A tired-looking Josh Hazlewood hustled in for one last hurrah. The wicket of Shardul Thakur a couple of balls earlier had given Australia a slight ray of hope. They needed a miracle though. A low full toss it was outside the off-stump. Pant had been at the crease long enough to eye the ball with ease and ​drive it through the vacant mid-on region ​and as the ball tickled to the boundary, I and Neel jumped in ecstasy. The Gabba was breached after 32 years. History was created​ as India chased down 328 runs to bring to a close an epic turnaround which will go down as the best test series ever played by India on foreign soil​. It was epic and it was heart-stopping. It was an unimaginable feat something that would have been last in any Indian cricket fan’s mind after watching the team getting bowled out for 36 runs ​exactly ​a month back.

From the depths of despair rose this team of absolute no-hopers​ whom I called the Hospital XI before the start of the Final Test Match​ to script the biggest turnaround in cricketing history and in the process gave us the best cricket series ever on Australian soil. 

It was a snowy morning in Srinagar on 5th January 2019. I was on my way to the airport and the roads, the buildings all were covered with a thick blanket of snow due to the overnight snowfall. We had been in Kashmir for the last 8 days and though we experienced snowfall on our way to Sonmarg on 2nd January, it was completely dry in Srinagar. But on 4th January while on our way to Shankaracharya Temple, it started to snow and by the time we were back from the temple the entire area turned white. It was an experience of a lifetime no doubt but we had a flight to catch the next day and after a certain time, we sincerely hoped for the snow to stop.

“Man proposes but God disposes”

As destiny would have it, the snowfall continued right through the night. By the time we reached the airport, the snowfall had subsided but all flights were canceled. The next available flight was on 9th January for Kolkata and suddenly we had 4 extra days to spend in Srinagar. We had loved the place no doubt but we needed to go home, more so for me and Asif because Asif’s sister-in-law was battling the last stages of cancer and my father was battling kidney failure and had to be hospitalised on that very day with me, not in town. 

The situation was serious back home and we harboured thoughts of taking the road route to Chandigarh but we came to know that the Jammu-Srinagar highway was blocked due to heavy snow and with no options left, we had to go back in town and found a hotel nearby for those additional 4 days of stay over. Over the phone, I kept in touch with family and more so with Mukesh who had to take additional pressure of taking my father to the hospital and to do the needful. The only way to keep ourselves engaged was the cricket match that was going on in Sydney.

When we started for the airport, Australia began their first innings after a mammoth total put up by India. India had scored 622 runs before they declared late on the second day. Chetaswar Pujara and Rishabh Pant both scored big hundreds to set up the match for India. India was on the cusp of creating history because a draw or a win in Sydney would see them winning a Test series in Australia for the very first time. By the time we checked in to our hotel, the day’s play was over – rather, cut short due to bad weather. Australia was at 236/6 and India had a good chance to win the Test Match with 2 days to play. The only problem for India was the weather because it was expected to rain over the next two days in Sydney.

India first went on an Australian tour as a young independent nation in 1947. That team led by Lala Amarnath lost 4-0. India over the years has gone on multiple tours down under but my journey as a fan watching cricket down under began from the 1991-92 series. Getting up early in the morning was a challenge but cricket mattered more than the chilly mornings of Asansol. Over the years it became a ritual whenever the Indians traveled to Australia the frequency of which has noticeably increased over the past few years.

After the 1991-92 tour, India next toured Australia in 1999-2000 – a gap of 7 years and now we have the team visiting Australia every 2 to 4 years. I might have grown up but cricket takes me back to childhood and the mannerisms while watching cricket have not changed. My wife calls me childish when she sees me react the way I do when things don’t go India’s way but then you need to love cricket to understand the emotions that a fan goes through while watching India play.

The 4th day in Sydney on 6th January 2019 was partly disrupted due to rain. We had no work and nor we had the mindset to roam around Srinagar with the problems at hand back home and the only way to keep the mind away from those troubles was to watch cricket. Unfortunately, the first session was washed off and with each passing hour, India’s chances of winning the match eroded. It was not a problem though because India was already ahead 2-1 in the series. Play resumed post-lunch and India got the Australian team bowled out for 300 runs and enforced the follow on. Unfortunately, not much play was possible thereafter with the next 4 sessions being washed out as we 3 sat and kept watching the highlights of the wins registered by India at Adelaide and Melbourne. 

In wet conditions in Sydney on 7th January 2019, the Border-Gavaskar trophy was handed over to India and thus ended India’s 71 years wait of winning a Test Series in Australia. It felt like a personal victory that day because as a fan, I had been diligently waking up at 5 AM from 1991 whenever India played Australia down under, and finally, all those early wake-up calls bore fruit as the jinx was finally broken. Yes, India had won some great Test Matches in Australia be it the 2003 win in Adelaide or the 2008 win in Perth but none of those wins led us to a series victory. So this was extra sweet because for the first time after 1977 that India won 2 matches in a series in Australia but unlike then, this time the Indian team came out trumps by winning the series on Australian soil. History was created and it felt great to have seen it happening right in front of our eyes. It was bittersweet for me though because my father who used to diligently wake me up early in the mornings in 1991 was not there with me right at that moment as he laid in the hospital bed, back in Kolkata. I remember spending multiple hours speaking with him and debating India’s performances down under over the years and before I left for Srinagar, both of us felt that there was an opportunity for India to break the jinx this time around. I waited with bated breath to get back to Kolkata and get him back safe at home so that we both could savour this victory which we so yearned for over the last 3 decades.

That series win in 2018-19 didn’t stop the critics though because they quickly pointed out that Australia was without the services of their 2 best batsmen, Steve Smith and David Warner (both serving a one-year ban after the Sand-Paper Gate scandal). It was not India’s problem but critics were critics and they quickly forgot that the bowling attack of Australia was world-class and forgot to give due credit to the Indian batsmen who scored runs consistently throughout the series. I remember many cricket experts waiting for the next series down under because they felt that the Indian team was at an advantage playing against a relatively weaker Australian side who were without Smith and Warner.

From the time I had been following cricket religiously, India had won only 2 Test Matches in Australia. Both I remember quite distinctively, the one in Adelaide in 2003 which was India’s first victory in Australia after 22 years, and the next one in 2008 in Perth which followed the Monkey Gate scandal in Sydney. That victory in 2008, stopped Australia’s 16 Test Match winning spree, and once again it was India who stopped them from breaking their own world record. In 2003 Rahul Dravid’s stoic in the crease earned him the nickname, “The Wall”. In 2018-19, Chetaswar Pujara reenacted Rahul Dravid’s heroics and helped India win the series and people started calling him the new wall of India.

India was scheduled to travel once again to Australia in 2020-21 but before that Covid-19 stuck and the pandemic led to worldwide lockdowns and cricket was the last thing on anyone’s mind. With European Championships, Olympics all getting postponed it was pretty difficult to see the marquee series happening on time. But then things started to get better as England started playing international cricket at home under Covid restrictions and then IPL happened in the middle east in late September. To successfully organise a tournament of such magnitude, gave confidence to people around the world and the series against Australia got the go-ahead. It was an important series too because India needed to make up for the lost points against New Zealand in the qualification run for the World Test Championships final.

India had problems though with the injury to Rohit Sharma during the IPL and to top that Virat Kohli was about to become a father and hence decided to take paternity leave and was not available to play after the first Test Match. India selected a few newcomers for the tour, like, Md. Siraj and Navdeep Saini. Not to forget Shubhman Gill who though have been part of previous touring parties, was yet to play Test cricket for India. Covid-19 restrictions meant that one couldn’t have the services of Australian first-class cricketers as net bowlers and hence players like, Kartik Tyagi and Natarajan went along with the team. Natarajan of course was a last-minute replacement for Kamlesh Nagarkoti who pulled up injured during the IPL. As luck would have it, Varun Chakravarthy (who was originally selected for the T20 team) pulled up with a shoulder injury before the team was scheduled to leave for Sydney, and Natarajan was officially made a part of the team for the ODI and T20 series.

To be quite frank, the team looked weak on paper more so because of Rohit Sharma’s unavailability and Virat Kohli’s absence after the 1st Test. Add to that there was no Ishant Sharma in the team who was nursing an injury. Australia was back at full strength with the availability of David Warner and Steve Smith. Smith in particular has over the years been a tormentor in chief for India having an enviable record with a batting average exceeding 60. Both these players along with the emergence of Marnus Labuchagne made the Australian team an almost invincible one, especially in home conditions. Their bowling attack was the same as in the 2018-19 series led by the world’s number one bowler, Pat Cummins. All in all, things looked exactly the opposite of the 2018-19 series with India missing some key players whereas Australia had the service of their first XI.

The ODI series started on expected lines with Australia winning the initial 2 matches. All the matches were high scoring ones but Australia won them with ease because they scored a mountain of runs batting first. Though India batted well to score more than 300 runs in each of the matches they were not good enough. At that stage people on Twitter were debating if this would be the worst tour for India in Australia with many comparing this side with the one in 1999-2000 when India couldn’t win a single match against the Aussies (both Tests and ODIs included). India though put that debate to rest by defeating Australia in the third ODI to get a consolation victory. What was great to see though was the debut of Natarajan and the slog over hitting by Pandya and Jadeja. It raised the hopes of the Indian fans at least for the T20 series which followed.

In the T20 series, India did the opposite of the ODI series by winning the first two matches and once again Natarajan impressed with his accurate lengths and lines and most importantly with his consistency in hitting the yorkers. Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, and KL Rahul impressed the most as India won the series 2-1 and put to rest any doubts that the team would perform as badly as the one in 1999.

Test Matches was a completely different ball game though but one thing everyone discounted was the fighting spirit that the Indian team possessed. In a sense, it all started from the 2001 series against Australia in India when the greatest turnaround in cricket was played out at the Eden Gardens. That victory in 2001 stopped Australia’s world-record winning run in Test Cricket which included 16 straight Test Match victories. The fighting spirit and to never give up against all odds had been the hallmark that defined Team India from the time Sourav Ganguly took over the Indian captaincy. What was sown 2 decades back has now become a mantra for this team and no longer India were pushovers in foreign conditions. How ironic it was that the same man was now heading the BCCI and how satisfying it must be for the man as India scripted a turnaround for the ages in Brisbane 2021.

