WPL 2024: Harmanpreet Kaur makes it two in two for Mumbai Indians, toothless Gujarat Giants back to chasing games

It can be difficult to find polar opposites in a five-team tournament, with a small sample size of games to judge sides. But the contrast between Mumbai Indians and Gujarat Giants last year in the Women’s Premier League had indeed been north and south. One finished as winners with a near-perfect record. The other had a woeful campaign, winning as many games as their contemporaries had lost in the league stage: two. A year and another go at the auction table later, little seems to have changed as the defending champions rammed right through the Giants in a five-wicket cruise.

If Gujarat looked toothless, Mumbai played the assertive brand of cricket which won them the trophy last year. Harmanpreet Kaur once again scored a heap of runs, a welcome sign after her poor run in the Indian outfit against England and Australia. On a night where most batters succumbed to hold fort, the Indian captain made most of the luxury of time in the chase of 127, scrapping 40 less than a run a ball before closing the game with a six.

𝐒𝐤𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐫 𝐊𝐚𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐭 𝐨𝐟𝐟 𝐢𝐧 𝐬𝐭𝐲𝐥𝐞! 🫡💙#GGvMI #CheerTheW #TATAWPLonJioCinema #TATAWPLonSports18 #JioCinemaSports #TATAWPL #HarZubaanParNaamTera pic.twitter.com/OkMQmmoAxk

— JioCinema (@JioCinema) February 25, 2024

The foundation of Mumbai’s second win in a row had been laid by their bowlers.

Chasing has been a key strength of MI. Another has been their enviable roster of overseas players. All four in their playing XI on Sunday can bowl, so the skipper went on an eight-over streak with them. A move that proved fruitful as the quartet ended up sharing all nine of Gujarat’s wickets between them.

Shabnim Ismail has replaced Issy Wong in MI’s eleven this season – a “tough call”, as described by head coach Charlotte Edwards – and has taken little time to click. Known for her fiery pace and bounce, on a wicket that was conducive to both, the South African speedster would quiz Gujarat batters with her slower ones. None better than the one with which she removed skipper Beth Mooney – a preempted ramp shot from the Australian only carrying as far as the keeper, thanks to an off-cutter.

If Ismail put the pressure on Gujarat in the powerplay, it was Amelia Kerr who took over once the field was spread. If the dismissal of the captain was telling, the clean-up of her deputy was the most defining picture of the innings. Unable to read a googly from Kerr, Sneh Rana stood frozen in her front-foot defensive stance as the ball snuck between her bat and pad to crash into the middle stump.

Baffling start

The signs of a calamitous outing for Gujarat were there from the toss. Skipper Beth Mooney’s announcement of her opening partner as Veda Krishnamurthy – a middle-order batter, who had never opened in her 76-game T20I career – was baffling. Laura Wolvaardt was left out and Phoebe Litchfield, who had a memorable tour of India recently, was picked in the middle order. Veda would last all of two deliveries in the middle after Ismail sent her packing in the first over.

You said pace, we heard 𝙎𝙝𝙖𝙗𝙣𝙞𝙢 𝙄𝙨𝙢𝙖𝙞𝙡 🤌🏻🤌🏻

She claims her third wicket, this time trapping the skipper! 🎯#GGvMI #CheerTheW #TATAWPLonJioCinema #TATAWPLonSports18 #JioCinemaSports #HarZubaanParNaamTera pic.twitter.com/hJwF0QqQii

— JioCinema (@JioCinema) February 25, 2024

Slotting Litchfield in at three felt like a natural makeup for the initial blunder. But Gujarat threw in another curveball with Harleen Deol walking in ahead of her – a decision they’d come to rue only two overs later. A second leg before wicket induced by Ismail. By the time Litchfield finally arrived to join Mooney in the middle, Gujarat were 11/2.

There was hope of a recovery for a minute though. Mooney would try her luck in the first over of spin. At the slightest hint of air on a delivery outside off, came a sliced cut only marginally away from the reach of the point fielder. Next ball, a dab that went even closer to Harmanpreet Kaur at first slip on its way to another four.

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Then Litchfield went for an inventive reverse sweep to make it three in the over. But any glimmer of hope Gujarat had got then was quickly vanquished. The run rate pressure still loomed large and a slower one from Nat Sciver-Brunt got the better of Litchfield and Gujarat were back to chasing games by their fingertips. As they had for most of last season.

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