Mumbai Indians flounder and fizzle out against Lucknow in the shadow of World Cup selection

Synopsis: Lucknow hold their nerves in a slugfest to push Mumbai to the brink of a league-stage exit.

Lucknow prevail in a slug-fest

In a stark throwback to the early days of the IPL, Lucknow Super Giants were forced to drag their 145-run chase right down to the wire by the Mumbai Indians.

Fresh from his blistering century last week in Chennai, Marcus Stoinis’ foresighted charge in the PowerPlay helped LSG negate a nagging middle-overs spell from Hardik Pandya.

Stoinis maintained a brisk inflow of boundaries early on before his partner KL Rahul made up for an iffy start with three fours and a six in the fifth over.

Whipped with flair! 😎

KL Rahul unleashes the helicopter shot 🤌🚁

Watch the match LIVE on @StarSportsIndia and @JioCinema 💻📱#TATAIPL | #LSGvMI pic.twitter.com/kgNyqlFj1Y

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 30, 2024

While Hardik kept MI afloat with the wickets of Rahul and Deepak Hooda before the spinners darted in some miserly overs, Stoinis reeled in 62 off 45 deliveries. Having rendered Jasprit Bumrah wicketless and fended off a few probing overs at the death, LSG’s lower-order then took another 27 balls to erase the remaining 30 runs, enforcing a nervy last-over finish of another kind.

The mighty crumble

The death knell may have been sounded on Mumbai’s bid for the playoffs much earlier than the usual norm for the ‘comeback men’. After struggling to achieve parity in their combinations on high-scoring decks in better conditions through the season, the knockout punch was dealt on a sticky Lucknow pitch.

In a game that renewed the bowlers’ spirits and chiselled the manic willow-wielding, Mumbai were subdued within the PowerPlay after Lucknow opted to bowl, and their straightforward plans bore fruit.

Glittered with central figures from the national T20I side, the MI top-order would have wanted to avoid an ignominious blip, hours after India unveiled their T20 World Cup squad to a mixed public reception.

𝐂𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐀𝐈𝐍 𝐆𝐎𝐍𝐄, #𝐋𝐒𝐆 𝐈𝐍 𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐌 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐑𝐎𝐋 🤯🔥#TATAIPL #LSGvMI #IPLonJioCinema #IPLinHindi pic.twitter.com/eZtEfoOWaH

— JioCinema (@JioCinema) April 30, 2024

Having fallen on scores of one and two over his last two birthdays during the IPL, Rohit Sharma’s ominous streak continued with another damp squib. Turning 37 on Tuesday, the Indian captain teased with a cheeky ramp for four before mistiming left-armer Mohsin Khan’s fuller delivery straight to cover, perishing on four off five deliveries. Suryakumar Yadav was next in the firing line despite stepping off the blocks with a feisty six against Marcus Stoinis. Utilised in a fresh role up front in the PowerPlay with three overs, the sturdy Aussie cramped up Suryakumar, finding a tame feather to the keeper down the leg-side.

Mumbai’s crisis man Tilak Varma was then tied down before a rearguard counter as a brain-fade charge from the crease ended with Ravi Bishnoi’s sharpshooting throw from backward point, leaving the left-hander inches short at the striker’s end.

Stoinis scalps SKY, ✌️down & early trouble for the Paltan 😬#IPLonJioCinema #TATAIPL #LSGvMI #IPLinBhojpuri pic.twitter.com/xEZIWhvuP7

— JioCinema (@JioCinema) April 30, 2024

With his team in tatters, Hardik failed to click with the bat yet again. Hardik fell off the first ball to fresh bait tossed in on the fuller length by Naveen-ul-Haq, pushing hard and offering a regulation catch to Rahul off the thick outside edge. Leaving the PowerPlay at 27 for four, the second-lowest of the season, MI were always playing catch up to reach a fighting total.

Mayank’s wavering return

Returning to the side after seven games, Rahul unleashed speedster Mayank Yadav in the seventh over to force the stranglehold on the left-handed pair of Nehal Wadhera and Ishan Kishan. While he failed to crank it up into the high 150s, Mayank startled a crouching Wadhera with a firm bumper that rose just enough to crash into the helmet.

Mayank set up Ishan Kishan with another rising delivery in his second over — chequered reflex pull nearly undid Kishan but Ashton Turner failed to latch onto the ball at deep mid-wicket.

Kishan and Wadhera then battled through a sluggish 53-run partnership that consumed 52 deliveries. While Kishan fell before the guile of Ravi Bishnoi’s googly, Wadhera took Mayank head-on, parrying him for two streaky sixes in his third over.

Mayank would have felt like he had hit the top of his stride after castling Mohammad Nabi with a skiddy delivery. However, a resurfacing niggle forced him off the field on a night of mixed returns before his teammates rallied up to restrict Mumbai to 144.

Brief Scores: Mumbai Indians 144/7 in 20 overs (Nehal Wadhera 46, Mohsin Khan 2/36) lost to Lucknow Super Giants 145/6 in 19.2 overs (Marcus Stoinis 62, Hardik Pandya 2/26) by four wickets.

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