Doing well in white-ball cricket doesn’t always translate into having the upper hand in Test cricket. Test cricket is not about slam-bang cricket. It’s about patience and perseverance. Australia was a stronger team than the one India met two years ago. Steven Smith was back and though David Warner sat out due to injury they had Marnus Labuschagne whom many called the Steven Smith carbon copy because of the way he played. In 2018, it was in Adelaide that India started their victory journey and India was back at the same venue though this time it was played under lights – India’s first day-night test match down under.

Within the first hour of play, it was clear that it was a completely different ball game with India finishing the first session at 41/2. Before the start of the test series, it was a known fact that if India had to do well,  then the Indian middle-order had to shine just like in 2018/19. But the Australian attack comprising of Pat Cummins, Mitchel Starc, Josh Hazlewood, and Nathan Lyon didn’t give any freebies and runs were extremely difficult to come by. Wickets fall like nine pins in the final session in day-night test matches, especially in Adelaide but Virat Kohli stuck in and brought up an excellent half-century. 2020 had been such a strange year that it was for the first time after 2008 that Kohli didn’t have an international hundred in a calendar year. He looked determined to end the year on a high because it was his final match before he traveled back to India. India seemed to be cruising at 188/3 when a moment of madness brought the Indian team crushing down. A bad call for a tight single led to the dismissal of Virat Kohli and India lost a wicket against the run of play. The lucky break for Australia did wonders for them as the next 6 wickets fell adding only 56 runs and with that handing over the momentum to Australia. 

One thing that we have got used to over the past couple of years has been the resilience of this Indian cricket team. The never say die attitude meant India was never out of the game. Indian pace bowing resources have enhanced in the last few years and though Ishant Sharma and Bhubaneswar Kumar were not available the bowling attack led by Jasprit Bumrah was good enough to push Australia to the backfoot.

All the Indian bowlers were on top form when Australia came to bat and one could see that the batsmen were unable to break free. Unforced errors were committed and even with the lucky breaks given by India courtesy of the dropped catches, Australia found themselves reeling at 111/7. But test matches throw up surprises aplenty and when India was eyeing a lead of 100 runs or more, in came Tim Paine the Australian captain to play a captain’s knock to help Australia reach 191 runs. A lead of 53 runs was not bad but India needed to bat well in the second innings to drive home the advantage.

The fightback shown by the Indian bowlers of not allowing the Australians to take advantage of a low total put up by India deserved kudos because it was a good batting track but this Indian team was not ready to give an inch and found a way to wriggle out of tough situations. This was the New India after all – The young aspirational India who were not ready to be burdened by past historical mistakes. Gone were the days when Australian batsmen could pile on runs as the Indian team looked on haplessly. Ravichandran Ashwin was the star with 4 wickets and he answered his critics in style who before the start of the Test match commented that Ashwin got the opportunity to play only because of the disposition of Ravindra Jadeja. 

India came out to bat in the second evening having a handful of overs to play but Prithvi Shaw failed once again and India finished at 9/1 at the end of day 2.

On our WhatsApp group where we discussed mainly cricket, the feeling was that India needed to bat most part of day 3 and a lead of around 300 would be good enough judging by the way the Indians bowled in the first innings. I was a bit late in switching on the TV the next day and when I switched it on, I saw the night watchman, Jasprit Bumrah was already back to the pavilion with the scoreboard reading 15/2. It was a Saturday and I hoped to enjoy a great day of batting by India but all my hopes were dashed as India plummeted into a hole and within a space of a couple of overs, India was reeling at 15/5. Each ball bowled looked like a wicket ball. And very soon, Virat Kohli also bit the dust and at 19/6, I had seen enough to switch off the TV and got back to reading a book. It was depressing, to say the least. There was a reason why this Australian bowling attack was touted as the best in the world and as one after the other Indian batsman walked back to the pavilion, I couldn’t imagine what was in store in the next 3 matches. The only academic interest left was would India be able to surpass 42 runs (which till then was the lowest total ever scored by India in a Test Innings). That of course didn’t happen as India was bowled out for 36 runs to register one of the lowest moments for India in Test cricket history. In the process, Md. Shami broke his arm and an already tough series looked even tougher with another frontline bowler set to miss out in the next 3 matches.

A Test Match lost inside 3 days when at the end of Day 2 India was ahead of Australia. One session of brilliant bowling changed the complexion of the match completely. With Virat Kohli leaving for India and Md. Shami not available, it looked like a mountain to climb for the team. The cricket experts across the globe followed the same tune and almost everyone predicted a 4-0 whitewash. Nobody could really blame them because when a team gets bowled out for 36 runs, it’s hardly expected of them to draw or win a test match.

As a cricket fan I was dumbstruck and in fact, didn’t speak about cricket for the next week. It was too difficult to digest that the team could get bowled out for 36 runs. Yes, Australia was a great team but the capitulation of the Indian batting line up was too hard to digest. 

Old habits die hard though and there I was back in front of the TV on 26th December for the start of the boxing day test match at the MCG.

Md. Siraj got his debut test cap replacing, Md. Shami. Wridhiman Saha was dropped and he was replaced by Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja took the place of Virat Kohli. India also handed a debut to Shubhman Gill who replaced Prithvi Shaw. The team balance looked good and in effect, India replaced Virat Kohli by adding Pant and Jadeja. This also helped the bowling unit because the addition of Jadeja meant an extra hand for the team in the field. The very first hour showed that the Indian team had no hangovers of the Adelaide match as Australia was reduced to 38/3. The bowling unit once again was doing what was expected of them. Siraj looked nervous in his first spell but after lunch, he was able to put the ball in the right place and reaped rewards too by picking up the wickets of Marnus Labuschagne and Cameron Green. Jasprit Bumrah picked up 4 wickets as Australia was bowled out for 195 runs.

It was a good start for India in the Test Match no doubt but the 36 all-out was already playing at the back of my end when Shubhman Gill came out to bat with Mayank Agarwal to open the Indian innings. Mayank Agarwal got out to a swinging Mitchel Starc delivery in the very first over and my heart stopped beating for a while. “Oh No, Not Again”, I thought. Thankfully though Shubhman Gill looked good at the crease and he and Chetaswar Pujara took India to 38/1 at stumps on Day 1. After being absolutely hammered to submission on the third day at Adelaide this was a good fightback by India. No more demons in the head, I thought and I hoped that I will have a good Sunday seeing the Indian team bat on the second day at the MCG.

That’s how it played out and the Indian batsmen led by their new captain, Ajinkya Rahane wore down the Aussies to take the lead in the test match. Rahane played a captain’s knock hitting a century and was ably supported by others. Jadeja scored a half-century and India took a big lead of 131 runs. Indian bowling attack even without Ishant and Shami looked good and this time around, Umesh Yadav gave India the first breakthrough getting rid of Joe Burns. But then came the twist as Umesh Yadav pulled up with a calf injury and left the ground. In hindsight, it was good that India had 5 bowling resources and there was no shortage of armoury. Once again the Indian bowling attack delivered and at 99/6, India harboured hopes of inflicting an innings defeat on the Aussies. That would have been some statement coming after 36 all out but that didn’t happen as the Australian tail wagged for quite a long time and the last 4 wickets added 101 runs with Cameron Green top-scoring with 45 runs.

A confident India walked off the park with the team needing 70 runs for victory. Melbourne has been India’s happy hunting ground in Australia having won 3 test matches (the highest number of matches won by India in any venue in Australia) and it looked like India was on their way to win the 4th one. There was tension in some of my WhatsApp groups when Mayank and Pujara fell in quick succession (36 all-out still playing on our minds) but Rahane along with Shubhman Gill played positively and took India to a famous victory.

It was a great Test victory for India mainly because of the way the team fought back after the Adelaide fiasco. People wrote this team off but they came back with heads held high to defeat a very strong Australian side within 4 days. In the process, they lost another frontline bowler but the way the team showed resilience after Adelaide, nothing could stop them.

2020 was a year of pain as many around the world lost their near and dear ones. The victory registered by the Indian team on 29th December 2020 brought back smiles to millions of cricket fans in India who had been through many hardships over the last 9 months. It also meant that the series was now even stevens and no longer the Aussies could take the Indian team for granted.

The next Test match was to be played in Sydney from 7th January 2021 – the day 2 years back when India won their first Test series in Australia. With the 4th and the final match to be held in Brisbane, it was vital for India to try and keep the momentum going in Sydney because Brisbane was a virtual fortress for the Australian team where they have remained undefeated for 32 years.

Rohit Sharma finished his mandatory 14 days quarantine to join the team which meant, Mayank Agarwal, missing out on the playing XI. With Umesh Yadav also out with injury, Navdeep Saini became the latest debutant to play for India. 2 virtual newcomers in the bowling line up and suddenly the Indian bowling attack looked vulnerable. 

Sydney as expected was a good batting track and Australia made good advantage of winning the toss and batting first. At 206/2, it looked ominous for India but as has been the story of the series, India fought back strongly and was able to restrict Australia to 338 runs. Steven Smith was having a horrible run in the last 2 matches but he came back to form scoring a beautiful hundred. Jadeja showed the importance of his selection by picking up 4 wickets and executing a marvelous run out to get Smith out which brought the Australian innings to a close. After the defeat in Melbourne, Australia was expected to come back hard and they needed Steve Smith to come to the party. He didn’t let the team down and for the first time in the series, the Australian batting unit was able to overcome the Indian bowling attack. It was still not a very bad performance by the Indian bowlers because Australia had a good opportunity to bat India out of the Test match. 

I was excited to see how Rohit Sharma performs as an opener in foreign conditions. For a long time, Rohit Sharma has been an enigma in Indian cricket. His performance in white-ball cricket never replicated when playing Test Matches and though he got a new lease of life when the team got him as an opener in Test matches, he was yet to play as an opener outside India. So it was a new challenge for him and it was important for India too that he along with Gill gave India a solid start.

India started well with the openers putting on a 70 run stand but thereafter things didn’t go according to plan as the Australian bowlers kept picking up wickets at regular intervals. Shubhman Gill and Chetaswar Pujara scored half-centuries but no one was able to play a long innings and India folded for 244 runs. 

