Drops, on and off the field
Plays of the Day from the CLT20 qualifier between Mumbai Indians and Southern Express in Raipur
Vishal Dikshit
14-Sep-2014
Pragyan Ojha's day in the field reflected Mumbai's • BCCI
The no-ball?
Kusal Perera was swatting the ball around early on once again, missing some and hitting some. After Harbhajan Singh's maiden in the third over, he struck Jasprit Bumrah for a four. When he tried another slog off the next ball he only managed a top edge, which was easily taken by Shreyas Gopal at midwicket. But the umpires checked for a no-ball, and replays suggested that Bumrah had overstepped, his heel seemingly just landing on the crease. It appeared to be too close for the third umpire to call in the end, though, and Kusal did not get a another go.
Kusal Perera was swatting the ball around early on once again, missing some and hitting some. After Harbhajan Singh's maiden in the third over, he struck Jasprit Bumrah for a four. When he tried another slog off the next ball he only managed a top edge, which was easily taken by Shreyas Gopal at midwicket. But the umpires checked for a no-ball, and replays suggested that Bumrah had overstepped, his heel seemingly just landing on the crease. It appeared to be too close for the third umpire to call in the end, though, and Kusal did not get a another go.
The face-saver
Offspinner Jalaj Saxena created a chance in his tidy first over, when Danushka Gunathilaka tried to hit a full delivery down the ground but a top edge went high towards deep cover. Harbhajan ran back from point, Michael Hussey ran in from the deep but Harbhajan called for it and never made it, even though Hussey was in a better position to take it. However, Harbhajan made up for it two deliveries later when Gunathilaka tried a slog and a thick edge flew straight towards point; this time Harbhajan's forward-slide dismissed the well-set batsman for 30.
Offspinner Jalaj Saxena created a chance in his tidy first over, when Danushka Gunathilaka tried to hit a full delivery down the ground but a top edge went high towards deep cover. Harbhajan ran back from point, Michael Hussey ran in from the deep but Harbhajan called for it and never made it, even though Hussey was in a better position to take it. However, Harbhajan made up for it two deliveries later when Gunathilaka tried a slog and a thick edge flew straight towards point; this time Harbhajan's forward-slide dismissed the well-set batsman for 30.
The helpful bystander
Mumbai's fielding was not helping them despite a decent start from their bowlers. They nearly conceded another boundary, in the 13th over, when Ambati Rayudu ran towards deep midwicket, dived to his left with a slide and got a hand to the ball which was speeding towards the rope. The ball then got under Rayudu's left thigh and nearly rolled away for a four before he got up and a hesitant Hussey picked the ball up and threw it back. Several repays finally confirmed that the ball was safe inside the boundary and what looked familiar in those replays was Hussey in the background, waiting for his team-mate to do the needful.
Mumbai's fielding was not helping them despite a decent start from their bowlers. They nearly conceded another boundary, in the 13th over, when Ambati Rayudu ran towards deep midwicket, dived to his left with a slide and got a hand to the ball which was speeding towards the rope. The ball then got under Rayudu's left thigh and nearly rolled away for a four before he got up and a hesitant Hussey picked the ball up and threw it back. Several repays finally confirmed that the ball was safe inside the boundary and what looked familiar in those replays was Hussey in the background, waiting for his team-mate to do the needful.
The two strikers
If the shot selection of the Express batsmen wasn't putting them in enough trouble, a mix-up made things worse for them. Angelo Perera and Seekkuge Prasanna were trying to revive the innings with a 25-run stand at 10-per over and Prasanna had struck two sixes. In the 14th over, Angelo tapped a delivery from Pragyan Ojha just behind square on the leg side. Prasanna ran like a hare, Angelo also took a couple of steps but realised the keeper sprang to the ball too quickly and Angelo yelled thrice to send Prasanna back but Aditya Tare had thrown the ball to Ojha by then. The two batsmen ended up face-to-face at the batsman's end, instead of being 22 yards apart.
If the shot selection of the Express batsmen wasn't putting them in enough trouble, a mix-up made things worse for them. Angelo Perera and Seekkuge Prasanna were trying to revive the innings with a 25-run stand at 10-per over and Prasanna had struck two sixes. In the 14th over, Angelo tapped a delivery from Pragyan Ojha just behind square on the leg side. Prasanna ran like a hare, Angelo also took a couple of steps but realised the keeper sprang to the ball too quickly and Angelo yelled thrice to send Prasanna back but Aditya Tare had thrown the ball to Ojha by then. The two batsmen ended up face-to-face at the batsman's end, instead of being 22 yards apart.
The drop (outside the boundary)
Jonty Rhodes was being shown on the television every time Mumbai dropped a catch or displayed sloppy fielding. In the last over of the Express innings, Farveez Maharoof launched a full delivery to the cow-corner boundary. The ball sailed well over the boundary rope and a ball boy was all set for the catch. He got his hands under it and caught it too, but the ball popped not once, not twice, but three times out of his hands and eventually fell to the ground - something it did too often throughout the 20 overs.
Jonty Rhodes was being shown on the television every time Mumbai dropped a catch or displayed sloppy fielding. In the last over of the Express innings, Farveez Maharoof launched a full delivery to the cow-corner boundary. The ball sailed well over the boundary rope and a ball boy was all set for the catch. He got his hands under it and caught it too, but the ball popped not once, not twice, but three times out of his hands and eventually fell to the ground - something it did too often throughout the 20 overs.
Vishal Dikshit is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo