seems to be safe. Referred upstairs though.
13.2 : D Kulkarni to K Pollard, Length ball on leg, Pollard goes down the track and flicks it to short mid-wicket. Livingstone, at that spot, collects the ball and has a direct hit at the non-striker's end. The umpire goes upstairs and the replays show de Kock was well in. The ball ricochets off the stumps and goes to mid-wicket as the batsmen take a run.
13.3 : D Kulkarni to de Kock, FOUR! Very poor delivery by Kulkarni. It's a slower delivery but on a good length wide outside off. De Kock exercises his arms and whacks it through extra cover for a boundary.
13.4 : D Kulkarni to de Kock, Short again, pulled towards wide long on for a single.
13.5 : D Kulkarni to K Pollard, A bouncer now, around middle and off, Pollard ducks.
13.6 : D Kulkarni to K Pollard, Slower ball on the pads, Pollard flicks it by soft hands. The ball rolls towards the short leg region as they take a run. Just the 7 runs off the over along with a wicket.
14.1 : S Gopal to K Pollard, A stifled appeal for an lbw! A good piece of bowling by Gopal. He shows the heart to toss up his googly and deceives the batsman. Pollard leans forward to defend but misses and is hit high on the pads. The appeal is not entertained by the umpire. The replay confirms that it was too high.
14.2 : S Gopal to K Pollard, Another googly, full and outside off, Pollard stretches forward and defends it back.
14.3 : S Gopal to K Pollard, Short ball on the legs, Pollard goes on the back foot and tries the flick but the ball misses the bat and goes on the pads. The impact was outside leg so no worries there.
14.4 : S Gopal to K Pollard, Slower ball outside off, Pollard punches it to mid-wicket.
14.5 : S Gopal to K Pollard, Tossed up on the pads, Pollard comes down the track and pushes it to long off for a run.
14.6 : S Gopal to de Kock, Flighted googly on the pads, de Kock goes on the back foot and slaps it through the covers and changes strike. Gopal finishes with economical figures of 4-0-21-0.
STRATEGIC BREAK. Time for a discussion. The punch of the gloves. Mumbai prepare themselves for a carnage. 5 overs left. 175 a minimum. 190 a possibility. 200 cannot be ruled out. Rajasthan have the worst economy in the death overs (16-20) this season. Can they change the script today? Jaydev Unadkat returns. 2-0-11-0 so far.
15.1 : J Unadkat to de Kock, FOUR! Top edge and four but Mumbai won't mind. Unadkat starts off with an off cutter outside off, de Kock goes for the big heave but only manages a top edge behind the keeper. The ball rolls towards the third man fence for a boundary.
15.2 : J Unadkat to de Kock, Fuller on middle, de Kock drives it to mid on and picks up a run.
15.3 : J Unadkat to K Pollard, Fuller on Pollard's pads, he flicks it through mid-wicket for a single.
15.4 : J Unadkat to de Kock, Goes for the yorker but misses and bowls a full toss instead. De Kock flicks it to deep mid-wicket and adds a run to his tally.
15.5 : J Unadkat to K Pollard, Slower ball on off, Pollard was early to read it as he goes on the back foot and flicks it to mid-wicket. The fielder in the deep runs in to collect the ball but the batsmen are too quick and complete a brace with ease.
15.6 : J Unadkat to K Pollard, Excellent change of pace from Unadkat. He ends the over with a slower short ball on off and going away with the angle. Pollard was beaten all ends up as he lets it go to the keeper.
Jofra Archer is back into the attack to bowl at the death.
16.1 : J Archer to de Kock, Run out chance, missed! Archer begins his spell from 'round the wicket and angles across a slower delivery around the leg stump line. De Kock fails to flick and it goes off his pads to short fine leg. They cross and Gowtham misses his shy at the striker's end. Well, the replays show that Pollard's bat got stuck before the crease and he would have been a goner in case of a direct hit.
16.2 : J Archer to K Pollard, OUT! High, high, high and taken! No Pollard magic today. A very good catch from Shreyas Gopal, almost identical to the one against Chennai where he ran backwards to dismiss Ambati Rayudu. A short ball, outside off, slower in pace, Pollard looks to pull but the slowness of the wicket does him in. Gets a top edge which balloons in the air. Two men are going after it - Gopal from short mid-wicket running back and someone else coming in from deep mid-wicket. But the call
Hardik Pandya time.
16.3 : J Archer to de Kock, Jofra bowls a slower ball on de Kock's pads, he moves away and flicks it to deep mid-wicket for a brace.
16.4 : J Archer to de Kock, Wide! Another slower, back of a length ball on the legs, de Kock for the pull but the ball goes past from below his arms down the leg side and wided by the umpire.
J Archer to de Kock, FOUR! Poor bowling. Full toss, down the leg side, de Kock backs away and tickles it to the fine leg fence.