A lead of 96 runs was pretty big and Australia pressed on the paddle to bat India out of the Test Match. If this was not bad enough, news filtered in that Ravindra Jadeja had dislocated his thumb while batting having been hit by a rising delivery. Another Test Match and another player down for India. It was that kind of a series for India wherein the team kept losing a player or two after a match. The bowling resources were highly depleted and Labuschagne and Smith took full advantage of the situation to build a big partnership. Australia kept batting till Tea on Day 4 and declared at 312 runs giving India a target of 407 runs to win the match.

Once again the Indian openers gave India a great start stitching a 71 runs partnership but both Gill and Rohit got out before the end of Day 4. India finished at 98/2 when stumps were drawn.

309 runs to get on the last day was not out of reach for India but with 2 wickets down, survival was the best way to go forward. 98 overs India had to survive and against the bowling attack of Australia and at the outset, it looked like a herculean task. India didn’t start well as Rahane got out in the second over of the morning. India’s mindset was positive though because in place of sending Hanuma Vihari they gave a promotion to Rishabh Pant. Pant had been injured while batting in the first innings and to see him come out to bat made me sit up. 

Rishabh Pant has been countless times criticised for the way he played mainly due to the reckless shots that led to his downfalls. But such players have another angle too and that was if they came good, you will have to sit up and watch. As Pujara played the waiting game and brought all his experience in play to hold one end up, Pant kept attacking the bowlers. On a 5th day pitch in Sydney, it was expected that Nathan Lyon would be the tormentor in chief but Rishabh Pant hit him out of the park more than once and got him out of the attack. Batting at close to run a ball, India suddenly harboured hopes of winning the match. Suddenly Australia was on the backfoot with spread-out fields. 108 runs in the first session gave high hopes to India and another session of such high-quality cricket and who knows, maybe India could pull this off, I thought.

Rishabh Pant plays with a similar mindset of Virendra Sehwag. If a ball was there to be hit, he would go for it even if it meant taking on the boundary riders. 

“Live by the sword, die by the sword” – On 97 with a century for the taking, Pant gave Lyon the charge only to miscue the hit and got caught.

With Pant’s wicket India’s chances of going for victory diminished especially because Jadeja had a broken finger and there was no other player who could play the positive brand of cricket that was needed to take India to victory. What was even worse for India was that Pant got out in the 80th over which meant a new batsman had to face the new ball.

Hazlewood snared the wicket of Pujara with the second new ball and as Ashwin walked into the crease to join Hanuma Vihari India still needed to play out 44 overs. The victory was still 127 runs away but at that time it was all about survival. With Jadeja not in a condition to bat, it was effectively India’s last recognised batting pair who had to take India to safety.

In the meanwhile, as luck would have it, Hanuma Vihari got injured. From the outside, it looked like a hamstring strain which meant he was hardly able to walk and his leg movement was very limited. It was now a fight of determination because there were only 2 possible scenarios – Australian victory or a draw. India quite understandably opted for the second but to survive for so long against such an attack looked impossible. The Aussies kept peppering short balls and Ravichandran Ashwin kept taking hits on his body. 

People play for victory but in this case, for India, a draw was as good as a victory. As overs passed by Ashwin gained confidence. Here was a player with 4 Test hundreds behind him and he brought in all his experience and put his body on the line and ensured that he remained unbeaten. As time went on, the Aussies started getting frustrated and the ugly head of sledging raised its head. The Australian captain behind the stumps was the biggest culprit in this activity as he kept going after Ashwin with his non-sensical comments. Ashwin was well set by that time and no way was he to be fallible after coming so far. Tim Paine in the process of disturbing Ashwin, lost concentration himself and ended up missing a couple of catches. “Australia gave up all their luck in Adelaide”, I thought and it was high time that India got their due. With so many frontline players not available, India needed some divine help after all. 

43 overs of resistance by Ashwin and Vihari finally brought fruit as India came back with an honourable draw. The draw was as good as a victory for India because, with 5 wickets down, Australia had all the ammunition to bowl India out more so with India’s premier all-rounder indisposed. But that was not to be as India came out of Sydney with honours even. It was a case of exemplary courage and perseverance shown by Vihari and Ashwin that evening in Sydney. Their performance defied all odds because Vihari was virtually batting on only one leg. But this was new India. The days of getting intimidated by Australia was over.

Right through the first two sessions of play on the last day whenever the camera hovered over the Indian dressing room, one could see, Ashwin standing. Little did we know at that time that he was suffering from terrible back pain which didn’t allow him to sit. After the match got over, Ashwin’s wife tweeted about the sufferings related to his back pain which didn’t allow him to tie his shoelaces by himself. As I said earlier, it was a magnificent show of courage by both him and Vihari because though both of them were in severe pain they didn’t let go of the job in hand. Vihari didn’t have a great series till then and 50 years later when someone goes through the score sheet they might not realise the value of these innings but people like us who saw the fight will remember forever.

It was a test match which was all Australia but it was India who was talked about most because of the fight showed by them on the last day. It was a classical rearguard action and for a change, it was Australia who came back with “what ifs” on their mind. 

It all finally came down to the “Gabbatoir” to break the deadlock – a venue where India never won and where Australia never lost after 1988.

For India, a draw was enough for them to retain the Border-Gavaskar trophy but it was a venue where India’s best result was a draw in 2003. India had played in Gabba 6 times previously losing five of those and with a team that quite literally looked like a hospital XI, all odds favoured Australia.

Before the start of the last Test Match what was interesting to see was who would turn up for India. With so many players injured there was hardly any choice left for the team management. After the match at Sydney, Jadeja was ruled out with his finger getting fractured. Add to that Hanuma Vihari was also out of contention with a hamstring tear. Jasprit Bumrah was having an abdominal strain and Ashwin was down with his lower back issues which meant both of them were not 100% fit. With the England series coming up it was not advisable to risk aggravating the injuries. But then who would play? Jokes started floating around on WhatsApp and Twitter that we might see Ravi Shastri back in whites. Jokes apart, it was a serious problem for India and it was hardly something which they wanted to do, going in Brisbane which by itself was a fortress yet to be breached in 32 years. But then life is all about how best you do with the resources you have in hand. On one hand, the tried and tested players were nursing injuries and on the other hand, new opportunities were about to open up for some talented youngsters.

It was 15th January and with a cup of tea in hand, I turned on the TV to watch the match unfold. India came up with a surprise by going in with 4 fast bowlers and a lone spinner in Washington Sundar. Two new debutants once again for India and this time it was Washington Sundar and T. Natarajan. Both of them came to Australia as part of the team for the white ball series and then stayed back as net bowlers. Graduating from net bowlers to test match cricket within a couple of months was unprecedented but desperate times called for desperate measures. Shardul Thakur was also selected and though it was not his debut match, one could consider it to be one because the one test match that he played two years back against the West Indies was just for the record books since he got injured after bowling 10 balls. Md. Siraj, an experience of 2 Test matches was about to lead the bowling attack that possessed a collective experience of 4 test matches. This was the most inexperienced Indian bowling lineup in 50 years and on paper, it looked like a third rung bowling attack. Comparing with Australia, on paper it looked like game, set and match for the Aussies.

India’s bowlers started well and after the first hour, it was tough to believe that Australia was struggling against such an inexperienced pace attack. But as the day wore on, Australia went from strength to strength with Marnus Labuschagne hitting a century. Against the run of play, Natarajan picked up 2 wickets which included the wicket of the centurian, and once again, India fought back into the match. Australia though took the day’s honours at 274/5. 

I have seen better Indian attacks being taken for 400 runs in a day in Australia and to compare that performance one could easily say that India didn’t do too badly. It was a known fact that the bowling attack would struggle but the good thing was that India didn’t let the Aussies roll them over.

India needed to make use of the new ball on the second morning and that’s what India did by picking up 3 quick wickets. The Australian tail wagged for a while before the team was bowled out for 369 runs. If anyone would have asked who was the happier camp then quite easily it was India because keeping Australia under 400 runs was a very good achievement. The newcomers did excellently well with Sundar, Natarajan, and Thakur picking up 3 wickets apiece. 

India needed to bat well though because batting last at the Gabba was not supposed to be easy. In Test cricket when a batsman gets his eye in, it’s important for them to put up a big score. This is exactly where the Indian top order failed with 5 of the top 6 batsmen getting past the 20 run mark but no one went on to get a big score and once again India found themselves on the rocks at 186/6. 

Throughout the series whenever the chips have been down, someone from the Indian team had raised their hand and came up with an exemplary performance. And as if on cue when the situation looked absolutely grim, out came the partnership of the match between, Shardul Thakur and Washington Sundar. Both the players were no mug with the bat but to see them playing so confidently against the Aussies in Australia was scantly believable. But then this was a team that was not ready to throw in the towel at any point in time and the partnership of 123 runs ensured that India reaches close to the Australian total. When India’s score went past the 300 run mark, for a brief while I felt India might as well go past the Australian total. That was not to be though because once Shardul Thakur got out, the rest of the tail didn’t wag long enough and India finished at 336 runs with Hazlewood picking up 5 wickets.

A 33 run lead was not something Australia bargained for having India at 186/6 but then that is what makes cricket the game it is. 

As someone aptly posted on Twitter, “between 36 and 336 we all grew up”. Cricket for people like us is a way of getting back to our childhood days and I feel sorry for people who do not follow this wonderful game. Nothing beats cricket and more so Test cricket.

Back in 2003, Australia led by 33 runs before a spell by Ajit Agarkar shifted the momentum towards India which helped them defeat the Aussies in Australia for the first time in 22 years. The lead was 33 runs again – will history repeat itself? I wondered. But then, it was Gabba, a place where Australia has remained undefeated for 32 long years. But, as my good friend, Asif said, records are meant to be broken so anything could happen and India could very well win the match.

The onus was now completely on Australia to force the game because they needed to win to regain the Border-Gavaskar trophy. It by no way means that India played negatively but an inexperienced bowling attack was under pressure as Warner, Labuschagne, and Smith went after the Indian bowlers. Aggressive cricket leads to wickets too and India kept picking up wickets at regular intervals and in a little over 2 sessions Australia was bowled out for 294 runs. To bowl out Australia twice with a collective experience of 4 Test matches was unbelievable, to say the least, and this Indian team made all of us proud with their gallant display.

328 runs to win for India with 3 and a half sessions to play. The game was in the balance when the rain started falling making the predictions of late evening rains on the 4th and 5th day come true. 

The evening was spent discussing India’s would be strategy for the fifth day. One of my friends, Sabyasachi Das was interested to know the weather predictions too though Asif wanted the day to be dry because he was confident of an Indian win. 

It had been exactly 30 days since India was bowled out for 36 runs in Adelaide and to think that the series was still on the line with a day to play was an achievement by itself by this injury-ridden team. As my friend Asif told me that taking 20 Australian wickets with this inexperienced bowling lineup was a story in itself. Undoubtedly he was right because at no point did this beleaguered team allowed the opposition to intimidate them. Yes, it was a tough chase but going by the temperament shown by the team after the Adelaide fiasco anything was possible.

In Sydney, India needed 309 runs on the last day with 8 wickets in hand.

At Gabba, India needed 324 runs with all their wickets intact. If they could save Sydney why couldn’t they repeat it or better it at Brisbane?

Cricket is a game of glorious uncertainties and hence a favourable result for India was definitely possible though a last-day pitch with a crack right through the middle of the wicket was a challenge facing the Indian team.

Final day chases are not like white-ball cricket. The first session is always about survival and about not letting the opposition get wickets with the new ball. The second and final sessions are when the fun of the chase begins. But the fun could only start if the team chasing had enough wickets in hand.

By all calculations, India also planned in the same manner. The advantage for India was that with Rohit and Gill they had two very good openers who could play the waiting game as well as play aggressive strokes. India needed a solid start but Rohit got out cheaply. As Pujara walked in, I yearned for one more cup of tea but the superstition had kicked in by then and  I was not ready to leave the place till the drinks break at least. 

Pujara played like the way only he can. His strategy was about wearing down the bowlers and holding one end up as Gill played his natural game.

One and a half hours into the day with the sun beating down the Aussies changed their strategy. In came the barrage of short balls. You can’t call them body line but it was an attack on the body through short pitch bowling. It was a worn down pitch and with some balls not rising high enough, India entered a zone of intimidation from the Aussies. This is what they do best – intimidating the opposition. Pujara got hit on the helmet twice and on the shoulder a few more times but he didn’t bat an eyelid. My son sitting beside me kept asking me how was Pujara not showing any emotions when getting hit? I told him that’s how it is. You can’t show that you are feeling the pain. You should remain expressionless under adversity because your opponent gets frustrated when even after intimidation you don’t show any emotion or pain.

What was important during that passage of play for India was that they didn’t lose wickets. Gill on the other side was playing his natural game. Short balls were pulled and fuller balls were sweetly driven on the offside. His backfoot punches were soothing to the eye. As I saw him bat I just hoped for a big partnership between him and Kohli soon because it would be such a treat to watch. 

Lunch was taken with India at 83/1. Losing only one wicket in the first session was a very good result for India. As Shane Warne said on commentary India would back themselves to get 140 odd in the final session so this was an advantage for India going into the lunch break.

Still, a lot of cricket was to be played but for now, it looked like India would hold on to the Border-Gavaskar trophy.

Right after lunch, one could see a change in batting stance from Gill. A little opened up stance with the back leg going further across waiting for the short delivery. No trigger movement of the front foot which meant that India knew the line of attack that the Aussies would come up with. As expected Starc started bowling short but this time around he was met with fire as Gill hit him for a sixer and two fours to make clear India’s intentions. If that was not enough, Gill’s aggression rubbed on to Pujara too as he also played a couple of glorious cut shots. Mitchell Starc was promptly taken out of the attack. 

But disaster struck straight after and the bowling change did the trick as Nathan Lyon snared the wicket of a well-set Shubhman Gill. At 91 runs he was all set for his maiden century but a moment of misjudgment led to his downfall. It was a very good hand played by Gill but for now, it was over to Pujara and Rahane to take India forward.

New age India has new-age fans and my son was a bit distraught seeing Rahane coming in at the fall of Gill’s wicket. He was of the opinion that aggression at one end and holding up the other end was the best way to go forward and so he felt Pant should have walked in ahead of Rahane.

Though the name was different the strategy was exactly the same he had predicted and Rahane started off playing aggressively. A lofted six off Lyon made his intentions clear but this was not his natural game and trying to upper-cut a rising delivery from Pat Cummins brought about his downfall and India was three down with 167 on the board with close to half an hour to go for tea.

It was heading towards a classic finish because Australia you felt was just a couple of wickets away from claiming ascendency and India needed a solid hour or so batting from Pant to push the Australians into the defensive.

As a fan, I had followed the 1986 tied test match and this game was getting close to that because it was difficult to pick the winner with a session to play.

After tea, the most important segment of play was the new ball and Australians were eagerly waiting for the 80 overs to complete. In the meantime, Rishabh Pant brought out those outrageous strokes once in a while nothing better than the six against Lyon over long-on – dancing down the track and playing against the turn. What made it even more outrageous was that just a ball before, he was handsomely beaten by a similar delivery which hit the crack and turned and jumped awkwardly beating everyone. But then this was Rishabh Pant. He won’t allow the opposition to take centre stage. As long as he was in the crease it had to be all about him. During the IPL, Ricky Ponting the head coach of the Delhi Daredevils felt that Rishabh was an all-format player and was destined to display a lot of heroics in the future. Little he would have realised that the diminutive keeper was planning an encore at the Australian fortress.

The new ball though did it’s trick and Cheteshwar Pujara got out to a seaming in cutting delivery from Pat Cummins. Throughout the series, Cummins showed why he was the number one bowler in the world. As soon as we thought, India was cruising, out came Pat Cummins and he invariably picked up a wicket.

Pujara’s wicket was a blow to India because he played his role to perfection till then. He kept one end up and all the while kept getting hit on his body. On the last count, a total of 11 deliveries hit him on his body through the innings during the course of which he scored his slowest half-century. He played 200 balls and it was his resilience that allowed the others to play aggressively.

Mayank Agarwal had been in wretched form throughout the series. One advantage of having an opener coming down the order was that playing the new ball came naturally to him. But when a man is not in form you find ways to get out. And after playing a couple of lovely straight drives, he tried a lofted cover drive only to find the fielder and India was 5 down with close to an hour’s play still to go.

Washington Sundar in the first innings showed that he was a genuine all-rounder and his partnership with Rishabh Pant was a very vital one for India. Sundar played aggressively but the shot that stood out was his Nataraja style hook shot against Cummins which sailed for a six over deep square leg.

After seeing that six, one of my friends declared on WhatsApp that India is winning because they are destined to win. You don’t dare the Aussies at the Gabba like that and this team just did that by playing those atrocious shots.

He was right and it was Rishabh Pant who hit the winnings runs to take India to victory.

As the Indian dressing room converged on Rishabh Pant, celebrating the occasion, one figure stood out in the background and that was of a smiling Ajinkya Rahane soaking in the magnanimous of the occasion. It was under him that the Indian team literally rose from the ashes after the horrendous performance in Adelaide.

The top two run-getters in the series were Aussies. The top two wicket-takers were Aussies but it was Team India which came out trumps beating Australia two times in a row within a space of two years and along with it breached the Gabba fortress. India in the process showed the template to the others in the world about how one could defeat Australia in their own den even when the chips were down. Scoring 324 runs on the last day at Gabba was no mean feat especially when teams have struggled to score more than 230 runs in the fourth innings in the last 90 years. Records are surely meant to be broken.

This victory would go down in the annals of history as the best series win by India on foreign soil mainly because of the lack of resources that they faced through out. India played 20 players through the 4 match series – the highest ever by any cricket team in a series and to come up trumps even after that just showed the exemplary spirit and fighting courage that the team possessed.

If there was a Rahane century, then there were Pujara’s stoic half-centuries. If there was the grace of Gill, then there were the sehwagesque Pant’s knocks. And above all, we had the debutants who all came out winners and did their part on the given occasion.

As India celebrates the 50th anniversary of our first overseas series victories in West Indies and England, it in a way was the best return gift to that generation who in a way started the evolution of the Indian cricket team.

As we return back to our daily lives, let’s not forget that we are living in strange times and the pandemic of Covid-19 is yet to leave us and to organise these tours amidst such difficulties in itself deserve a large round of applause.

To all around the world, A Pantastic new year, 2021!

I was speaking to one of my friends earlier today and as expected our discussion soon moved to cricket and he was asking me about my views on the best XI for IPL 2020. So I thought, why not – let’s do it.

We had a great time watching the tournament this year and I must thank all the members of the organising committee to make this tournament happen amidst this Global pandemic. It brought a lot of happiness to the cricket-loving people in India.

We have had some very close matches this year and some great performances too. Remember, never have had we experienced so many tied contests. 

Most players in the XI that I have selected don’t require a debate other than a couple which I will explain in detail below.

Openers: KL Rahul & Shikhar Dhawan

Rahul & Dhawan were the top 2 scorers in this year’s IPL. This makes it an easy choice. Rahul had a fantastic IPL and it has been 3 years in a row now that he has scored more than 500 runs in an IPL tournament. He started with a bang and his innings of 132 against Royal Challengers Bangalore was a treat to watch. His scoring rate dropped as the tournament progressed and it was mainly due to the team’s performance and the losses they bore at the start. He led well and his keeping has improved by leaps and bounds. It’s a rarity that a batsman ends as the top scorer without his team reaching the playoffs. Just shows how consistent he was throughout the league phase.

Shikhar Dhawan played 17 matches. That’s 3 more than Rahul and ended up scoring 52 runs less but still, he was the second-highest scorer in the tournament. He started very bad in the first few matches he got out within the powerplay. But then in the middle of the tournament, he played a sedate 60 odd which got him back to the groove. He roared back to form scoring back to back centuries (first time in IPL) and didn’t look back since. His form against Mumbai Indians was a problem though but Bumrah and Boult were top class.

Middle Order: Surya Kumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan & AB DeVilliers

Surya Kumar Yadav has been on the borderline of getting called into the Indian team for the last 3-4 years but he always missed the bus mainly due to his inconsistency. Rarely has he played in a consistent fashion the way he played this year. He played his part at the start of the tournament without any big contributions but towards the end, he became indispensable for Mumbai Indians. His knock against RCB was the standout where he calmly took the team home and his hurricane knock against Delhi capitals in the first qualifier helped Mumbai Indians reach the finals. He is my number 3 of my playing XI.

