A morale-booster for the five-time champions, while Pandya & Co should be careful of not losing momentum further
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00:00Hello everyone. Welcome to Straight Bad with Gulf News and Mr Cricket UAE. That is Aneesh
00:13Rajan. A thrilling win for Mumbai in IPL today. We will discuss that and more of that. And
00:19joining me and Aneesh today are Naresh Mansukwani of Mumbai Indian Fan and Gulf News Senior
00:25Associate Editor, Gautam Bhattacharya. Aneesh, tell us something about today's match. A last
00:32ball win, really, isn't it?
00:34Thank you, Shyam. Hello, Mr Gautam. And hello, Naresh. A thrilling match, like you mentioned.
00:42There were matches where Gujarat Titans won, where they should have lost. The two finishers,
00:47Kewatia and Miller, were able to finish games. Today, we can see they ran out of luck. Maybe
00:52they will not be so unhappy losing today than losing in the playoffs. So, this defeat
00:57might be a learning experience that they said batsmen have to finish games off.
01:00Naresh, you must be really, really happy today after coming off Mumbai's miserable run. This
01:08is the second win for Mumbai and came under very fortuitous circumstances. I felt that
01:14Gujarat lost the match rather than Mumbai win. Do you agree with me there?
01:19I agree for the simple fact that the way Mumbai played the first half when we were batting,
01:2497 for 1 and the second half was 80 for 6. So, somewhere we lost the way in the second
01:32half of our batting. And the kind of bowling attack we have and what we have seen in this
01:37season, we needed at least 200 to make a match and defend this. But the way we have bowled
01:43again in the second half, you see the trend has been the same. Both the teams losing the
01:48openers and then there is a struggle. A 100-run partnership between Saha and Gill was broken.
01:54Both went in the same over. And then the struggle started for Gujarat. But we need to give credit
02:00where it deserves. Daniel Sams, who has had a miserable season, you can say. He was hit
02:06for 35 by Pat Cummins. And Pat Cummins is not in the playing XI now. So, in a way, good
02:13way to come back. He did very well in this last over. So, yeah, a very, very good win.
02:18It's kind of very refreshing to see two back-to-back wins. And the way Mumbai has been having that
02:25reputation of how they make comebacks.
02:27Okay. Let's rewind to the beginning of today's match. Gautam, perhaps one of the best starts
02:35for Mumbai, isn't it? 74 or 45 balls between Rohit Sharma and Kishan Kishan. Perhaps that
02:43set the tone for the match.
02:45Yes. It was the best powerplay start. That's what I learnt. And of course, Rohit was a
02:56belter of a wicket and Rohit looked perfectly in the zone. I mean, he could have carried
03:00on and on. But once reaching just at about 40, he looks a bit… I don't know. I mean,
03:09if his fitness comes into question or anything, I mean, at that point, a river-sweep of Rashid
03:14Khan. When you know that Rashid's dangerous deliveries are the ones that stress him, or
03:20the wrong ones, that opened up the gateway. Otherwise, he could have really had a big
03:24one today.
03:26And it was a very different evening from Rohit today, isn't it? Very positive, good intent
03:33there. And he was timing the ball and even his placement was very good. In fact, he is
03:39looking good today, isn't it?
03:41You are right, Shyam. But Gautam hit the nail. You know, the fitness. Like, we could see
03:46him huffing and puffing. And he looked tired. That river-sweep, you know what, it's now
03:53easy for us to say, shouldn't have come. But the fact remains that Rohit Sharma likes
03:57to pace on the ball. He was finding… He can't read, let's be very honest, he can't
04:02read Rashid Khan. Very few players can read Rashid Khan. And he wanted to play some different
04:06shots and get away with him. But in the end, he paid the price and that opened the gates
04:11for Gujarat. And let's be very honest, that spell of Rashid Khan, the last two overs brought
04:17them back so much into the game that the 220 score became 180. But I am afraid Gujarat
04:22did the same mistake while batting.
04:24Yeah, true. Very true about Rashid Khan. I mean, four overs, 24 runs, he played a major
04:31role in slicing open the Mumbai batting. Naresh, Pollard has been a miserable failure. Not
04:39just miserable, very abject failure, I would say. He hasn't fired in a single match this
04:43year. Do you think it's the end of the road for Pollard?
04:47You know, I would like to see him at least get a break for a couple of games. And get
04:54bravest in. You can say he bowled as a 6th bowler, bowled couple of overs and got a wicket.
05:00But that's not his role. His role is finishing the innings at a strike rate of at least 150,
05:05170, which he has not been able to do at all this season. Not a single game, you can say.
05:11So, he got out to Rashid Khan. He couldn't read the ball. And he missed 12 balls for
05:164 runs. You know, how important on this wicket, as Gautam said, it was a belter of a wicket.
05:22You know, those 15-20 runs, what we needed, because it's really good this bowling attack
05:27could defend it. But that phase of Pollard's inning could have been a decider if we had
05:32lost.
