While Mumbai Indians suffered a three-wicket loss against Gujarat Titans in a rain-interrupted match at Wankhede on Tuesday night, three no-balls including one no-ball in the last over bowled by Deepak Chahar in Gujarat titans successful run-chase were one of the factors for the narrow loss for the Mumbai side. Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya, who himself bowled two no-balls, termed the overstepping as a ‘crime’ and shared how the no-ball ‘bites’ one post the loss.
“It is a crime. Catches did not really cost us, but the no-balls, with my no-balls and even in the last no-ball, in my eyes in T20s, it is a crime and more often than not, it bites you. But I am really happy with the boys for giving their 120 percent, ensuring we were in the game and not giving up,” said Pandya post the match.
Batting first, had set a target of 15 runs for to chase. But with rain interrupting the match including one rain-break late into the night, meant that Gujarat titans needed 15 runs in the last over with the revised target of 147 runs in 19 overs. A penalty for slow rate saw Mumbai Indians having only four fielders outside the circle during the final over. With Chahar conceding a four, a six and a no-ball in the over, Gujarat Titans won the match off the last ball of the innings with Arshad Khan taking a single to hand Titans their eight win of the this season. Pandya praised the team for giving a fight with the 155-run total. “Yes, definitely (tough way to go down). We fought well with the total we had. Most of the time, we were out of the game, but we pushed as a group. It was a game of margins. It was definitely not a 150-wicket. It was a 175-wicket, we were short in batting by 20-25 or maybe 30 runs if we had batted well. Credit to the bowlers. They kept fighting, and we could not finish the job,” Pandya added.
With constant rain interruptions happening in the second innings, Mumbai Indians bowlers had to make fresh starts in the Titans innings. With Titans placed at 113 for 2 in 14.2 overs, Mumbai Indians bowlers led by and made sure that the game went close with Titans losing four wickets for 13 runs before Rahul Tweatia and Gerald Coetzee kept Titans in the chase.
“The ground, in the first innings, was not wet, but post that, throughout, the ball kept getting wetter. Not sure if it helped us or not, it was difficult. Rain kept coming in, not ideal to have stoppages and start again. But the game goes on, we had to play a game (in the end), and we definitely did,” Pandya said.