16.5 : J Archer to de Kock, Full on off, de Kock cuts it past point and takes a run.
16.6 : J Archer to H Pandya, Jofra ends the over with a short ball on middle, Hardik pulls it through to mid-wicket and picks up a single. 10 runs but am important wicket of Pollard from it.
Dhawal Kulkarni is back on.
17.1 : D Kulkarni to H Pandya, Starts with a full toss on the pads, Pandya flicks it in front of square leg for a couple of runs.
17.2 : D Kulkarni to H Pandya, SIX! Hardik Pandya is a clean striker of a cricket ball. This shot just shows that. Kulkarni lets out a slower length ball on off, Hardik uses the depth of his crease as he winds up for a big shot and muscles it over mid-wicket for a maximum. 150 up for Mumbai!
17.3 : D Kulkarni to H Pandya, A short-arm jab to a length ball this time as he forces it down to long on for a run.
17.4 : D Kulkarni to de Kock, Full ball almost in the block hole, de Kock gets under it and drives it straight towards the bowler who stretches his right hand and stops it.
17.5 : D Kulkarni to de Kock, Overthrow. De Kock mistimes his shot towards covers and sets off for a single. Liam Livingstone has a shy at the bowler's end but misses. Deep mid-wicket gets across but by the time the second run is taken.
17.6 : D Kulkarni to de Kock, IN THE AIR... BUT MISJUDGED! That should have been taken. Chance missed by Jofra Archer. Dhawal bowls a fuller and slower ball on off, de Kock goes on his knee to sweep it but gets it off the top half towards short fine leg. Jofra, there, misjudges it as he first runs to the right and then comes forward and makes a mess of it. The ball goes through him towards fine leg and the batsmen pick up a couple. 13 runs from Kulkarni's last.
18.1 : J Archer to H Pandya, Too full in length on off, it's drilled down past the bowler for a single at long off.
18.2 : J Archer to de Kock, FOUR! Well played in the end! Archer sees the movement from the batsman towards leg and hence bowls it wide outside off. Quinton still manages to reach out for it as he pumps it over covers for a boundary.
18.3 : J Archer to de Kock, OUT! That's an outstanding catch in the deep by Jos Buttler. Also, it's smart bowling from one of the best going around in this format. After trying to stay away from de Kock's hitting zone on the previous ball and going for a boundary, Archer this time decides to follow the South African down the leg side. A length ball, without much pace, de Kock tries making room for a powerful shot over the bowler's head but completely mistimes it in the air towards long off. Now c
Ishan Kishan walks in at number 6, replacing de Kock.
18.4 : J Archer to H Pandya, Around middle, tucked through mid-wicket for a single.
18.5 : J Archer to I Kishan, Short and around middle, Kishan swivels and pulls it behind square leg for a run. Hardik wants the second but Kishan yells, 'NAHI, NAHI, NAHI!'
18.6 : J Archer to H Pandya, SIX! Helicopter Hardik takes off! That is a sensational hit. Jofra misses his length by just a fraction, bowling full and Pandya takes full toll. Brings out his weapon of destruction and swings it hard over the ball, sending it over mid-wicket. Spoils Archer's over and his figures. 4-0-39-3 so the Englishman born in West Indies.
Jaydev Unadkat to bowl the final over.
19.1 : J Unadkat to I Kishan, FOUR! Kishan begins the last over with a boundary. Unadkat serves a length ball at this stage, it around off, right in the zone, Kishan heaves it across the line, doesn't middle it properly but still manages to drag it off the inside half to the deep mid-wicket fence.
19.2 : J Unadkat to I Kishan, OUT! Ishan Kishan holes out! A low full toss this time by Unadkat, it's outside off, Kishan fails to get underneath the delivery properly but still goes on with his attempted lofted shot. It flies off the bottom part of his blade and Buttler has a simple catch to take this time around. The Englishman makes no mistake but the best part for Mumbai is that the batsmen crossed and Hardik Pandya will be on strike.
Krunal Pandya walks in next, replacing Kishan.
19.3 : J Unadkat to H Pandya, Full toss, wide outside off, Hardik swings hard but misses. That looked to be a wide but the umpire thought otherwise. Probably it was just inside the tramline.
19.4 : J Unadkat to H Pandya, FOUR! Power and placement! Lethal combo! Short delivery on middle, Hardik stays rooted on the back foot and packs a punch. He pulls it with authority and bisects the two fielders on the leg side to perfection. The deep mid-wicket fielder tries pulling it back with a valiant dive but fails in his attempt.
19.5 : J Unadkat to H Pandya, Wide! Unadkat feels the pressure. Tries to stay away from the batsman's hitting zone but ends up serving it way wide outside off.