05:34Gautam, like Anil said, Rashid Khan is a difficult cookie. It's not easy to get him away.
05:44See, they took 13 of his first overs. But finally, he hit back and he finished with 4 overs,
05:4924 runs, 2 wickets. We have discussed this in the past also. What is it that makes Rashid
05:56Khan difficult? Because he is primarily a googly bowler who occasionally bowls a leg
06:02break. But he is faster through the air. So, what is it that makes him difficult for batsmen?
06:07Even after so many seasons with IPL, they still find it difficult to decipher him.
06:12I think this year, he has added a few things in his bag of tricks, Shyam. I know that if
06:22we say that if we treat him as a googly bowler, one can play him and if one keeps playing
06:27him in the V. But then, this delivery which got Pollard, I mean, it was like meddling
06:33off. And then, it was actually a leg break which took off his off-stump and went out.
06:37So, how do you deal with a guy like this? So, this is the kind of damage which he used
06:42to do for Sunrisers. And with his performance so far, if GT can keep up this tempo, he is
06:51a sure-fire contender for the MVP.
06:54Anil, we have been talking about Tim David. I know you were very critical of Mumbai when
07:02he dropped Tim David after purchasing him for a ransom. And now, he is coming into his
07:08own. So, do you think Tim David can replace Pollard?
07:11Well, you know what? I wouldn't like to judge a player on the basis of one inning. And comparing
07:19him with Pollard from the same league is a little difficult. But yes, he came on the
07:23back of a very good series in Pakistan in the PSL. And that's the reason they went
07:29hard for him. But after two matches, to drop him was not fair. Because in IPL, big players
07:34have found it difficult to get going. And now, we can see the last two games, he has
07:38been hitting the ball hard. And today, his innings, in the end, gave an extra impetus
07:43where Mumbai would have finished probably 160-165. They came to 180. So, he is a good
07:49future player. But now, how much of cricket is he going to play? Because he is Singapore-born.
07:53I don't know where he is going to play. Does he play for Australia? I am not sure about it.
07:56Yeah. He is playing most of his cricket in Australia, especially in the Big Bash League.
08:03He has been such a hit there. But I think we will see more of him in the next year as well.
08:08Now, the Gujarat chase. It got off to a brilliant start, isn't it? 100-100 for Nolas in 12 overs.
08:17What were your thoughts exactly at that point in the race?
08:21Well, it looked one-sided when they were 100 without loss. You know, that they would go
08:26easy and get this chase done. But yeah, that over of Murugan Ashwin, it was more to do
08:32with both the batters. You can say similar that they had 50-plus. They probably looked
08:38a bit tired. They were wanting to still go quicker so that they continue to have a healthy
08:45net run rate and both gave wickets, catches in the deep. But yeah, what happened next
08:51was that the others were struggling. And that is where we could come back in the game.
08:55But yeah, when these two were going on, it looked as if this was a very easy chase.
09:01Even in the last over, it was something like 11 runs repaired of 6 balls and it came down to…
09:079 of 6 actually, yeah.
09:099 of 6, huh? And it came down to 7 of 3, isn't it?
09:147 of 3.
09:15Because even at that point, it was still not game over actually.
09:20Until Daniel Sands bowled his two dot balls. At any point during the last over, did you
09:29think that Mumbai would win?
09:33Because we have seen what Miller and Tevatia have done in this season itself.
09:40And what Daniel Sands' struggle has been this season. So, that's where I feel that
09:46he really did very well. First to bowl the last over. We had a choice, I think, in Meredith.
09:52But Rohit or Daniel Sands for the last over. So, we can be critical on Rohit Sharma.
09:58But this was a very, very risky and a very productive move that he gave Daniel Sands the last over.
10:04So, yeah. But with Miller and Tevatia, even the last ball, I felt they needed 7, I think.
10:126.
10:14It was possible because Miller was there. But I think Daniel Sands kept one thing in mind.
10:20He was to bowl slower ones, wide outside the off-sum. But good enough that it is not called a wide.
10:25And I think he was very perfect to that.
10:28Gautam, did you think that Tevatia run-out was a critical factor here?
10:32Absolutely. I mean, if Pandya's run-out took it down to the wire, as long as Tevatia and Miller were together,
10:42I thought that they are again going to pull it off. Because, you see, given the kind of pressures
10:47that they had handled in the past, this was very much par for the course.
10:52But that put the pressure on Miller. And then finally, he couldn't connect.
10:57As you know, if you can't keep that ball, then the best of batsmen can miss out on 4 or 6.
11:05This could have been a 6 on another day.
11:09Anyway, no harm done for Gujarat Titans simply because they are still on 8 points from 11 games.
11:15And they are pretty much still with them. Their knock-out chances remain unharmed.
11:20But Mumbai still remain at the bottom of the league with 4 points.
11:24Anish, earlier in the show, you said that Gujarat had won games from losing positions.
11:31That's basically saying that they have won lost matches. And here's a match which they nearly won, they lost.
