Mumbai Indians may have missed the bus

Mumbai Indians’ Suryakumar Yadav en route his 33 against Delhi Capitals on Saturday

Mumbai Indians (MI) were expected to inject hope and desire as they smelt an opportunity to qualify. But as it turned out, their confused batting continues to be a major chink in the armour.

On a sluggish pitch, they needed to respect conditions, reassess targets and make sure they gave their bowlers a chance to defend. With no one, barring Suryakumar Yadav (33), they could manage a below par total of 129.

Avesh, Axar two good

Pacer Avesh Khan and spinner Axar Patel have shown that length and variation will always be a handy combination in a format where monotony can be decimated by powerful bats and batsmen.

Avesh is fast turning into one of the finds of the IPL along with Harshal Patel from RCB. He is rapid, bowls what they call a heavy ball, has a well-directed yorker and a heart that looks forward to the contest of bowling to dangerous batsmen. His performance on a lethargic surface embodied a smart mind behind a bowler who must be very high on the wish list of franchisees as well as the selectors.

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The Delhi Capitals' batting is a mix of audacity and maturity. If Prithvi Shaw and Rishabh Pant can embarrass the opposition, and themselves at times, they also possess the calm of a Shikhar Dhawan and Shreyas Iyer to provide the calming effect when the occasion demands.

Resolute Shreyas

Shreyas looks like a man on a mission. Injury, rehabilitation, lack of cricket and loss of captaincy may have all been disappointing for him as they are for any cricketer in his pomp. But he appears to be addressing his pain areas with some resolve and an approach that suggests he has a plan to resurrect himself to where he belongs. His unbeaten 33 on a pitch that didn't allow audacious cricket, embodied a mature attitude and an approach that is admirable.

MI now have to ensure wins and hope for others to fail. But to win they will need to bat better than they have in the second leg of the IPL. It's happened in the past, it could happen now but expecting other results to help them out of a hole may be outside their line of control at this stage.

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