With a 6-0 record against the Gujarat Giants (GG), Mumbai Indians (MI) has every right to go into the Women’s Premier League Eliminator on Thursday with a fair amount of confidence. However, as GG head coach Michael Klinger gushed after their league encounter a few days ago, it has given Mumbai a bit of a scare.
At stake is a place in the final on Saturday alongside Delhi Capitals, which has made the summit clash directly for the third straight season.
After two wooden-spoon finishes and a shaky run early this season, Gujarat would not have been a playoffs contender for many following the league. The remarkable turnaround has been led by skipper Ashleigh Gardner who has contributed with both bat and ball.
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She has had support from compatriot Beth Mooney up the order and a steady Harleen Deol. With southpaw Phoebe Litchfield now being sent ahead in the lineup, the middle order has heft too. Deandra Dottin and her band of big hitters in Bharti Fulmali and Simran Shaikh round off the middle order.
The revelation, however, has been the Giants’ domestic crop, particularly with the ball. Pace bowling all-rounder Kashvee Gautam and leggie Priya Mishra have thrived in the GG setup and have shown they are well up to the task of fronting up to some of the biggest international names.
“We didn’t have the likes of Kashvee and Priya last time. Add Deandra to that mix and we have 12 overs of bowling we didn’t have last season. There’s your first element of difference,” Klinger told Sportstar ahead of the knockout clash at the Brabourne Stadium.
Gujarat nearly registered its first win against the home side on Monday, with Bharti’s pyrotechnics giving the franchise hope. However, Klinger is happy with the intent his side showed.
Deandra Dottin and her band of big hitters in Bharti Fulmali and Simran Shaikh round off GG’s middle order.
| Photo Credit:
SANDEEP SAXENA/The Hindu
Deandra Dottin and her band of big hitters in Bharti Fulmali and Simran Shaikh round off GG’s middle order.
| Photo Credit:
SANDEEP SAXENA/The Hindu
“Now they know that’s a level they can unlock and it will come handy when we take Mumbai on again in the Eliminator. Whatever happens from hereon, I am incredibly proud of this bunch,” he added.
Mumbai Indians fell to a close 11-run loss in its final league game against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, a defeat that exacted an additional rest day as a penalty. The team has played two consecutive games since coming to Mumbai from Lucknow. The Eliminator will be its third in four days.
“We really can’t do much about the schedule,” MI bowling coach Jhulan Goswami said with a shrug after the side’s loss to RCB.
She brushed off concerns of potential fatigue for the side – especially after a dismal fielding performance from the unit – going into the Eliminator.
“I don’t think it’s because of fatigue. I think players are professional. Catches can go either way. Some days you drop them, other days you’re extraordinary. You have to keep climbing up the ladder and (it’s an issue because) our girls have set such a high standard.”
Mumbai’s batting order is still porous with the Amelia Kerr-opening experiment not exactly working out. Nat Sciver-Brunt’s exemplary form has often bailed Mumbai out of trouble and the England all-rounder will naturally be GG’s top target.
In the bowling department, in Protean pacer Shabnim Ismail and offie Hayley Matthews, Mumbai has two strike bowlers who are happy to attack batters without fear of consequence. Amanjot Kaur has enjoyed a good season with bat and ball. She’s able to smack bowlers to the fence just as easily as she’s able to hold back the runs with ball in hand.
Despite the lopsided historic head-to-head record, on paper, these two teams are quite well-matched with their strengths and weaknesses. MI will do well to guard against complacency given its shock five-run loss to RCB in the Eliminator last year. While it might not be wrong to expect another high-scoring thriller at the Brabourne, the team which bowls better will earn the right to fight for the trophy on March 15.
