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2 days ago
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The Eliminator contest between Mumbai Indians and Gujarat Titans was quite a close affair, then the 20-run margin the scorecard shows. The Titans in the chase of 229 runs did give a run for Mumbai’s money for the majority of the chase, but in the end, fell short. However, while the bowlers did concede such a massive total in the first innings, the fielders too did have a day to forget for the Titans. Titans spilled Rohit Sharma’s catch twice (Gerald Coetzee and Kusal Mendis), and later opportunity was given by Suryakumar Yadav (Kusal Mendis).
“Definitely not easy when we drop three sitters. It wasn’t easy for the bowlers to control, and it doesn’t help when you drop three catches,” said Shubman Gill after the game in the post-match presentation.
Rohit (81 off 50) despite riding his luck to played a fine knock. Jonny Bairstow (47 off 22) made an instant impact on his Mumbai Indians debut to push them to an imposing 228 five in 20 overs
Titans, who were sloppy in the field and with the ball, were able to take the game down to the wire with sensational batting from Sudharsan (80 off 49) before falling short at 208 for six to exit the tournament.
In the end, it was Mumbai Indians who won the key moments to advance in the competition. The victory took them to Qualifier 2 in Ahmedabad on Sunday when they take on Punjab Kings.
Despite heavy dew, overcoming a such a steep target in a knock-out game needed a special effort which came from Sudharsan who put his team on course for an improbable chase until his dismissal in the 16th over.
Bumrah removed Washington Sundar (48 off 24) with his trademark yorker before Sudharsan missed scoop against Richard Gleeson to see his stumps dislodged, bringing Mumbai Indians back into the game.
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While it lasted, it was a delight to see Sudharsan go about his business. In a game of pure muscle, Sudharsan was a picture of elegance and found gaps all around the park with pinpoint precision.
(With agency inputs)
English (US) ·