The Mumbai Indians (MI) finally won a match in the IPL 2022 after 8 straight losses as they handed Rajasthan Royals a defeat by 5 wickets in the 44th match of the tournament on April 30th.
Rohit Sharma had won the toss on his birthday and chose that MI will bowl first at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. Thanks to Jos Buttler’s 67 and 21 from R Ashwin, RR put up a decent total of 158/6 on the board.
Though Suryakumar Yadav (51) and Tilak Varma (35) took the MI near the victory, RR hit back with quick wickets before Tim David earned MI their first win with 20* in 9 balls and got them their first points in the tournament.
However, RR spinner R Ashwin was of opinion that 158 runs were defendable if not for dew to play a big role in the match.
"I think if dew hadn't played a part, that score would've been enough, but there was heavy dew, so felt it was 10-15 runs short. 158 was a competitive score. It was always going to be about how well we started. In fact, we had a very good powerplay and got one wicket more than what Mumbai had at the front.
So I thought it was a reasonably good score to fight and we pretty much did well with whatever scores we had this season. I thought the wicket was a little sticky to begin with,” Ashwin said at the post-match press conference.
IPL 2022: Sehwag names three pace bowlers that India should try in South Africa T20Is
RR still remains at the second spot in the points table despite the loss.
"It was unfortunate today. I don't know how this works, whether it's the humidity factor, or the spray whether it works or not or what it was, but it (dew) was wet all over the place today. And it makes a massive difference; good deliveries tend to get overpitched and stuff like that for the spinner. Also, usage of the spinner cannot be at the back of the innings.
So all these facets can't be kicking in when dew comes in so it's a combination. We put up a decent score. Could've had 10-15 more, but these things happen in a 14-game IPL," said Ashwin.
Asked about the turning point in the match, Ashwin said: "Last game too Daryl Mitchell had bowled that 7th over. It is our strategy of that sixth bowler and he had bowled well the previous time. But today it didn't work, but it happens in the game. If we use a sixth bowler upfront, then we have options in the back end. That's the thought process. Sometimes it comes off, sometimes it doesn't, but that's how T20 cricket is."
(PTI inputs)