J Unadkat to H Pandya, Called a wide again, this time for the height! Jaydev tries to bounce out the batsman but it goes well over the head of the batsman who shaped up for the hook shot.
J Unadkat to H Pandya, SIX! Clean as a whistle! That's not the length to bowl to any batsman at this stage. Unadkat commits the sin and pays the price. A slower one alright but it's on a length and in the slot, Hardik clears his front leg and launches it over long on.
19.6 : J Unadkat to H Pandya, Well bowled. This is the best ball of the over. A yorker and a batsman cannot do much with it. Pandya only manages to dig it out back to the bowler. A dot ball to finish proceedings, Mumbai end with 187/5 on the board!
That is a massive total posted by Mumbai at the Wankhede. Yes, 200 gets chased down here but believe us, this is not exactly a placid batting track. 188 will take some getting.
92 in the first 10, 95 in the next 10. Mumbai have played their innings perfectly. At one stage it did seem like they were running out of gas, with the score reading 135 at the end of 16 overs. But 52 came in the next 4 overs, with Helicopter Hardik taking off.
Nice planned batting as the scorecard suggests. Rohit and de Kock started cautiously, then took full toll of the Powerplay. The 96-run opening stand paved the way for a big total, which was eventually built. Pollard did not fire today but he was not missed, was he?
Another poor outing for the Rajasthan bowlers. Only Shreyas Gopal kept them in the game, with figures of 0/21 in his 4 overs while the rest went at 9 an over or above. Had he been given the stick, then even 210 would have been crossed. Archer picked up 3 wickets but was very expensive. Here he is, talking to Sanjay Manjrekar.
Jofra Archer says that the ball slides on a lot here so he tried not to offer the extra pace. He is happy to contribute to the team. On his experience in the League, he replies that it is really intense as every batter can hurt you. On his bouncer that hit Dhoni on the helmet in the last game, Archer smiles and replies that he just tried to bowl the bouncer and he himself was surprised.
Who is your money on? Mumbai to get 4 wins on the trot? Or Rajasthan to break their losing rut? 188 in a day-night game, chaseable. 188 in a day game - chaseable but the batting has to fire big time. Stay tuned for Rajasthan's reply.
0.0 : Back for the run chase. The men concerned are back on the field. Jos Buttler and Ajinkya Rahane are the usual openers for Rajasthan. No tinkering there. Mumbai are beginning with the pace of Jason Behrendorff first up. A wide slip in place. Here we go...
0.1 : J Behrendorff to A Rahane, Starts with a length ball on middle, Rahane closes the face his bat and pushes it to mid-wicket.
0.2 : J Behrendorff to A Rahane, Back of a length ball on off, Rahane plays this one close to his body and taps it down to backward point.
0.3 : J Behrendorff to A Rahane, Rahane tries to run it down to third man this time but plays it too close to that wide first slip fielder. Three dots in a row.
0.4 : J Behrendorff to A Rahane, DROPPED AND FOUR! Behrendorff pitches up this time, around off and Rahane tries to play the lofted shot down the ground. But the bat turns in his hands and he mistimes it in the air towards mid off. Rohit Sharma reacts to his right but then fails to catch it as it goes right through his hands to the long off fence.
0.5 : J Behrendorff to A Rahane, Play and a miss! A little bit of width on offer outside off, Rahane flashes at it and misses.
Rahane has been adjudged LBW! He has a chat with Buttler and then takes the review. Did the ball pitch outside leg? Is it going over the top?
0.6 : J Behrendorff to A Rahane, NOT OUT! It's going over the off stump. Fantastic use of the technology by Rajasthan. Believe us, that looked plumb to the naked eye. The Aussie serves a length ball in the line of the stumps and gets it to straighten just a bit from there. Rahane plays all over it as he tries flicking and gets hit on the pads. They appeal and the finger goes up. The two openers consult and go for the review. The replays show that it has hit Rahane in line but is heading over the
Alzarri Joseph to bowl from the other end.
1.1 : A Joseph to Jos Buttler, Joseph starts with one outside off, Buttler lets it go.
1.2 : A Joseph to Jos Buttler, Well bowled! Jos is beaten! A length delivery on off, Jos tries to defend but gets beaten.
1.3 : A Joseph to Jos Buttler, FOUR! A length ball outside off, Buttler goes over cover and finds the fence. His first boundary.
1.4 : A Joseph to Jos Buttler, A straight and full bowls Alzarri, Buttler tries for a flick but misses, the ball hits him on his thigh pad.
1.5 : A Joseph to Jos Buttler, A short delivery on middle, Jos tries a pull but missed it.
1.6 : A Joseph to Jos Buttler, FOUR! Innovation from Buttler. A full length delivery on off, Buttler shuffles across the off stump and paddles it towards the vacant deep fine leg region. 8 runs from Alzarri's first.
