IPL-8: Top pacers need to take tips from Ashish Nehra
Just as the mercury is rising from north to south and east to west, the Indian Premier League is gaining momentum. On Saturday, the IPL confirmed the overall viewership in the eighth edition has already shown a 41 per cent increase.
This is quite remarkable, considering that cricket's richest slambang event is taking place just after the ICC World Cup. The cricket in the IPL has been captivating and some of the matches have caught the attention of even those not-so-hooked to instant cricket. It's good to see Delhi Daredevils find the winning mode again under new captain JP Duminy, though the same cannot be said about the high-profile Mumbai Indians. For a side flush with cash and talent, the string of four losses this season is a shocker. One would expect that a side which has some top players and a galaxy of former internationals as "coaching staff" would be planning for each match in minute detail.
However, the results have been disastrous, with the loss to Chennai Super Kings at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Friday reflecting pain and panic. The Mumbai batting revolves around skipper Rohit Sharma, Corey Anderson and Kieron Pollard, though I must say, it was funny to see Harbhajan Singh come in at No.5. Obviously, shuffling the order in matches has not had the desirable results and the planning done by Rohit and a tenselooking Ricky Ponting leaves a lot of scope for improvement.
To be sure, it has been observed in previous editions of the IPL that teams have bounced back after a string of losses. But to envisage Mumbai making a comeback from here on looks tough as they have lost the momentum and look a demoralised bunch. From beyond the boundary, it does appear the problems for Mumbai revolve as much around bad planning.
Look at the way Rajasthan Royals have shaped up this season. They are not playing even one match at home in Jaipur because of the BCCI versus Rajasthan Cricket Association tussle, but even away from home, the side has shaped up well. If you take a look at the Mumbai bowling, the problems are clear. Lasith Malinga, a bowler who was feared not so long ago, looks pedestrian. The way he was clobbered around the Wankhede Stadium by Brendon McCullum and Dwayne Smith was hard for the Mumbai Indians' fans to digest. The look on Malinga's face said it all. The Sri Lankan did not have a bad outing in the World Cup, but obviously he has not found his rhythm after the ankle surgery.
When fast bowlers go under the scalpel, it's a bit of a challenge to come back and bowl with the same pace and venom. Malinga is not sure about the way his body has responded and his bowling has been affected. Mumbai has many gurus who can give him gyaan on how he needs to find his confidence again, but in this format where you don't get more than four overs to bowl, the margin for error is zero.
At the same time, KKR's Sunil Narine looks an ordinary bowler these days. Even a few days before the start of the IPL, there was a big doubt over Narine's action. He had made the changes required by the ICC, but the man who bamboozled batsmen with his unpredictability in the past is now slower through the air and does not look a dangerous bowler.
This brings us to the best fast bowler on view in the IPL - Ashish Nehra. The lanky left-arm paceman has kept a low profile right through his career and now lets his bowling do the talking. There is no hype around him and he delivers for the skipper. As one who has played for three franchises before this - Mumbai Indians, Delhi Daredevils and Pune Warriors - he is enjoying himself under skipper MS Dhoni.
Perhaps, Malinga can speak to Nehra and learn a few lessons as this man, too, underwent a major ankle surgery and has made a great comeback. To expect Nehra to last in the 50-over format would be unreasonable as he still battles fitness issues, but his hunger and utility in the IPL is worth raving about.