IPL 2014 - DD vs MI: Can Mumbai Indians conjure up a miraculous turnaround?

Rohit asks for some divine intervention

After 3 games of previewing, talking tactics, and working out permutations and combinations, ‘Belief’ is the only thing that every Mumbai Indians’ fan must carry up his/her sleeve. It has been excruciating and mostly inexplicable witnessing Mumbai Indians capitulate to 3 straight defeats.

The batting has been appalling, and poor batting displays have made the bowling look inconsequential.

Michael Hussey, who replaced Dwayne Smith for this season, is yet to come up with some kind of a substantial knock, and looks increasingly out of touch.

Rohit Sharma’s batting credentials and leadership qualities of last season have abruptly become non-existent.

Corey Anderson, one of the marquee buys of the season, has failed miserably, and it only remains to be seen whether the Mumbai Indians’ think-tank looks at other options to replace the southpaw from New Zealand.

Kieron Pollard hasn’t been his usual self with the bat in hand, and his priceless overs with the ball have gone unused so far this season.

Lasith Malinga hasn’t been given enough cushion of runs to weave his magic, and be the authentic ‘slinga’ Malinga, who sends shivers down the spine of even the greatest of batsmen.

Put the aforementioned aspects into context, you’ll know for sure why the tale of Mumbai Indians’ season so far has been the way it is. I am not the one, who’ll commit the howler by saying that, “we let Dwayne Smith and Glenn Maxwell go”, both of whom are playing magnificent cricket for their current franchises. But, when the nucleus of any team doesn’t turn up, it’s literally next to impossible to come up with match-winning performances, and Mumbai Indians are no different in this regard.

Putting all of the lamenting aside,

The clash with the Delhi Daredevils presents the perfect opportunity for the defending IPL champions to get off the mark in the season, which is plummeting rather painfully. Daredevils, with just 1 victory from 4 games, are doing no good either, and the Daredevils’ line-up isn’t the one to be feared. Add to that, Mumbai Indians will be playing their first game at the ground in Sharjah, where the wicket has been a placid one to bat on, and the ground size in itself is a bit on the smaller side.

I don’t want to be talking team tactics and composition, but I’d rather have my fingers crossed and think that it can’t get any worse for the defending IPL champions, and maybe today is the day when the Mumbai Indians can conjure up a miraculous turnaround.

I said it up front, and I’ll reiterate it again, belief is the only thing that’s left in the tank of many a Mumbai Indians supporter. The thing that remains to be seen is whether belief leads us to disappointment (as it predominantly does), or will it pay dividends for today and in the days to come?

BELIEVE!