2.1 : J Behrendorff to A Rahane, FOUR! Boom! That's a great shot from Jinx! Just a slightly short of a length ball on off, Rahane turns on the back foot and smashes it over mid-wicket for a boundary.
2.2 : J Behrendorff to A Rahane, Played to the point region by the batsman. They pick up a single.
2.3 : J Behrendorff to Jos Buttler, SIX! Gorgeous! All timing, zero power. Just goes through with his shot with a lot of class. Behrendorff serves it on a length around off, angling away, Buttler lofts it nonchalantly over long off for a maximum. The word effortless defines this shot better.
2.4 : J Behrendorff to Jos Buttler, A touch short around leg, Buttler tickles it off his hips through square leg for one.
2.5 : J Behrendorff to A Rahane, FOUR! This one speeds away to the fence in no time. Rahane gets a length ball on his pads and he flicks it with brilliant timing through backward square leg. No protection there in the deep and it's a boundary.
2.6 : J Behrendorff to A Rahane, Angling away from the batsman, on a good length around off, Rahane plays it close to his body and dabs it down to backward point. A dot ball to end a 16-run over, Rajasthan pressing on the gas.
Spin time! Rahul Chahar to bowl his leggies. A slip in place.
3.1 : R Chahar to Jos Buttler, A flat delivery spinning away, Jos tries for a cut but misses it. Rahul getting purchase of the pitch from the very first ball.
3.2 : R Chahar to Jos Buttler, A flighted delivery on off, Buttler drives it to mid off for a single.
3.3 : R Chahar to A Rahane, A flatter trajectory this time, Rahane sweeps it for a single.
Shout for an lbw! It's not given and Mumbai have taken the referral. Is impact an issue?
3.4 : R Chahar to Jos Buttler, SAFE! The impact indeed is the issue, it's with the umpire's call. Mumbai are lucky to retain the review. A googly by Chahar, on the shorter side and landing outside off. Buttler tries to play the reverse-batted shot but misses and gets hit on the front leg. They appeal unsuccessfully and then go for the referral. The replays rolled in and that saved the English wicketkeeper.
3.5 : R Chahar to A Rahane, A back of a length on leg, Rahane flicks it to mid-wicket for single.
3.6 : R Chahar to Jos Buttler, Ends with a dot ball. A short delivery on off, Jos punches it to covers.
Alzarri Joseph gets a change of ends.
4.1 : A Joseph to A Rahane, FOUR! Welcome back into the attack, mate! Full and outside off, Rahane leans and lofts it beautifully over cover. There is a man sweeping that region from point but cannot get there. Rahane moves to 21 from 14 balls. His 4th boundary.
4.2 : A Joseph to A Rahane, A short delivery on off, Rahane pulls it towards the square leg with ease. Two taken.
4.3 : A Joseph to A Rahane, A length delivery on off, Rahane drives it to mid on.
4.4 : A Joseph to A Rahane, SIX! Rahane opens his arms. A length delivery on off, Jinx gets down and powers it over the mid-wicket region for a biggie.
4.5 : A Joseph to A Rahane, FOUR! Cheeky from Rahane! Alzarri is not being treated well at this end. 16 already from this over with a ball left. Short and outside off, Rahane arches back and plays a delightful upper cut over short third man!
4.6 : A Joseph to A Rahane, A length delivery, Rahane flicks it towards the mid-wicket region for a single and will keep the strike for the next over.
Jasprit Bumrah into the attack now to bowl the last over of the Powerplay.
5.1 : J Bumrah to A Rahane, FOUR! Classy! A juicy half volley on off, the one which batsman plays in the nets for practice. Full and outside off, Rahane leans into the shot and drives it with finesse through the covers. Not a soul moved.
5.2 : J Bumrah to A Rahane, Outside off, dabbed towards point for a single.
5.3 : J Bumrah to Jos Buttler, A length delivery on leg, Buttler tries for a flick but gets a soft leading edge. It looks like the wicket is holding up a bit.
5.4 : J Bumrah to Jos Buttler, A full length delivery on off, Buttler blocks it.
5.5 : J Bumrah to Jos Buttler, FOUR! Second one from the over! A short delivery by Bumrah this time, Buttler gets into position early and pulls it with ease towards the square leg region.
5.6 : J Bumrah to Jos Buttler, Fuller delivery on legs, Buttler flicks it off his pads towards the square leg region for a run. 10 from the over, 27 off the last 2 as Rajasthan end the Powerplay on 59/0. Mumbai were 57/0 at this stage.
STRATEGIC BREAK. Neck-and-neck are the two teams at this stage. Mumbai were firing in the evening sun while Rajasthan have started nicely with the dew set to come. A good platform is essential for a solid performance. Can the middle order make use of this? Krunal Pandya time.