Ishan Kishan was not even part of the playing XI when Mumbai Indians started the tournament. But a freak injury to Saurabh Tiwary gave him an opportunity and he immediately capitalised by playing a masterful 99 runs. He didn’t look back since and he played his part in both the Qualifier as well as the finals. You need consistency in the number 4 position and Kishan provides that in this team. He showed his batting power too by hitting 30 sixes in the tournament which was the highest number this year.

You can’t keep AB DeVilliers out of a T20 team – can you? The Mr. 360 of cricket and he was in full display this year too. He must be disappointed that RCB didn’t have a consistent run this year. He is the ideal number 5 in the team and the backup keeper to KL Rahul. What a sight it would be to see Surya Kumar Yadav and ABDV playing together. The two 360 degree players playing together.

A great Top 5 in my books for this year.

Lower Middle Order: Rahul Tewatia, Jofra Archer & Rashid Khan

Rahul Tewatia has been a sensational find this year. He showed his true all-round capabilities throughout the tournament. He was slotted at number 7 throughout the tournament so his chances with the bat were limited but whenever he got an opportunity he delivered nothing better than the turnaround against Kings XI Punjab when he took 30 runs off one of Cottrell to snatch a win from the jaws of defeat. His batting rubbed on to his bowling too and he performed equally well with his leggies by picking up 10 wickets. The best part was that he was economical too. A great number 6. To have a finisher with bowling skills is ideal for the number 6 spot and Rahul Tewatia is ideal for my team this year. Hardik Pandya was the closest to beat him but Pandya didn’t bowl so Tewatia takes his place.

Jofra Archer is one of the best bowlers in world cricket and you can’t really keep him out from your playing XI. Once again a player from Rajasthan Royals makes my team though they didn’t make the finals. Jofra Archer had the best economy rate in the power plays throughout the tournament and he got the team a breakthrough in the early overs. A must-have man in your playing XI. He is quite handy with the bat too and he showed his power in a couple of matches to help his team in critical situations. An ideal number 7.

Rashid Khan is one of the best Limited Overs bowlers in World Cricket today if not the best. He had a relatively slow start this year and one of the reasons was that no batsmen were taking any risks against him. He was not leaking runs but was unable to pick up wickets. But in the latter stages of the tournament, he got his mojo back and started picking up wickets regularly. He had the best economy rate in the tournament and he plays as one of my strike bowlers in this team.

Bowlers: Kagiso Rabada, Jasprit Bumrah & Yuzvendra Chahal

Rabada is the best bowler in the world today along with Jasprit Bumrah. Both of them bowled as per the expectations. Rabada picked up wickets in each and every match-saving one and he walks into the team ahead of Boult because only 4 foreigners are allowed in the playing XI. This was a direct fight between two overseas fast bowlers but I go with Rabada because he got the maximum wickets in the tournament.

Bumrah got the second most number of wickets in the tournament and to think about it he had a very indifferent start. That he finished with 27 wickets (3 less than Rabada playing 2 matches lesser) just proves his worth in the team. He just went better and better as the tournament progressed and he was in top form in the playoffs. A great bowler to have in the team.

Having so many leg spinners in the team might not sound ideal but you need to pick your best XI and Chahal gets into the team on the back of some solid performances. He was the go-to man for Virat Kohli in the toughest situations and he always delivered. A great team man and a wicket-taker. He picked up 21 wickets which was the highest among all spinners in the tournament. 

So what do you think about my playing XI from IPL 2020 which would be led by KL Rahul? Have you built your team yet? Who is in and who is out?

The IPL final is here. 59 matches – 8 teams played against each other and the two best teams in the tournament – Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals were up against each other yesterday in Dubai. Before this tournament started, Delhi Capitals looked like having the best team on paper. That they played to form and reached the finals was an achievement in itself especially because they had never reached the IPL finals before. Delhi Capitals were a bit off colour in the middle of the tournament but they got their act together when it mattered and trounced Sunrisers Hyderabad to pave their way into the finals. Mumbai Indians on the other hand played to form throughout the tournament. They were the defending champions and they played like one throughout the tournament. Rohit Sharma was injured in the latter part of the league phase but that didn’t ditter them because always someone else rose to the occasion whenever the need arised. Only once had a team defended their crown in IPL and that happened in 2010 when Chennai Superkings won. Could Mumbai Indians repeat that feat? That was a big question in everyone’s mind as they took on Delhi Capitals for the IPL finals.

So how did it go?

Here are my 5 points highlights from yesterday’s match.

1. Trent Boult

In Qualifier 1, Trent Boult breathed fire and took out 2 wickets in one over to derail Delhi Capitals but he got a groin strain thereafter and couldn’t take the field. There were doubts if he could take the field in the finals but as it turned out he was fit enough. Yesterday he bowled an absolute peach of a delivery first up. Marcus Stoinis couldn’t get out of the way and nicked to Quinton De Kock. What a start for Mumbai Indians – wicket of the first ball. In the second over he came back with the same zeal and this time he picked up the wicket of Ajinkya Rahane. Delhi Capitals were put on the back foot right at the start of the match. Trent Boult is the only bowler who took a wicket in the powerplays in each and every match in this year’s IPL. He finished with 3 for 30 and he was the primary reason why Delhi Capitals couldn’t put up an imposing total because their powerplay overs were completely messed up.

2. Rishabh Pant

Rishabh Pant is touted as one of the most talented players in India. His hand-eye coordination is superb and he can play strokes that others might only think in their dreams. But one of the biggest problems with Pant is that he ends up throwing away his wicket by trying to play audacious strokes at the most inopportune moments. This was the primary reason why he had a very low scoring IPL this year. When he walked in yesterday, Delhi Capitals was in dire straits. The scoreboard read 22/3 in the 4th over. It was important for him to build a good partnership with Shreyas Iyer to take Delhi Capitals to a respectable total. For the first time in the tournament, Rishabh Pant played true to his talent. He didn’t try any audacious strokes and played balls to its merit. In between, he played some great shots too. Together with Shreyas Iyer he built a partnership of 96 runs in 69 balls and took Delhi Capitals out of danger. Till he was there, Delhi Capitals looked on course to reach 180 but he got out to up the run rate and Delhi fell few runs short which had a telling effect in the end.

3. Shreyas Iyer

Shreyas Iyer is another player in the Delhi Capitals set up who didn’t have a very big tournament as expected other than one or two matches where he played out of the skin. Yesterday he walked in at 16 for 2. Up against him was Trent Boult. He could have been out twice in 3 balls against the short pitch stuff but he somehow survived. Thereafter he put his head down and concentrated on building a long innings. He was ably supported by Rishabh Pant. Pant’s aggression helped Iyer to play his natural game without taking undue risk. Unfortunately, he was unable to continue the momentum after Rishabh Pant got out. He carried his bat through and finished with 65 off 50 balls but the score of 156 runs that Delhi Capitals put up was not good enough.

4. Rohit Sharma

This was Rohit Sharma’s 6th IPL final. In his previous 5 IPL finals, his team always won. This year Rohit Sharma has not been in that scintillating form that people are used to. Add to that he got injured and sat out for quite a few matches. But it was the IPL final and I knew he will make this innings count. From the very first ball, he was in his elements. His 6 against Ashwin in the first over made his intentions clear and he continued in the same zest throughout the innings. 68 off 51 balls ensured a relatively easy victory for Mumbai Indians. He was unable to stay till the end which must have disappointed him but another IPL final and another win and he became the first man to win 6 IPL trophies for his team – 1 with Deccan Chargers and 5 with Mumbai Indians. In my books, he is India’s best white-ball batsman as of now.

5. Ishan Kishan

Ishan Kishan didn’t start in the playing XI for Mumbai Indians this season. But then Saurabh Tiwary got injured and he was drafted in. In the very first match, he scored 99 and from there on he became a permanent face in the Mumbai XI. Match after match he came up with consistently good scores. When Rohit Sharma got injured, he filled the vacancy by coming in as the opener and when Rohit came back he went back to the number 4 slot. Yesterday, Mumbai Indians were off to a great start. They were never under any run rate pressure. When Surya Kumar Yadav got run out, Ishan Kishan walked in with the scoreboard reading 90/2 in the 11th over. Rohit Sharma was going great guns and there was not much pressure on Ishan Kishan. But to his credit, he played freely too. And when Rohit Sharma got out he took the onus to take Mumbai to victory. Though a few wickets fell in the end, with Kishan there Mumbai cruised to victory with Ishan Kishan remaining not out at 33 off 19 balls. He has done his reputation no harm and I won’t be surprised if he gets the senior team call up soon.

So Mumbai Indians won their 5th IPL trophy. Delhi Capitals played well but they were just not good enough against the well-oiled machine of Mumbai Indians. 

This was a tournament that was played under very difficult circumstances. Covid-19 is still creating havoc across the globe but credit has to be given to BCCI and all the organisers who helped in making this tournament a reality. We have had some fantastic matches – some very close encounters – a lot of last ball finishes and a lot of super overs. Credit needs to be given to all the players too because it’s not so easy to play under such a controlled environment but they did it and most importantly they entertained. Millions of people across the globe enjoyed and had a smile on their faces. And to make others smile in such difficult circumstances is an effort weighed in gold.

Trent Boult won the man of the match and Jofra Archer was the man of the tournament. Both of them made this tournament lovely to watch. Devdutt Padikkal rightfully won the Emerging player of the year. All in all, it was a great tournament and it was equally fun to write about it over the last 2 months.

Till we meet again, Take care and God Bless!

One of the best innovations of IPL has been the playoffs. This innovation has ensured that the top 2 sides after the league stage get 2 shots to reach the finals. Delhi Capitals lost to Mumbai Indians in the first qualifier and hence they got another chance to reach their maiden final when they met Sunrisers Hyderabad in Abu Dhabi yesterday. Sunrisers Hyderabad has been on a roll for the last couple of weeks by winning 4 matches on the trot. From the time they got Jason Holder and Wridhiman Saha in the playing XI, their fortunes have changed for the better. In the last match against RCB, Saha was out injured and that left a hole on the top of the order. Unfortunately, he couldn’t make it to the playing XI yesterday too due to his hamstring injury. So how did it go yesterday?

Here are my 5 points highlights from the match.

