Given their keen rivalry with SRH and an 8-8 head-to-head, MI’s bowling coach Shane Bond predicts fierce contest today
MI will bank on a good start from skipper Rohit Sharma
With the last two matches being low-scoring affairs at the M Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, today’s IPL clash between Mumbai Indians and Sunrisers Hyderabad has forced the teams to go back to the drawing board and brainstorm on how to make the most of the last five overs. It won’t be easy for batsmen to bat in the death overs, felt MI bowling coach Shane Bond.
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Shane Bond
SRH and KKR lost to Virat Kohli’s RCB and Rohit Sharma’s MI respectively despite being in a winning position until the 15th over. Bond is of the opinion that it will be hard work for batsmen today as well, especially after the first 10 overs. “We plan the same for every team—how we are going to get them out, how we are going to best utilise the conditions. The nature of this wicket is going to be hard work for a lot of batsmen, and in particular from 10 overs onwards.
Both teams have been talking about game plans 10 overs onwards and how they are going to utilise the backend of the innings. It has been a lot easier when the wicket has been good. We are in for a real scrap tomorrow. There has been a hint of desperation,” Bond told reporters on Friday. Mumbai Indians and Sunrisers Hyderabad are one of the fiercest rivals with an 8-8 head-to-head record in the IPL.
Both teams, known for their consistency, will get an opportunity to get one-up on each other today before they face each other again in Delhi on May 4.
Sunrisers Hyderabad, who are yet to open their account, would be desperate to avoid a hat-trick of defeats today. David Warner’s men would be hoping for an encore of their last IPL performance when they crushed Mumbai Indians by 10 wickets at Sharjah. The skipper stayed unbeaten on 85 then and his opening partner Wriddhiman Saha scored 58 not out.
Bond is well aware of how difficult it gets when Warner, who has scored three and 54 in the first two matches, sets off. “Got to get those two guys [Warner and Jonny Bairstow] out. Davey is one of the best batsmen in the IPL; they are a talismanic team. We know how important they are. Their bowling line-up will be very challenging as well. The wicket is going to be slow and turning. They are very disciplined with the way they go about their work. They flogged us in the last game [we played against them] last season. They played beautifully,” Bond said.
The former New Zealand pace ace stressed that regardless of the pitch, the key to winning the IPL is a strong bowling unit. “We are a collective bowling unit. We had five international bowlers in the Mumbai Indians bowling line-up for a long time. “The process don’t change for us. We turn up, assess the conditions quickly. We have our game plans, we adjust quickly and have to think on our feet,” Bond signed off.
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