6.1 : K Pandya to Jos Buttler, A length delivery on leg, Buttler flicks it towards the mid-wicket for a single.
6.2 : K Pandya to A Rahane, OUT! Taken in the deep! Krunal strikes in his very first over and the opening stand is broken. Very full, outside off, Rahane gets down and looks to play the slog sweep. But the length is not the ideal one to play that shot. It is perhaps a bit too full. Hence, he gets a top edge which is taken calmly by Suryakumar Yadav at deep mid-wicket. Decent knock by the captain. His team needs 128 from 82 balls.
Sanju Samson walks in at number 3, replacing his skipper.
6.3 : K Pandya to Jos Buttler, Pandya fires this one down the leg stump. Wide given.
K Pandya to Jos Buttler, A length delivery on off, Buttler watchfully defends it.
6.4 : K Pandya to Jos Buttler, Tossed up delivery on middle, Buttler flicks it towards the mid-wicket region for a single.
6.5 : K Pandya to S Samson, A quicker one of off, Samson paddles it to short fine leg for a double.
6.6 : K Pandya to S Samson, A dot to finish the over. Full on leg, Buttler taps it to the short fine leg fielder. A tidy over by Pandya, 5 runs and a wicket from it.
7.1 : R Chahar to Jos Buttler, Short and outside off, punched through the covers for a single.
7.2 : R Chahar to S Samson, Massive turn. This is pitched around middle and leg and Samson looks to work it to the leg side. But the ball spins away a mile, squares him up, takes the leading edge and flies in the air. Luckily for the new man, it is in the gap at cover. A run taken.
7.3 : R Chahar to Jos Buttler, SIX! CREAMED! Turn or no turn. Bowl too full and you go for plenty. Tossed up outside off, Buttler gets down and slogs it high and handsome over long on!
7.4 : R Chahar to Jos Buttler, A short delivery on off, Buttler hits it to covers.
7.5 : R Chahar to Jos Buttler, A short delivery on middle, Buttler pulls it towards the mid-wicket area for a single.
7.6 : R Chahar to S Samson, A quicker one on off, Samson tries to open the face towards the third man region, gets a thick inside edge and hits low to the keeper, Ishan Kishan.
8.1 : K Pandya to Jos Buttler, SIX! Second in the span of four balls for Buttler. Flighted on middle, Jos shimmies down the track and whips it over mid-wicket for half a dozen.
8.2 : K Pandya to Jos Buttler, Outside off, punched through the covers for a single.
8.3 : K Pandya to S Samson, On middle, pushed through mid on for a run.
8.4 : K Pandya to Jos Buttler, SIX! FEROCIOUS! Now, now, now, Joseph, how do you play that shot? Simply outstanding. You cannot fault the bowler here. He bowls it too full, outside off, thereby not enabling the batsman to get underneath it. Ala the ball to Rahane on his dismissal. But this is where Buttler differs to his captain. He goes for the sweep too, but it is more of a slog. Hence, the pick up and execution is flat. With tonnes of power. Tonked over long on.
8.5 : K Pandya to Jos Buttler, On middle, flicked through mid-wicket for a single.
8.6 : K Pandya to S Samson, The batsman works it down the leg side. One run added to the total. 16 from the over! 99 more needed from 66 balls.
Jason Behrendorff is back on. 2-0-20-0 so far.
9.1 : J Behrendorff to S Samson, FOUR! Beautiful and graceful. A full length delivery on off, Samson just lifts it above covers for a boundary.
9.2 : J Behrendorff to S Samson, Full on middle and leg, Samson keeps it away.
9.3 : J Behrendorff to S Samson, A back of a length delivery on off, Samson taps it to short third man.
9.4 : J Behrendorff to S Samson, Behrendorff bowls this one down the leg side. Wided.
J Behrendorff to S Samson, A back of a length delivery on off, Samson cuts it to point for a single.
9.5 : J Behrendorff to Jos Buttler, FOUR! A wristy shot! Full on leg and Buttler waits for it and flicks it towards the fine leg boundary.
9.6 : J Behrendorff to Jos Buttler, 100 up for Rajasthan. A full length delivery on off, Buttler drives it to mid off for a single. This single brings the 9th Indian T20 League 50 for Buttler. A great batting performance by him. He looks well settled and would now look to take this game home.
Jasprit Bumrah returns. 1-0-10-0 so far.
10.1 : J Bumrah to Jos Buttler, A jaffa to begin the new spell. Bumrah hits the deck hard and gets it to move away a touch. Buttler pokes at it but misses. Jasprit appeals for a catch but no one else is interested.
10.2 : J Bumrah to Jos Buttler, Outside off, punched with outstanding timing over cover for a couple.
10.3 : J Bumrah to Jos Buttler, Outside off, played straight to point.