1. Shikhar Dhawan

Shikhar Dhawan came back roaring to form in the middle of the tournament and scored two back to back centuries. But he didn’t look in good touch in the last couple of matches. He was bowled off an unplayable yorker by Bumrah in the last match. Delhi Capitals made a smart change by asking Marcus Stoinis to open the batting. With Stoinis teeing off from the word go, it became a tad easier for Dhawan. The trademark cut shot over point and the extra cover was on full display yesterday. The pick-up shots on the leg side were also played with aplomb. He was the highest scorer for Delhi yesterday by scoring 78 off 50 balls and was instrumental in giving a solid start to Delhi Capitals.

2. Shimron Hetmeyer

Prithvi Shaw has been a big let down this season. He got ample opportunities but his casual approach has not been very good to watch. Delhi Capitals took a good decision yesterday to drop him and bring in Shimron Hetmeyer. Hetmeyer is regarded as one of the most talented batsmen from the Caribbean these days but he also suffers from inconsistency. Yesterday, Delhi Capitals got a great start and hence Hetmeyer’s job was more of a finisher. He loves that role and he showed the same. 42 off 22 balls was a great performance from him to take his team to 189. His offside lofted shots were played with razor-like precision. He would be a bit disappointed that he couldn’t take Delhi Capitals to 200 runs but credit has to be given to both Sandeep Sharma and Natarajan who bowled 2 very good overs at the end.

3. Kane Williamson

A couple of days back when Kane Williamson guided Sunrisers to victory against RCB, Warner said that Kane is like a banker. How true he was. Here is a batsman who doesn’t allow pressure to build up and plays his natural game at any point in time. I had written this earlier too that if there is one batsman in the world after MS Dhoni who could be called a cool chaser then it was Kane Williamson. Once again yesterday, Sunrisers Hyderabad was under pressure. Sunrisers Hyderabad was not off to a good start and he lost partners around him. With Abdul Samad, he built a good partnership, and though Delhi Capitals were always ahead in the game due to the wickets that they took upfront – till Williamson was there Sunrisers could have won it. Williamson scored 67 off 45 balls and was very aggressive yesterday because he didn’t let the asking rate to climb at all. His wicket in the 17th over, turned the match decisively towards Delhi Capitals.

4. Marcus Stoinis

Delhi Capitals made a great decision to open their batting with Marcus Stoinis yesterday. He is a naturally aggressive batsman and he was in his usual self right from the word go. This rubbed on to Shikhar Dhawan as well and together they built a great opening partnership. 86 runs off 50 balls was a partnership that Delhi Capitals dreamt off when they got Stoinis to open and he delivered. 38 off 27 balls was a job well done but he was definitely not done for the day. He was back with the ball. With Priyam Garg and Manish Pandey going great guns, in came Marcus Stoinis. The scoreboard read 41/1 in 4 overs when he came into bowl. After his first over was over the scoreboard read 44/3. In the space of 6 balls, he took both the wickets of Manish Pandey and Priyam Garg and the Sunrisers’ chase was in disarray. He later again came back to give the biggest blow of the night when he picked up the wicket of Kane Williamson. 3/26 along with 38 runs that he scored while batting got him the Man of the Match yesterday.

5. Kagiso Rabada

Kagiso Rabada is one of the best fast bowlers in world cricket today. He didn’t have a great match the last time around and he was in a different mood yesterday. In his very first ball he bowled David Warner and Delhi Capitals was rocking. With 189 to defend, Delhi knew that the one batsman who could dent their chances big time was David Warner so to get him out early was very important for the team and Rabada did just that. He then came back in the 19th over and killed the chase by picking up 3 wickets. Rabada has this habit of picking up wickets consistently and yesterday he finished with 4/29 and guided Delhi capitals to their maiden IPL final.

Sunrisers lost by 17 runs and when they analyse the match they will realise that it was a match they could have won but their fielding let them down. Lots of butterfingers allowed balls to slip between the legs which cost them useful runs. And on top of that, they missed 4 catches out of which 3 were absolute sitters. Anyway, it was a good campaign for Sunrisers Hyderabad. In the last few matches, they played great cricket and entertained one and all.

For Delhi Capitals it was a great moment because they reached the IPL finals for the first time. They were the only team in IPL which had never reached the finals so this is a great achievement. When IPL started this year they had the best team on paper and to see that everything coming together must be a proud moment for their fans. Let’s hope for a grand finale on Tuesday when Delhi Capitals take on the defending champions, Mumbai Indians.

Momentum is very important. Sunrisers Hyderabad was down in the 7th position going into the final week of the IPL. They had 3 must-win games in their hand and those three matches were against Delhi Capitals, Royal Challengers Bangalore, and Mumbai Indians. They needed to win all 3 to get to the playoffs and they won them and were on a positive momentum getting into the eliminator. Royal Challengers Bangalore on the other hand lost 4 matches in a row and got through to the playoffs only because of a superior run rate. As Sunrisers Hyderabad took on RCB in their eliminator match yesterday, it was quite clear that they had the upper hand. So how did it go in Abu Dhabi yesterday?

Here are my 5 points highlights from the match.

1. AB DeVilliers

The 360 degree player of our generation with no major trophy against his name must be one of the tragic stories in World Cricket. For years he has performed very well for RCB but somehow the team has not performed and they have always gone back disappointed. Yesterday, 2 wickets were down very quickly and AB DeVilliers had a big job in his hands when he walked in at 15/2. The pitch for yesterday’s game seemed to be slow and some balls were gripping. It was not an ideal wicket for a player like ABDV but then he carried on and didn’t play any risky shots. Wickets kept falling around him but he kept his nerve and was probably looking at a strong finish in the last two overs. Natarajan probably bowled the ball of the tournament and got him out and that final push never came. But still, a score of 56 runs when the team scored only 131 – this was an effort worth mentioning.

2. Jason Holder

From the time Jason Holder was drafted in the playing XI, he has been a revelation. He has performed both with the bat as well as the ball. Yesterday he opened the bowling and immediately made an impact by taking the wicket of Virat Kohli. It was a huge blow for RCB and Holder dug it in when he picked up the wicket of Devdutt Padikkal who has been a revelation this season. He finished with 3/25 in his 4 overs and with the bat he finished things off with Kane Williamson with some lusty blows in the final over. He is the number one all-rounder in test match cricket and he just showed why yesterday.

3. T. Natarajan

The bowler with maximum yorkers in this year’s IPL is Natarajan. What a find this has been for India. These are the kind of bowlers India needs at the death. He bowls with pinpoint accuracy when it comes to yorkers. He showed his skills once again yesterday. AB DeVilliers was in the crease and his wicket could have easily made a difference of 30-35 runs at the end but a toe crushing yorker ended AB’s stay in the crease and thereby ensured that SRH need not chase a very big total.

4. Zampa & Chahal

Sunrisers Hyderabad didn’t have a big score to chase but it was a knockout match and strange things happen under pressure. The pitch was slow and it was gripping. Two of the best players of spin was in the middle – Manish Pandey and Kane Williamson and it was important to get both those wickets to slow down the run rate. Zampa did just that by picking up the wicket of Manish Pandey. Chahal, on the other hand, took the wicket of Priyam Garg and together both these spinners didn’t allow the batsmen to break free. Zampa finished with 1/12 in 4 overs and Chahal finished with 1/24 in his 4 overs. That the match went so deep in the final over was only because of this great bowling performance by the 2 leg spinners of RCB.

5. Kane Williamson

If there is one cool batsman under pressure after MS Dhoni, it’s Kane Williamson. Till the time he is in the crease, you can very well breathe easy because he will find a way to take you over the line. The pitch was difficult and the RCB bowlers were bowling well especially the spinners. Siraj had taken 2 wickets and was bowling well too. But, Williamson kept a cool head and knew what he was doing. He just kept his end up and didn’t lose his wicket and in the last 3 overs started to take calculated risks and didn’t allow the asking run rate to go too steep. Along with Jason Holder, he built a match-winning partnership and took his team to victory. Though he was given the Man of the Match award, I think Jason Holder should have got it.

So the Sunrisers move to the 2nd Qualifier. They are the only team ever in IPL history who has won IPL after coming in last to the Playoffs and they are on the right path to repeat the same.

So will it be Sunrisers Hyderabad who will meet Mumbai Indians in the final?

What do you think?

Mumbai Indians played a very laid back game in their last encounter against Sunrisers Hyderabad. They rested some of their big guns and were demolished by SRH. Negative momentum is not something which is good and there was this feeling that losing in such a manner was not a good omen for Mumbai Indians. Delhi Capitals on the other hand was coming off a big victory against Royal Challengers Bangalore. One of the advantages of being in the top 2 in the IPL table is that you get two chances to reach the finals. So when Mumbai Indians met Delhi Capitals in Dubai yesterday both the teams knew that it was not a knockout but a victory would assure them a place in the finals. Mumbai Indians brought back all their big guns, Boult, Bumrah, and Hardik Pandya in the playing XI and expected them to perform big-time with the additional rest that they got.

So how did it go yesterday?

Here are my 5 points highlights from yesterday’s match.

1. Surya Kumar Yadav

Suryakumar Yadav is one of the most talented players in the Indian domestic circuit. He is the Indian version of AB DeVilliers when it comes to the range of strokes that he has in his repertoire. One thing that has always worked against him has been consistency. But this year he changed that. He played innings after innings during the league stages when he guided the team home without getting dismissed. He has now grown in confidence and the selectors must be itching to get him into the Indian team at least in the T20 version. Yesterday, Mumbai Indians lost Rohit Sharma early but Suryakumar Yadav along with Quinton De Kock didn’t allow the pressure to build. QDK was the aggressor initially and after he got out, Surya Kumar Yadav took over. He took on the bowlers with aggression and ensured that the run rate was always close to 9 per over. He finally got out at 51 and I think he would be very disappointed that he missed out on a big score.

2. Ravichandran Ashwin

The only bowler from Delhi Capitals who had any effect yesterday, it was Ashwin. Most people do not regard him highly when it comes to T20 but he just showed how effective he in this tournament. He opened the bowling on multiple occasions and yesterday also it was no different. He got success right away when he picked up the wicket of Rohit Sharma. With Quinton De Kock going great guns, whom does the captain turn to? Again Ravichandran Ashwin. And he didn’t disappoint because he picked up that wicket too. As soon as Surya Kumar Yadav got out, Delhi Capitals found a window, and Ashwin was brought back again against Pollard and he delivered again by picking up his wicket. He finished with 3/29 in his 4 overs and must be mightily disappointed seeing that the opposition still ended up scoring 200 runs.

