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That one of the weakest teams in the tournament
made it this far, is nothing short of a coup
In their
first match on 6th April, Steve Smith’s 84 flattened MI winning it
off the penultimate ball of the match. In their second match on 24th
April, MI went down by three runs failing to chase down 160. Their third match,
the qualifier on 16th May, was the most one-sided of the three
matches, MI lost by 20 runs.
Much
changed with the two teams since the first match to the finals – for MI, Jos
Buttler had to return and Mitchell McClenaghan was injured. For RPS, their
talisman, Ben Stokes and long distance celebrator, Imran Tahir had to return. In
the dress rehearsal to the finals, RPS had already beaten MI without these two –
their lack of reputation on the field was already being overcompensated by ace
strategy, doggedness in approach, and a never say die attitude, how else would
such a team continue to punch way above its weight?
For RPS to
make the finals, was already a victory of sorts. And if their brilliance in the
field was any indicator, they were driven enough to close the game in the first
innings itself. Jaydev Unadkat had showed enough smarts in the 11 matches
before the final – he’d continued to bowl to a brief, a plan, a thought, a
pitch. In his second over, he was bowling as per brief again, an off cutter to
snare Parthiv Patel. Three balls later, and both Unadkat and RPS would believe
they had caught the trophy out of thin air – it’s catches such as his that make
a team believe and do incredible things. One handed, making the IPL stand
still, it was that off cutter again. Unadkat ended 2/19, and 24 wickets off 12
matches, that he wasn’t the man of the finals was cricket’s con.
By now
everyone would know Washington Sundar’s age down to the last day: If not, he’s
17 years, 229 days today. Often referred to as the 17-year-old this IPL, with
an equal measure of awe and appall, Washington’s unusual name, at least for a
Hindu, is his father’s tribute to his own cricketing mentor, P.D. Washington.
“I was poor and he
would buy uniform for me, pay my school fee, get me books, take me to the
ground in his cycle and constantly encourage me. My wife had a difficult
delivery. But the baby survived. As per the Hindu custom, I whispered a God’s
name, ‘Srinivasan,’ in his ear. But I decided to name him Washington in memory
of the man who had done so much for me,”-
Washington’s father.
It now appears, another Washington is doing ‘so
much’ for his dad. Washington Sundar had shown enough smarts in the 10 games
going into the finals. Eight wickets at a stingy economy rate of barely 6 rpo,
Washington had already flummoxed Rohit, Rayudu and Pollard in the play-offs. With
that headache fresh in the mind, MI preferred not to mess with him in the
finals. Much to KP’s annoyance, who repeatedly in the box voiced his scorn at
MI’s batsmen for showing so much respect to a 17 year old. Hayden chipped in
too. More often than not, experts have misread conditions, as in the finals’
pre-match show, where they expected no less than 190 to be a safe score for MI.
Washington Sundar bowled his 4 overs for 13 runs at
an economy rate of 3.25 rpo. He bowled two of these overs in the power play,
the second and fourth overs, against the openers, followed by Rohit and Rayudu.
He conceded six runs in two power play overs. In his calm stillness, almost
hermitlike, with his jet black hair plastered to his head, even if he could
hear KP and Hayden, it would’ve made no difference. He was the birth of cool
this IPL. That he took Ashwin’s place in the team is such sweet irony. He
wasn’t just an off spinner, he was the nag of unflinching lines and lengths of
an off spinner. That he wasn’t the man of the finals was cricket’s con.
A below par Ajinkya Rahane was almost balanced out
by his opening partner, Rahul Tripathi. He struck at 146 to Rahane’s 118. Even
though he played 14 to Rahane’s 16 games, he scored nine more runs than him.
Not much but it was often his early impact that gave RPS wings upfront. His 93
off 52 balls blew KKR apart singlehandedly and made the IPL jerk itself up and
nod vigorously – “who’s this dude?”
It was learnt through commentary again, somewhat
patronisingly, that Tripathi’s parents had boarded the train earlier in the day
to watch their son in the finals. Apparently, there’s a photograph to vouch for
it.
Tripathi did not get going in the finals. The
trigger happy umpire did. He was given out LBW to one that appeared to missing
the stumps, even to the naked eye. That he wasn’t the man of the finals was
cricket’s con.
MS Dhoni
into his seventh IPL final, how many have there been? MS Dhoni in at 72/2 in
the 12th over. Has the tailor made another final for Dhoni? It
seemed so. End of the 15th over, RPS dragging a tad, 80/2. Make or
break over, spinner, Krunal Pandya on. Third ball: Dhoni’s wrists fizz on to
the ball, it’s cut behind point for four, is the tide turning for RPS again,
for Dhoni again? It’s almost wake up time for MS anyway. As it is for Bumrah
who has Dhoni caught behind.
Why almost
everyone, (apart from Mumbaikars and those connected to MI because of SRT) was
supporting Rising Pune Supergiant, was because of Dhoni.
It was as
simple as that. RPS, in spite of their owner’s scorn, in spite of their slow
start, in spite of their defeat, had still captured everyone’s imagination.
It was
because of a 25 year old, a 17 year old, a 26 year old, and a 35 year old. The
four Indians in what once seemed like an overseas’ team. Coached and captained
by a New Zealander and an Australian.
First published here