10.4 : J Bumrah to Jos Buttler, Oops... that barely arrived. A high full toss outside off, Buttler initially thinks it is a no ball for height and gets ready to smash it. But then the ball dips and comes very slowly. Jos then adjusts and pushes it through the covers where Rohit Sharma makes a wonderful diving stop to his left. Gets up and has a shy at the striker's end but misses. The single is completed with ease.
10.5 : J Bumrah to S Samson, A short of a length delivery on off, angling in for Samson. SS defends it.
10.6 : J Bumrah to S Samson, A full length delivery on middle and leg, Samson flicks it mid on.
Rahul Chahar is back on. 2-0-12-0 so far.
11.1 : R Chahar to Jos Buttler, SIX! Up, up and away! First ball of a new spell and Buttler has given the 19-year old a splendid welcome. Comes down the track, gets to the pitch of the ball, which is around leg stump and whips it with utmost ease over long on! 79 more needed from 53 balls.
11.2 : R Chahar to Jos Buttler, A quicker one to follow, Buttler flicks it towards the leg side for a single.
11.3 : R Chahar to S Samson, A back of a length outside off, Samson tries to plays it down the third man region using pace of the ball, but gets an inside edge onto the pads of the keeper, Ishan.
11.4 : R Chahar to S Samson, SIX! Second one of the over! A full toss gift from Chahar and Samson accepts it. This was nicely tossed up and SS dances down the track and clubs it above the long off region for a maximum.
11.5 : R Chahar to S Samson, Smart batting by Samson. Drives this full delivery through covers for a single.
11.6 : R Chahar to Jos Buttler, A fuller delivery on leg, Buttler flicks it for a run. 15 runs from this over.
Alzarri Joseph returns. 2-0-25-0 so far.
12.1 : A Joseph to Jos Buttler, SIX! Going, going and gone! That is the third time in this innings that an over has begun with a biggie. A length ball, on middle, Buttler just swings this through the line and clears long on!
12.2 : A Joseph to Jos Buttler, FOUR! BEAUTY! Classic batting. Full and outside off, Buttler leans and drives it wide of mid off. The fielder gets across to his left but...
12.3 : A Joseph to Jos Buttler, FOUR! Short and outside off, this is bad bowling, Buttler brings out his square cut and beats the man racing to his left from sweeper cover!
12.4 : A Joseph to Jos Buttler, EDGED, FOUR! This is hard luck on the bowler. It is a fast yorker, outside off, Buttler looks to squeeze it out but the ball goes off the outside edge past the keeper and beats short third man!
12.5 : A Joseph to Jos Buttler, FOUR! Another boundary! This is sensational batting. Full and outside off, this time Buttler just opens the face of his bat and steers it past short third man! 6, 4, 4, 4, 4. What is coming on the final ball?
12.6 : A Joseph to Jos Buttler, SIX! 28 from the over! Has this over turned the tide completely? Full and on middle, Buttler whips this over mid-wicket and clears the fence with ease! Rohit has done well to keep his calm. He applauds his bowler and is not too angry. The required rate is below 6!
13.1 : R Chahar to S Samson, DROPPED! A nice tossed up delivery on off, Samson cross bats it wants to play above bowler's head but get bottom of the bat. The ball lobes in the air towards the cover region. Rohit Sharma tries to get under it, running back but drops it.
13.2 : R Chahar to Jos Buttler, OUT! Caught! No century for Buttler but his 89 might prove enough to give Rajasthan a couple of points tonight. Full and outside off, Buttler, who is in six-hitting mood, looks to go big. But he is done in by the turn and miscues it towards long off. Simple catch for Suryakumar Yadav. Replays show that Chahar bowled that from almost behind the wickets. So along with the turn, the lack of pace was also the issue. Well played, Jos.
Steven Smith comes in at number 4 with the match there for the taking. If Rajasthan want it. Or do we smell a Mumbai comeback? 41 needed from 40 balls.
13.3 : R Chahar to S Samson, Excellent effort from Jason Behrendorff. A flighted delivery on off, Samson lifts it above covers, Beherndorff at sweeper cover dives to his right and pulls the ball in. Then realises the ball rolling towards the ropes, he again pulls it back watchfully. Brilliant effort.
13.4 : R Chahar to S Samson, On middle and off, turning in, the googly, worked through mid-wicket for a brace.
13.5 : R Chahar to S Samson, A length delivery on off, Samson taps it towards the covers region for a run.
13.6 : R Chahar to S Smith, A back of a length delivery on off, Smith drives it uppishly towards the cover region. The fielder at covers makes a diving effort to his left but the ball is far from him. Single taken.
Hardik Pandya to bowl for the first time. Very surprising that he is brought on so late.
14.1 : H Pandya to S Smith, Outside off, steered towards third man for a single.