3. The slog overs 

It doesn’t happen often that a team loses two of their top batsmen for ducks and still score 200 runs. But then Mumbai Indians are 4 times champions of IPL for a reason and that was amplified once again yesterday. When Hardik Pandya walked in the scoreboard read 5/140 in 16 overs. One wicket at that stage and Mumbai would have been in trouble but Hardik Pandya and Ishan Kishan didn’t allow that to happen. The next 4 overs went for 60 runs and from scoring an average total it became too big a total. Hardik Pandya scored 37 of those but one should also applaud the performance of Ishan Kishan who brought up his 50 in style in the very last ball by hitting a six. Those last 4 overs basically shut the door for Delhi Capitals.

4. Trent Boult

Chasing 200 is any day a difficult proposition in a T20 match. The only way one can do that is by coming out positive and go big in the first 6 overs. But to do that against the big in-form bowlers like Boult and Bumrah – it’s a very tough assignment. Boult has taken 13 wickets in the powerplays this season and hence Mumbai Indians expected a breakthrough from him yesterday too. He delivered big time because his first over virtually sealed the Delhi chase. First, he picked up Prithvi Shaw, and then 2 balls later he picked up Ajinkya Rahane. Delhi was left tottering at 0/2 at the end of the first over. Unfortunately, Boult got injured and Mumbai Indians would be pretty concerned about him because his performance has been one of the reasons why Mumbai Indians topped the table this year.

5. Jasprit Bumrah

Mumbai Indians rested both Boult and Bumrah in the last match to have them fresh yesterday. And boy, they performed. Both of them steamed in and bowled unplayable deliveries. Boult left Delhi Capitals tottering at 0/2 in the first over and Bumrah followed suit by picking up the wicket of Shikhar Dhawan by an absolutely unplayable yorker. Delhi Capitals were in a mess with the scoreboard reading 0/3. They never recovered from there and Bumrah of course was not done for the day. He picked up another 3 wickets to finish at 4/14 in 4 overs to guide his team to victory. He was rightfully adjudicated as the Man of the Match.

So Mumbai Indians marched on to the finals and looks all set to retain the IPL trophy. But before closing off I must appreciate the performance of Marcus Stoinis. The margin of victory was 57 runs for Mumbai Indians and that too it happened after that horrible start was a miracle in itself. It was only possible due to the stellar role that Marcus Stoinis played. He had a good day at the office by scoring 65 runs and had an enterprising partnership of 71 runs with Axar Patel. 

Delhi Capitals must take a lot of heart from the way they fought back. The last 4 overs when they bowled and the first 2-3 overs of their batting left them vanquished but I am very sure they will come back strongly in the next match which would be of course a knockout.

Who will be their opponents? We will come to know today.

Sunrisers Hyderabad was virtually out of reckoning coming into the last week but they significantly turned it around by defeating Delhi Capitals and Royal Challengers Bangalore. As they took the field yesterday against Mumbai Indians they had a simple equation in front of them – win and seal the third spot. Mumbai Indians, on the other hand, had already secured the top spot and it was not surprising that they rested Bumrah, Boult, and Hardik Pandya yesterday. Kolkata Knight Riders also had an eye in this game because they needed Mumbai Indians to win so that they could stay put in the 4th position. So how did it go in Sharjah yesterday?

Here are my 5 points highlights from the game.

1. Kieron Pollard

Mumbai Indians had a disastrous start. Sunrisers Hyderabad didn’t give away anything on the field other than a couple of misfields. Their bowlers were bowling tight lengths and their spinners were getting significant turn. Quinton De Kock, Suryakumar Yadav, and Ishan Kishan tried to steady the ship but all got out to aggressive shots and Mumbai Indians were tottering at 82/5 in 12 overs when Keiron Pollard walked in. His primary objective was to play out the 20 overs and help Mumbai Indians reach a respectable total. To be fair he did his bit. He was aggressive and took calculated risks without much support from the other end. He finished with 41 runs off 25 balls and he was the only reason why Sunrisers Hyderabad chased 150 for victory.

2. Sandeep Sharma

Sandeep Sharma has been a revelation in this year’s IPL. Everybody felt that Bhuvaneshwar Kumar’s absence would hurt Sunrisers’ chances but Sandeep Sharma took over the vacancy with aplomb and in the last few matches took the wickets of the main batsmen of the opposition. It was no different yesterday. He picked up the wickets of Rohit Sharma and Quinton De Kock within the powerplay and later on in the innings took the wicket of Ishan Kishan to break a flowering partnership between Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav. He finished with 3/34 and was instrumental for the below-average score that Mumbai Indians put up on the board yesterday.

3. Shahbaz Nadeem

A surprise addition in the last couple of matches, Shahbaz Nadeem didn’t let his team down. Shahbaz is a very experienced bowler in the domestic circuit and he is known for wicket to wicket bowling. He is not so easy to hit because he hardly misses the length or line. With all the main bowlers going well, his job yesterday was to ensure that he bowls tightly so that the Mumbai batsmen don’t break free. But he went one step further and changed the template of the match in the 12th over when he picked up the wickets of Suryakumar Yadav and Krunal Pandya within a space of 3 balls. 81/2 suddenly became 81/4 and Mumbai couldn’t recover thereafter. Nadeem finished with 2/19 in his 4 overs and was adjudicated as the man of the match.

4. Wridhiman Saha

Wridhiman Saha has played a significant role in the turnaround of Sunrisers Hyderabad in the last 3 matches. He was brought in to replace Johnny Bairstow and was asked to open. He didn’t disappoint in any of the matches and in fact, did much more than expected by his power hitting. People do not expect Saha to be a power hitter but he is a solid batsman and he just amplified this over the last 3 matches. Yesterday, Sunrisers was chasing 150 runs and what they needed was a solid start. They didn’t want to lose early wickets because that was the only way Mumbai Indians could have come back into the match. It doesn’t happen often that Mumbai Indians get beaten by 10 wickets and that’s exactly what happened yesterday thanks to the unbroken partnership between Saha and Warner. Saha scored 58 off 45 balls to guide Sunrisers to the playoffs.

5. David Warner

David Warner is one of the most successful batsmen in IPL history. He has scored above 500 runs in each of the IPLs over the last 5-6 years. He didn’t start well this year mainly because he was concerned about the middle order. But as Williamson got fit and Manish Pandey found form, we could see the aggressive Warner back. Over the last 3 matches, he got an able opening partner too who with his aggressive batting made the job easier for Warner. Yesterday Warner didn’t leave anything to chance and played his natural game. He was at his aggressive best and I must say Saha’s performance must have given him that confidence. He played a captain’s knock of 85 runs in 58 balls to lead his team to the playoffs.

The last few matches in this year’s IPL have been very onesided and it just shows that some teams have picked up their games at the fag end. Sunrisers Hyderabad is one of them and according to me one of the most dangerous teams going into the playoffs. That they have beaten all the 3 other teams who are in playoffs in their last 3 matches must work like magic for them.

So who do you think has the best chance to win the IPL amongst the 4 teams?

It was a clash for the second spot when RCB met Delhi Capitals in Abu Dhabi yesterday. For losers of the match, it was a bit of a tight situation because they needed to keep their Net Run Rate above KKR to ensure a third or 4th place finish. The equation was like this:

For RCB: If they win, they will secure the 2nd spot. If they lose by a margin of less than 21 runs or 12 balls remaining, then they will qualify.

For Delhi Capitals: If they win, they will secure the 2nd spot. If they lose by less than 17 runs or 9 balls remaining, then they will qualify.

This match was equally important for KKR because they had a chance to secure a top 4 finish if it was not a close match. So how did it go yesterday?

Here are my 5 points highlights from the match.

1. Devdutt Padikkal

Devdutt Padikkal has stamped his authority in this year’s IPL. With over 400 runs in his debut IPL, he already got the record books interested. He has been consistent enough and yesterday, RCB needed him to come good. He was positive from the word go and his trademark shots on the offside and Nataraj style pull shots were all on display. In the process, he brought up his 5th half-century of the season which incidentally is the highest number of half-centuries by any debutant in IPL history. The emerging player award seems to be done and dusted.

2. Anrich Nortje

Arguably the fastest bowler in the world today, Delhi Capitals are hugely blessed to have him in the team. To operate along with Rabada makes this Delhi Capitals line up so dangerous. That they lost 3 matches in a row was unfathomable but then cometh the hour – cometh the men. Nortje didn’t err in length yesterday other than a couple of balls that were hit for boundaries. What really mattered was wickets. To keep the opposition under control you need to pick up wickets at regular intervals and Nortje did just that. He finished with 3/33 in 4 overs and was rightly adjudicated as the man of the match.

3. Kagiso Rabada

Kagiso Rabada has been ruling the wicket charts this season but one surprising stat was that he was yet to get a wicket in the powerplays. A bowler of his calibre was expected to pick up wickets upfront but he failed to do that this season. Add to that in a couple of matches he was belted around for runs because he erred in length. Yesterday with the team on the line, we got the Rabada of old on the field. In the very first over of his spell, he dismissed Joshe Philippe. He hardly erred in length yesterday and finished with 2/30 in his 4 overs.

4. Shikhar Dhawan

After scoring a couple of centuries this season, Shikhar Dhawan went off the boil and along with it Delhi’s fortunes all went downhill. Delhi was not chasing a big total yesterday but Dhawan was in no mood to go slow. He started with his trademark cover drives and didn’t allow any of the bowlers to settle down. Even after losing Prithvi Shaw, he didn’t allow the run rate to drop. As Rahane got his eye in, Dhawan kept attacking the bowlers. In the process, he brought up his half-century. He need not have played that cute shot against Shahbaz Ahmed to lose his wicket but his innings of 54 runs ensured an easy victory for Delhi Capitals.

5. Ajinkya Rahane

Rahane got a grand opportunity today to show his class. With not a big score to chase, he went about building a match-winning partnership with Dhawan. He took his time to settle down but kept hitting the loose balls. Rahane’s only motto yesterday was to take Delhi Capitals to the playoffs and he played as per the situation. His score of 60 runs off 46 balls amplifies the fact that he didn’t get bogged down yesterday and kept scoring runs at a fair clip. His form would give a lot of confidence to the Delhi Capitals’ team management going into the playoffs.

