Harmanpreet magic powers Mumbai heist
Mumbai Indians (Harmanpreet 95*, Bhatia 49) beat Gujarat Giants 190 for 7 (Hemalatha 74, Mooney 66, Ishaque 2-31) by seven wickets
Mumbai Indians had been down and out – no crew had scored greater than 83 within the final six overs of an innings; they wanted 91 in 36 balls with Harmanpreet Kaur within the center.
She launched into quick bowlers Meghna Singh and Shabnam MD, after which took 24 off a Sneh Rana over as Mumbai hunted down Gujarat Giants’ 190 for 7 to e book a playoffs spot for the second successive season. Harmanpreet modified gears on a click on of a button and, from 20 off 21, rocketed to complete unbeaten 95 off simply 48 balls as Mumbai recorded the very best profitable run-chase within the WPL.
This was after a 121-run partnership between Beth Mooney and D Hemalatha had helped Giants to a rating the latter felt was “20 to 30 short” on the midway mark.
Last six overs – the distinction
On the again of a robust platform laid by Mooney and Hemalatha, Giants had been set to breach the 200-run mark, with the Mumbai bowlers struggling to search out their traces and lengths. They had been positioned at 150 for two with Hemalatha set and Phoebe Litchfield becoming a member of her. While hits got here from Hemalatha, Mumbai managed to claw again from the opposite finish. They gave away ten or extra in an over solely thrice from that time, whereas often selecting up wickets. The consequence? Giants might handle solely 40 for five within the final six.
In distinction, Harmanpreet’s blitzkrieg put Giants’ bowlers, who had maintain over the chase, off. Only twice did they handle to maintain Mumbai to underneath ten an over within the final six overs. Mumbai raked up 91 in simply 35 balls, in consequence, and dashed Giants’ hopes.
Harmanpreet’s duel with Rana was fascinating. For lengthy, the offspinner denied her India captain any room to swing by way of or free her arms. But with 70 wanted off 26, Harmanpreet tried to take the aerial route and lofted one straight to long-on, the place Litchfield dropped a sitter and gave away 4. With 47 wanted off 18 by the point Rana returned for her final over, Harmanpreet’s confidence was sky excessive. And each Giants and Rana paid the value with an over the place she hit two sixes and three fours to all however seal the deal.
Bhatia leaves her stamp within the chase
Sure, Harmanpreet made essentially the most noise within the chase, and rightly so. She is understood for her belligerent methods, and it’s on the crunch moments she typically comes alive. But the one innings that saved Mumbai within the hunt was Yastika Bhatia‘s. Even as Hayley Matthews, her opening accomplice, struggled to get off the mark, Bhatia exploited the brief boundary, hammering Kathryn Bryce for a 4 and a six within the second over. Matthews briefly discovered her contact, which meant Mumbai stitched solely their second 50-run opening stand this season. But Tanuja Kanwar had her caught at long-on proper after the powerplay.
When younger Shabnam, who was a part of India’s win within the inaugural Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup final 12 months, dismissed Nat Sciver-Brunt cheaply within the eighth over, Mumbai’s chase was over for all cash.
But Bhatia saved discovering the gaps and moved the scoreboard alongside. She used her ft towards Rana, who was diverse her flight and contours. She drilled one by way of covers earlier than lofting her straight over the non-striker’s head in her subsequent. But on 49, she top-edged Ashleigh Gardner to depart the sport on tenterhooks.
Mooney stamps her class
After 4 losses within the Bengaluru leg, Mooney had bemoaned the shortage of runs from her bat. And she responded with back-to-back fifties, after dropping Laura Wolvaardt early. She used the tempo Matthews supplied her to glide one between brief third and backward level to get off the mark. Shabnim Ismail’s tempo solely helped her rating shortly – she made room to carve one over covers earlier than punching one straight again within the powerplay. She used the brief sq. boundaries on one aspect – they had been 63m and 46m – to her benefit and by no means let the scoring fee dip.
Mooney shows a number of qualities that irks oppositions – discovering boundaries at will, rotating strike that doesn’t enable bowlers to settle, and compounding issues for the captain. The hazard ranges peaked when she scooped Pooja Vastrakar to 2 sixes over fantastic leg within the house of 4 balls. The Mumbai quick bowler dug each these deliveries on a size – one in line of the stumps, one angling away – however each met with the identical destiny. After a 140-run opening stand with Wolvaardt within the earlier recreation, she added 121 for the second wicket with Hemalatha. Till she was dismissed – chopping on part-time offspinner S Sajana onto the stumps – she seemed fairly unstoppable.
Hemalatha exhibits her mettle
After Matthews struck within the third over, Hemalatha was promoted to No. 3 and she or he obtained going straight away. She performed a lofted cowl drive off Saika Ishaque on her fifth ball after which went full tilt in Amelia Kerr’s first over. She welcomed the legspinner with a drive over covers earlier than dancing right down to thump her straight over. When Kerr went good size, Hemalatha went deep in her crease and reduce her by way of level.
Hemalatha was additionally equally adept towards tempo on the evening. She was unafraid to offer Vastrakar the cost and tackle the pull towards her in addition to Ismail. She additionally introduced out the ramp towards the bumpers from Ismail as she raced to a 28-ball half-century, her first of WPL 2024. She continued her assault even after Mooney’s dismissal earlier than mistiming a loft straight to cowl.
Mumbai reined Giants in with a tidy end on the demise, gifting away simply 30 runs within the final 4 overs and selecting up three wickets. That proved to be a profitable effort, in hindsight.
S Sudarshanan is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo. @Sudarshanan7