11:38Do you think this will affect their morale in such a way? Because what happens is,
11:43when you hit a slippery slope, it's difficult to come back.
11:48So now we are almost getting to the business end of the league.
11:53How will it impact Gujarat?
11:56Well, it will hurt them definitely. But they will take this as a lesson.
12:00Because they have 3 games before the play-off. They need to win 1 game to get into the top 4.
12:05And I believe they should get into the top 4. That will be their main goal.
12:09Yes, this defeat will definitely haunt them.
12:12But fortunately, it has not come out in a knock-out game or probably in a game which will hate their progress.
12:18So, I think they will take it in their stride positively.
12:21Because they will remember that they have won games from losing positions.
12:24So, this is something which will make them realise that you can win games, you can also lose games.
12:31Alright, now we are heading for our predictions for a doubleheader tomorrow.
12:34Before that, Anish, let's know about the contest.
12:39Oh yes, every day you need to predict the winner. I had predicted Gujarat today very honestly from the beginning.
12:44And in the end, I was flabbergasted and surprised that Mumbai pulled it off.
12:49But you win, predict. And you win a beautiful apparel kit.
12:53That is a t-shirt rack and a cap. And a year's rental Galaxy subscription. That's the beauty.
13:00And we have been getting all our predictions wrong. But that has not stopped us from predicting.
13:04Let's predict the doubleheader tomorrow.
13:06Mahesh, you go first for the first match. That is the Punjab Kings vs Rajasthan Royals.
13:11Who is your pick?
13:13I am favouring Rajasthan for this game because it is an afternoon game.
13:18And I feel they have a good experience spin attack that can be effective in the afternoon game at Wankhede.
13:24And Josh Butler would like playing in the day at Wankhede. So, I am going with Rajasthan for this game.
13:32Gautam, Naresh says he is going with Rajasthan. But Rajasthan has come off a defeat which is not exactly flattering for them.
13:40Whereas, Punjab is coming off a win. So, what is your pick here?
13:46I think I will have to go with Rajasthan. Certainly, the edge will be with Rajasthan.
13:50If anything, Punjab does. It will be a surprise factor.
13:53The day game is certainly going to be a big help with Butler's fondness for Wankhede.
14:01So, that is one. And for the second game, yes, I think I will have to go with Lucknow.
14:08I will come to that later. So, we have two guys backing Rajasthan. What is your pick?
14:16I will back Rajasthan. They have a good attack. But only thing is that they are also coming back on the back of two defeats.
14:22So, we will see how they can lift themselves. But I am backing Butler to go against Lucknow.
14:28Yeah, because I also agree with you guys. All four votes go to Rajasthan.
14:32Why I back is simply because Rajasthan is a well-rounded team as far as I am concerned.
14:38But it is just that their batting is too dependent on Josh Butler.
14:43But otherwise, they have a good attack. And in fact, they are one of the few teams which have batted first
14:48or defended their scores and won several of their games.
14:53So, they have a decent attack there with Chahal, Laxmin and Bolt and the rest.
15:00Now, for the second game, Lucknow Super Giants meet Kolkata Knight Raiders.
15:06Since Kolkata is there, Gautam, I will let you go first.
15:11So, Kolkata honestly had been very up and down.
15:15Last match, with those number of shuffles and all, they went over the line.
15:21But it is difficult to see them for two or three matches on the trot.
15:26And make a real impact. Basically, to do what they did last year in UAE.
15:31I don't see them doing that.
15:33So, I would rather put my money on LSG because they have got a number of new aces up their sleeves.
15:40Like this new left-arm Sima Mohsin, I think.
15:49Mohsin has really added another X factor. So, I would like to go with Lucknow Super Giants.
15:55Naresh, what about you?
15:58Because KKR is coming off a win. But they have been up and down.
16:03And I think they are the most unsettled side.
16:05In the sense, they have used the maximum number of players in this IPL.
16:09So, they are still searching for a winning combination there.
16:13Yeah, I will also go with Lucknow.
16:16But as you say, KKR has been a very shocking downfall compared to how they started off.
16:23It looked like a good, stable bowling attack.
16:25And then suddenly, Patrick was injured because he was engaged in games in Pakistan.
16:31But then after a couple of games, he is out.
16:33Okay, Saudi has done well.
16:35But again, the batting line-up, there is a lot of shuffle.
16:38The two retained players are not there anymore, Varun and Venkatesh Iyer.
16:42So, there is something that has gone wrong, you can say.
16:46Which they are now struggling to get a grip on.
16:48So, Lucknow starts favourite because of KKR's inconsistency with the playing level.
16:56Anees, do you see Kolkata upstaging Lucknow tomorrow?
17:00Small-back Lucknow.
17:03I think all four of us will go with Lucknow and Rajasthan Royals.
17:07Let's see whether we will get it right.
17:09Hope there are no surprises tomorrow.
17:11Thank you for tuning in. Thank you for participating.
17:13Have a good night.
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17:19Till tomorrow, good night.