So RCB loses their 4th match in a row but their spin bowlers ensured that Delhi didn’t win it within 17.3 overs. This ensured a place in the playoffs for RCB but this losing momentum must be bothering the team management. They will be facing a team that will come with a win on their back so it won’t be easy for them in the eliminator.

Delhi Capitals finally did what was expected of them which was a top 2 finish. 

So what do you think? Will RCB get rid of this losing momentum in the eliminator?

With Chennai Superkings winning their last match against Kings XI Punjab, the 4th spot opened up for both Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals who met each other in Dubai yesterday. KKR has been very inconsistent this season and they needed their foreign recruits to come big at the business end of the tournament. Rajasthan Royals on the other hand were coming into this match with 2 back to back victories with Ben Stokes being in magnificent touch. A do or die battle awaited all IPL fans yesterday night which was expected to be a cracker of a contest. So how did it go yesterday?

Here are my 5 points highlights of yesterday’s match.

1. Eoin Morgan

The new captain of KKR was yet to fire in this year’s IPL. He played some stunning knocks but the consistency was lacking. Secondly, a strange policy didn’t allow him to play the maximum deliveries with him not coming in at number 4. Yesterday KKR had a decent start but 2 wickets in the 9th over suddenly opened up things for Rajasthan Royals. Morgan strode in at 74/3 and had a job in hand to guide his team to a sizeable total. KKR had a very bad net run rate so they were under extreme pressure to put up a very big score because that gave them the maximum chance to qualify for the playoffs. With more wickets falling around him, Eoin Morgan couldn’t take undue risks but to his credit, he didn’t allow the pressure to build up. He opened up in the last few overs and started timing the ball aplomb. The six that he hit off Stokes just showed how talented he is. That one over of marvelous hitting took the winds out of the Rajasthan Royals’ attack. KKR was wrong by not batting him consistently at number 4. He finished with 68 off 35 balls with 6 sixes to take KKR to a very sizeable total of 192.

2. Andre Russell

Andre Russell has been a pale shadow of his usual self in this year’s IPL. One of the reasons why KKR struggled this year because of the lack of form of Russell. He was not 100% fit yesterday but he played only because it was a do or die match for the team. He walked in 99 for 5 with KKR struggling big time once again in putting up a good score. Any more wicket at that stage and Rajsthan Royals would have been all over KKR. But Russell was in no mood to fail. He did get out after scoring only 25 but he scored them in just 10 balls and his innings ensured that KKR will have a sizeable score to defend. If KKR qualifies for the playoffs then the innings played by Russell will give them a lot of heart and belief that they can compete in this tournament.

3. Rahul Tewatia

Rahul Tewatia has been one of the surprise finds of this year’s IPL. Nobody really knew much about him but he single-handedly won a few matches for Rajasthan Royals. His grand performance with the bat rubbed on to his bowling too and over the last few matches, his bowling improved by leaps and bounds. Yesterday he was taken for a few runs in the first over but he came back strongly to pick up the wickets of Shubhman Gill and Sunil Naraine. He finished with 3/25 in his 4 overs which was a great performance and till the time he was bowling it didn’t look like KKR would be able to build up such a big score. Unfortunately, his fancied colleagues didn’t have a good day. With the bat, he tried his bit but it was a mountain to climb yesterday after the top order exploded for Rajasthan Royals.

4. Catches win matches

Though KKR scored a good enough total, they still needed to pick up wickets to keep Rajasthan Royals under pressure. Dinesh Karthik has been having a very wretched IPL this year with the bat. Yesterday also he got out in the very first ball to put his team under pressure. But behind the stumps, he still remains one of the best wicket-keepers in the country. He showed that why in the very third over of the Rajasthan Royals’ chase. He threw himself to his left as the ball flew off Ben Stokes’ bat to pull off an absolute stunner to derail the Rajasthan chase. He picked up another 3 catches yesterday to finish with 4 catches. His heroics behind the stumps yesterday took him ahead of MS Dhoni with maximum dismissals for a wicketkeeper in IPL.

5. Pat Cummins

Kolkata Knight Riders acquired the services of Pat Cummins because they needed a world-class fast bowler who could pick up wickets in the power plays. To his credit, he didn’t go for runs and has been one of the top performers when it comes to economy rate in the first 6 overs. But what he lacked throughout the tournament were wickets. He was unable to pick up top-order wickets consistently. Yesterday KKR had a big score to defend but they needed wickets upfront because 3 of the best batsmen in world cricket were in the opposition ranks. Unfortunately, Pat Cummins got his line absolutely wrong in the first over. He went for 19 runs in the first 5 balls that he bowled. The 6th ball was once again on the leg stump and Uthappa could have hit it anywhere in the field but his shot when straight to the deep square leg fielder and this gave the lifeline to Pat Cummins and KKR both. There was no looking back for Pat Cummins thereafter as he took out another 3 wickets in his next 2 overs to leave Rajasthan Royals reeling at 35/5 from where they never recovered and handed a big victory to KKR. He finished with 4/34 and was adjudicated as the Man of the Match.

A 60 runs victory for KKR took them to the 4th spot. The big margin helped in their net run rate but is it good enough would only be known tomorrow and the day after as Delhi Capitals, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Sunrisers Hyderabad slog out amongst themselves to push KKR out of the top 4.

Rajasthan Royals bow out of IPL 2020 and finished last not a perfect end to the tournament. This has been a very closely fought IPL because you never see a team winning 6 matches and still finishing last. This is the beauty of IPL because all teams are evenly matched.

So what do you think? Will KKR reach the playoffs? 

KingsXI Punjab had a horrible start to this year’s IPL but they came back very strongly over the middle period thanks to Chris Gayle who made a great contribution in each of those matches. They needed to win their final match against Chennai Super Kings to keep their chances intact as far as reaching the playoffs was concerned. Chennai Superkings, on the other hand, has been on a roll themselves by winning their last 2 matches and though they were out of the tournament they wanted to finish the tournament on a high. So it was in this context that both these teams met each other in Abu Dhabi yesterday afternoon.

So how did it go?

Here are my 5 points highlights from yesterday’s match.

1. Opening partnership 

Mayank Agarwal was back in the Kings XI line up after a bit of an injury break. This was good news for Kings XI because they needed to put up a good score. To get a sizeable total in a T20 match it was vital for Kings XI to get a fast and solid start. Mayank Agarwal was aggressive from the word go and Kings XI had a very good start. It was good as long as it lasted before Ngidi bowled Mayank Agarwal with a sharp incoming delivery to cut short the partnership and opened the door for CSK. 48 runs in 5 overs was the start that Kings XI needed and they were given the platform that was needed.

2. Deepak Hooda

Though Kings XI Punjab had a good start, their middle-order faltered. They kept losing wickets in the middle overs with Gayle, Pooran, and Neesham failing to be amongst the runs. From 40/0 in 5 overs they suddenly slumped to 113/6 in 17 overs. A must-win match suddenly looked like a one-sided one. CSK like many others probably didn’t expect Deepak Hooda to counter-attack though. Here is one player who had been in the fringes for a long period of time with never being consistent. He reminded everyone yesterday that the talent remained as it was a couple of years back. He was the only batsman in the Kings XI set up who looked in complete control while hitting the balls. He picked his spots beautifully and executed them very well. The lofted cover drives were a treat to watch. Deepak Hooda remained not out on 62 off 30 balls and was primarily responsible to take Kings XI to 153.

3. Lungi Ngidi

On his day, Ngidi is a very dangerous bowler. He has sharp in cutters which fox batsmen regularly because they come in very fast. He is the kind of bowler who bowls with the flow and that’s where Dhoni missed a trick by not bowling him through. He was simply unplayable initially but his figures were messed up by Deepak Hooda at the end because the wicket lacked sting after 15 overs. 3/39 in his 4 overs might not look as great figures but the wickets of Mayank and Rahul in his first spell were the reasons why Kings XI Punjab was kept within a manageable total at the end.

4 . Faf du Plessis

Faf Du Plessis was the early aggressor yesterday. He has been one batsman for CSK who has been in good form right from Day 1 of this tournament. Yesterday he wanted to finish on a high, not only for himself but also for his team. Kings XI didn’t expect this counter-attacking start by the CSK openers. In Ruturaj he got a partner who knew how to keep his end up. CSK needed a steady start and Faf along with Ruturaj provided the same. Faf was all set for another half-century but it was cut short at 48 when he nicked one to Rahul against Jordan. An opening partnership of 82 runs in 10 overs was more than a good start that CSK needed yesterday.

5 . Ruturaj Gaikwad

Ruturaj Gaikwad has been a revelation in the last few matches. Finally, he showed the world why he is regarded as one of the best batsmen in India in the domestic circuit. He scored masterful half-centuries in the last 2 matches and he continued from where he left off. He played second fiddle to Faf Du Plessis initially and got himself into the groove. With Faf ensuring that the asking rate was being kept in control, it was easy for Ruturaj to get his eye in. He changed gears only after Faf got out. Those crisp square drives and the punches through the offside were a treat to the eyes. Once again he played right through and took CSK to victory. 153 was not a big total to chase but Ruturaj Gaikwad made it even easier and his 62 runs off 48 balls ensured that CSK finished the match within the 19th over and thereby confirming a 7th spot for the team. 3 Man of the matches in a row for Ruturaj is no mean achievement and we can look forward to more heroics next year.

Kings XI Punjab needed to win this match to keep themselves in the running for the PlayOffs. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. They had a stellar run during the middle period of this year’s IPL but they now bow out.

For CSK they got their act together too late in the tournament but their last 3 matches provided us with a glimpse of what we can expect in 2021. The buzzword in the afternoon was “Definitely Not” – when Dhoni confirmed that it’s not his final IPL match. A great relief for all his fans who look forward to seeing him on the field again in 2021.

This result gave a lifeline to both KKR and Rajasthan Royals because both of them now needed a victory to move to the 4th spot.

This has been a very closely fought IPL and who will get the coveted 4th spot remains unclear with just 3 matches to go.

So who do you think will make it to the Top 4? 

Subscribe

Get top posts delivered to your inbox