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“The positive is that we got 160 despite the top-order not contributing a lot,” Kaptaan Kaur wasn’t one to be too disappointed at the end of this steep run-chase against the Delhi Capitals. And she needn’t be. Although this was Mumbai Indians’ first loss ever in the last two seasons of the WPL while chasing, it was a proper fight our batters put up chasing a stiff target of 193. Okay, here’s how the game went..

Vastrakar, Saika pull things back in the middle

When Shafali Verma (28 off 12) and Meg Lanning (53 off 38) started off smashing the ball around in the powerplay, getting to 50 inside five overs, 200 looked on the cards. But some smart change-ups in pace by Pooja Vastrakar through the middle overs helped MI claw back, and at one point, even hope to restrict Delhi to under 180. Her spell of 1/20 in four overs, along with Saika Ishaque’s 1/29 in four overs, prevented them from running away with the game. But, but, a once-in-a-season kind of a knock by Jemimah Rodrigues, who slammed eight fours and three sixes in her 33-ball 69, took the game a tad too far for our liking in the death overs.

The Hayley show

Yastika Bhatia fell in the first over. Nat Sciver-Brunt in the second. Harmanpreet Kaur in the third. Before the powerplay ended, Hayley Matthews was gone as well. But she made sure the asking rate was kept in check, counter-attacking and putting the Capitals’ bowlers under pressure, and her 17-ball 28, although shortlived, was good enough to keep the fight alive.

Welcome the next Kaur-ageous in line, Amanjot!

Mumbai’s top-order may have been finishing matches in the first half of the league stage, with not a lot for the lower-half to do. But come the opportunity, come the stage, and Amanjot Kaur was ready and up for it. She faced 27 balls, hit seven fours to score 42, and kept MI alive and in the hunt all through. She’s also probably given us one of the shots of the season, certainly the bravest shot of the season, standing up tall and reverse-swiping Shikha Pandey’s full-paced short delivery past the keeper for a boundary.

So, Paltan, we may have fallen short runs, and may have fallen off the top spot, but we are still firmly in the top three. We know what it takes to come back, and you know how quickly we bounce back! These matches come thick and fast, and come Thursday (March 6), we will be back in the middle, taming the UP Warriorz to get back on the winning road. 

Brief scores: Delhi Capitals 192/4 (20 overs) (Jemimah Rodrigues 69*(33), Meg Lanning 53(38); Pooja Vastrakar 1/20) beat Mumbai Indians 163/8 (20 overs) (Amanjot Kaur 42(27), Hayley Matthews 29(17); Jess Jonassen 3/21) by 29 runs