14.2 : H Pandya to S Samson, On middle and leg, flicked away for a run.
14.3 : H Pandya to S Smith, Banged in short, pulled through mid-wicket for one.
14.4 : H Pandya to S Samson, Outside off, eased past point for another single.
14.5 : H Pandya to S Smith, Dropped short, pulled through mid-wicket for one more. That was a cutter and it barely came off the pitch. Samson is extremely important for the visitors now. New batsmen will find it difficult to score.
14.6 : H Pandya to S Samson, Outside off, played straight to point.
Krunal Pandya time. 2-0-21-1 so far.
15.1 : K Pandya to S Smith, FOUR! Off the edge! Full and outside off, Smith looks to sweep but gets a top edge. Hardik Pandya starts to give it a chase from short third man and thinks of pulling it back but then eventually looks to chase. Then he tries to pull it back again, but in the end, is late.
15.2 : K Pandya to S Smith, Full and outside off, driven straight to cover.
15.3 : K Pandya to S Smith, Comes down the track and pushes it back to the bowler.
15.4 : K Pandya to S Smith, Full on middle, Smith gets across and paddles it fine for a single.
15.5 : K Pandya to S Samson, FOUR! This time it runs to the boundary. Full and outside leg, Samson paddles it very fine. The ball races away.
15.6 : K Pandya to S Samson, Outside off, punched down to long on for one more. 10 from the over.
STRATEGIC BREAK. 4 overs left. 20 needed. Rajasthan should get home from here. But... you never know. Cricket is a game of uncertainties. If Mumbai can get Samson, then Bumrah is always there for death over miracles. Jasprit Bumrah is back on. 2-0-13-0 so far.
16.1 : J Bumrah to S Samson, Down the leg side, flicked through mid-wicket for a single.
16.2 : J Bumrah to S Smith, Around off, coming in, solidly defended.
16.3 : J Bumrah to S Smith, Oops... looks to pull, does Smith but is early into the shot. Gets hit on the pads and the ball rolls to the off side. Steven instantaneously looks for the single without even knowing where the ball is. Samson sends him back in time as Bumrah races across.
16.4 : J Bumrah to S Smith, Short and outside off, pulled awkwardly through mid-wicket for a run.
Samson departs! Adjudged LBW! Samson is ready to walk but Smith has convinced him to go for the review. Looks pretty adjacent.
16.5 : J Bumrah to S Samson, OUT! LBW! The decision stays as it is and Rajasthan are very lucky that they do not lose a review. Samson walked across his stumps and Bumrah lined it very straight, from over the wicket. Sanju missed his flick and was hit dead straight in front of the stumps, prompting an LBW appeal and the raise of the umpire's finger. Smith was adamant that this was missing leg and forced Samson into the review. Hawk Eye shows it to be clipping leg stump. Now then. Mumbai get the s
Rahul Tripathi comes in at number 5, replacing Samson.
16.6 : J Bumrah to R Tripathi, Outside off, watchfully pushed towards third man for a single. 3 runs and a wicket from the over.
17.1 : K Pandya to R Tripathi, OUT! Tripathi holes out and Mumbai have got 2 wickets in the span of 3 balls! Time for a choke? Full and outside off, Tripathi reaches out and looks to play the slog sweep. Seems to connect well too but to his dismay, the hit is flat, lacking elevation. Hardik Pandya races to his left from deep mid-wicket and accepts the catch. Scoreboard pressure... 17 needed from 17.
0.0 : Liam Livingstone walks in at number 6, with the cat seemingly amongst the pigeons.
17.2 : K Pandya to S Smith, Dot ball. Outside off, short and wide, Smith lashes out the cut, but finds point. Smiles immediately after playing that shot. Indicates that he should have played it behind point.
17.3 : K Pandya to S Smith, Short and outside off, dragged wide of long on for a single.
17.4 : K Pandya to L Livingstone, Outside off, dabbed straight to short third man for a quick run. Rohit is not happy with the fielder. He wanted the new man on strike.
17.5 : K Pandya to S Smith, Full and outside off, driven wide of long off for one more.
17.6 : K Pandya to L Livingstone, OUT! BOWLED! Are Mumbai pulling off the unthinkable? Another rash shot. The arm ball, outside off, Livingstone looks to play a wild slog but misses. The ball hits the timber and Mumbai think they can...
Shreyas Gopal walks in at number 7, replacing Livingstone. He can hold the bat for sure.
18.1 : J Bumrah to S Smith, OUT! Caught behind! Is that the game? Is that the game? Rajasthan pulling off a sensational choke here. A length ball outside off, Smith looks to force it through the off side but the ball comes back in, cuts him for room and goes through. There is a noise and the keeper appeals but the umpire is unmoved. However, Smith walks and the hopes of Rajasthan sink.
