Slow Scoring Impeding Mumbai's Progress

A very good looking team on paper but Mumbai Indians lost out to Deccan Chargers because of themselves.

Playing a 20 over match should in itself be a motivator to score quickly. Blessed with one of the most threatening opening pairs in world cricket, the team failed to capitalise on its own advantage.

The first two overs yielded just four runs!! Even if it were to be argued that the Sri Lankan southpaw wanted to get used to the conditions, he must have shouldered the responsibility to thereafter score some quick runs and get the team back on to the scoring path.

But what happened? Jayasuriya looked completely out of sorts; what with trying to hook a head height bouncer from R.P.Singh. As he perished cheaply after consuming some deliveries,the onus was on Sachin's shoulders to get back Mumbai out of danger and bat as per the required run rate. And he did it quite successfully with the able company of South African sensation, Duminy.

However, where Mumbai lost the plot was in forcing Tendulkar to get out of his role of being the sheet anchor to the team's innings.This happened, thanks to the early dismissal of Jayasuriya. Still, things looked good for them till the strategic timeout when the score was 83/1 in 10 overs.

The match was evenly balanced,yet the winning needle was tilting towards Mumbai. As has been seen right through the tournament so far, the strategic timeout proved a bane for the Mumbai Indians, what with the team losing its momentum and Sachin Tendulkar getting out easily in the 11th over.

A steady partnership then could have perhaps saved the day for Mumbai but that wasn't to be. A steady procession of wickets went on at regular intervals and with the asking rate mounting with every passing delivery, it was never going to be easy.

Another point here. Just as the first two overs yielded very few runs, similarly the first two overs after strategic timeout yielded very few runs. Safe to say, Mumbai wasted nearly five overs of their innings by losing at least two wickets and scoring less than 20 runs. Bad. Very bad.

When a team wastes a quarter of its overs without being completely into the game, they deserve to lose.

Don't blame the strategic timeout now, as it has become a part of the tournament and every team has to live with it. And top players like Sanath and Sachin must know how to get into the hitting mode straight away, rather than wait and waste balls to warm up.

So Mumbai, don't waste deliveries—score at a fast rate. That's the success mantra.