IPL 2021: DC vs MI - Who won yesterday’s match?
Delhi Capitals (DC) leg-spinner Amit Mishra claimed 4 for 24 as last season's finalists upset defending champions Mumbai Indians (MI) by six wickets in a marquee IPL 2021 clash in Chennai.
In the 13th match of the tournament, Mishra’s brilliance restricted a strong MI batting line-up to a modest 137 for 9. MI bowlers fought hard in the chase and took the game to the last over, but they did not have enough runs on the board to defend.
DC's chase of 138 began on a dramatic note. The in-form Shikhar Dhawan slashed a short ball from Trent Boult over backward point for four in the first over. The left-hander had a lucky escape, though, when a leading edge was almost pouched by Hardik Pandya at short cover. The fielder got to the ball but could not take it cleanly.
At the other end, Prithvi Shaw (7) did not last long, chipping a return catch to Jayant Yadav. Dhawan and Smith then featured in a steadying 53-run stand for the second wicket as DC edged ahead. With the run rate not an issue, the duo batted smartly, rotating the strike and scoring boundaries regularly.
Smith looked set for a big knock, as he took two fours off left-arm spinner Krunal Pandya in the ninth over. He pierced the gap between short third man and point for the first, while the second was ramped past long leg. Kieron Pollard, though, delivered the breakthrough by trapping Smith lbw for 33 with one that kept a bit low.
Dhawan kept DC in control after Smith’s dismissal. With 48 needed off the last six overs, the left-hander danced down the track and whipped Rahul Chahar over wide long-on for a six. The next delivery was slapped past deep mid wicket for another boundary.
The combative Chahar, though, had his revenge in the same over as the DC opener was caught at long leg, dragging a sweep; Dhawan perished for a well-made 45 off 42.
DC captain Rishabh Pant (7) failed to stay till the end, miscuing a scoop off a slower ball from Jasprit Bumrah towards fine leg. Things could have got tricky for DC had Trent Boult taken a tough return catch offered by Shimron Hetymer in the 18th over.
Though he got his line and length right, Bumrah bowled a couple of no-balls in the penultimate over to aid DC’s cause. With five needed off the last over, Shimron Hetmyer scythed a slower ball from Pollard past backward point for four.
The match ended with another no-ball, as Pollard delivered a beamer to Hetmyer. Meanwhile, Lalit Yadav silently chipped with an unbeaten 22 off 25 as DC beat MI for the first time in five games.
Amit Mishra’s 4 for 24 restricts MI to 137 for 9
Delhi Capitals (DC)'s veteran leg-spinner Amit Mishra bamboozled a strong Mumbai Indians (MI) batting line-up with figures of 4 for 24 in Chennai. Comfortably placed at 76 for 2 at one point, MI collapsed to end with an under-par total of 137 for 9.
Mishra led the fightback for DC by getting the big scalp of MI captain Rohit Sharma (44 off 30), who looked in ominous form on Tuesday. Sharma attempted a big shot to a tossed-up delivery from the leg-spinner but only managed to drag the ball to Steve Smith at long-on.
The DC leg-spinner had two in the over when Hardik Pandya also failed in his attempt to clear long-on and was back in the dugout first ball. The big-hitting Kieron Pollard (2) was then trapped lbw with a wrong'un that the batsman completely misread.
MI launched a mini-fightback with a seventh-wicket stand of 39 between Ishan Kishan (26) and Jayant Yadav (23). Mishra, though, ended the stand by cleaning up Kishan with a yorker-length delivery that befuddled the left-handed batsman. Mishra’s 4 for 24 are the best figures by a DC bowler against Mumbai Indians in the IPL.
Earlier, MI elected to bat first after winning the toss but lost Quinton de Kock (2) in the third over. De Kock had a waft at a rising delivery outside the off-stump from Marcus Stoinis but only managed to edge the ball.
Normalcy was restored soon, as Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav took the attack to the DC bowlers. Ravichandran Ashwin’s second over was taken for 15 and ended with Sharma creaming one over extra-cover for six.
When Mishra was introduced to the attack, Yadav hit the veteran leg-spinner for consecutive fours. A full ball was lofted inside-out over extra cover, while the next one was swept past short fine leg.
Meanwhile, Rohit Sharma welcomed Avesh Khan by pulling him for a six over square. The bowler, though, hit back by dismissing Yadav for 24. The MI batsman tried to tap one to deep third man but only guided the ball as far as Rishabh Pant’s gloves.
It was then time for the Mishra show. Amidst the leg-spinner’s magic, off-spinner Lalit Yadav (1/17) chipped in with the wicket of Krunal Pandya (1), his maiden IPL scalp, when the left-hander chopped one onto his stumps.
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IPL 2021: DC vs MI - Man of the match
DC leg-spinner Amit Mishra came up with a sensational spell for his team. His 4 for 24 saw MI sink from a comfortable position to an eventually underwhelming total. Mishra got the big scalps of Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya in over one and added the wickets of Kieron Pollard and Ishan Kishan to take out the cream of MI’s batting.
DC pacer Avesh Khan was impressive yet again, with figures of 2 for 15. He got the massive wicket of Suryakumar Yadav and came back to dismiss Rahul Chahar.
Lalit Yadav also made an impact, conceding only 17 in his four overs while sending back Krunal Pandya. He then scored an unbeaten 22 with the bat. DC opener Shikhar Dhawan set the ball rolling in the chase with a fluent 45.
For MI, captain Rohit Sharma was the best batsman with a fluent 44 but again could not carry on after a good start.
Eventually, it was Amit Mishra was named the Man of the Match for his game-changing spell.