0.0 : Krishnappa Gowtham comes in now at number 8.
Gone first ball? A sensational yorker from Bumrah and he believes that he has Gowtham trapped LBW. What does Hawk Eye say?
18.2 : J Bumrah to K Gowtham, NOT OUT. MISSING LEG. Cannot blame the fielding unit for taking the review. It was a yorker, fired in on middle and leg and Gowtham was looking to flick, getting across. Was hit on the pads and up went Bumrah but the umpire was firm. There is a massive team meeting and just when the time remaining for DRS says 1 second, Rohit smilingly takes the review. Hawk Eye does not support the hosts though.
18.3 : J Bumrah to S Gopal, Lovely shot, excellent effort but has Alzarri Joseph done himself a lot of harm? Full and outside off, Gopal leans and drives it through mid off. Joseph gives it a chase and tries to pull it back but then while trying to do so, he lands awkwardly on his shoulder and is in immense pain. Meanwhile, 2 runs taken.
18.4 : J Bumrah to S Gopal, Is that a nick? Not out, says the umpire. Gopal backs away to the leg side, attempting to force it through the off side but is cramped for room as the ball comes in. There is a noise as the ball goes through and Mumbai appeal but the umpire shakes his head. Mumbai do not have a review left. Replays show that there was no edge involved.
18.5 : J Bumrah to S Gopal, FOUR! Edged and a boundary! On a length outside off, Gopal looks to force it through the off side but gets a thick outside edge which flies past the keeper and beats even the very fine third man!
18.6 : J Bumrah to S Gopal, EDGED, BUT DROPPED! Will that cost Mumbai? Outside off, Gopal looks to force it through the off side again but gets another outside edge. This time it is closer to the keeper who dives to his right but cannot quite hang on to the catch. Sensational over from Bumrah. Almost did it for his side. Again.
Who bowls the final over? Hardik Pandya gets the chance to become a hero. 1-0-5-0 so far. And how much is he defending? 5!
19.1 : H Pandya to S Gopal, IN THE AIR... DROPPED! The batsmen take two, two important runs. Fullish length ball on off, Gopal stands tall and lofts it over mid off. The fielder runs back to attempt for the catch but fails to hold on. It rolls behind and the long on fielder stops it from crossing the rope.
19.2 : H Pandya to S Gopal, Play and a miss! Shortish this time, on off, Gopal tries to slam it through the line but fails to connect.
19.3 : H Pandya to S Gopal, FOUR! Here it is... RAJASTHAN WIN BY 4 WICKETS! Pandya offers a bit of room around off, Shreyas Gopal gives it the full whack of his bat and slaps it over extra cover for the winning runs. Rajasthan break their losing streak, their dugout is all pumped up!
Phew! 217 minutes. 375 runs. 11 wickets. 237 balls. What a match. Mumbai batted first and raked up 187. Rajasthan were coasting through till the 14th over. But the game, funny that it is, shocked one and all as the visitors collapsed, only to somehow sneak through.
Ideally, Rajasthan should have done this with 7 or maximum 6 wickets in hand and an over to spare. The 60-run opening stand between Rahane and Buttler laid the platform, then another half century stand kept Mumbai at bay. Then came that explosive 28-run over in the 13th and that seemed to hit Mumbai really hard. With 42 needed from 42 balls and 9 wickets in hand, which side do you expect to win? The chasing one. But cricket is such a game that the more you expect, the more you get surprised. Tha
Buttler departed for 89 with 40 balls remaining, thinking that perhaps if he had stayed till the end, Rajasthan would have won in the 18th over. Now, they might win in the 19th. But what followed after that was absolute mayhem. Bumrah started the show, getting Samson, then Krunal got Livingstone and Tripathi in the next over. Smith then fell the next ball and it seemed like the game had slipped away. But somehow, Gopal held his nerve and carried his team through.
Full marks to Mumbai for their effort. Their never-say-die spirit. For 70 percent of the chase, they were not in it at all but Buttler's wicket changed things and they dragged the momentum their way. Spare a thought for Alzarri Joseph. First, he was hammered by Jos Buttler. Then, he hurt his right shoulder which could keep him out of the game for a while. Bumrah and Krunal then strut their stuff, picking up 2 and 3 wickets respectively.
How does the points table stack up now? No change in the positions. Mumbai stay at third. Rajasthan are rooted to 7th. Only, the latter double their points to 4, staying alive in the tournament. Need 6 wins in their remaining 7 matches to make it to the knockouts.
Not surprisingly, Jos Buttler has been named the Man Of The Match for his stunning knock. What would have been interesting to see is - who would have got the award had Rajasthan not got through. That ends the proceedings for this game but do not go anywhere. The Punjab-Bangalore match is about to begin in Mohali.