IPL 2021: Straight Bat with Gulf News and Mr. Cricket UAE Anis Sajan - MI vs CSK - video Dailymotion

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It took an awe-inspiring display of power-hitting from Kieron Pollard as his 87 off 34 balls, studded with eight sixes and six fours, took Mumbai Indians over the line in a high-scoring thriller against Chennai Super Kings in New Delhi today.  See more videos at https://gulfnews.com/videos Read more Gulf News stories here: https://bit.ly/2HLJ2km  Subscribe to Gulf News on YouTube and watch more of our videos: https://www.youtube.com/user/GulfNewsTV  #UAEnews #IPL2021 #cricket

Transcript

00:00You call it the El Clasico, call it the blockbuster, call it the heart-beater,

00:04it lived up to all expectations and I could probably say that it was one of the best matches this IPL had.

00:20Hello, good evening. We are back here for another edition of Straight Back with Mr. Cricket UAE

00:26Anish Sajjan. This is Gautam of Gulf News and with me I've got Iain Sahil Sajjan, one of our

00:33cricket enthusiasts and experts. First I would let Anish do the talking about the promotion

00:39that we're running so successfully. Hi Gautam and hi beautiful people of the Gulf News Committee.

00:45What a blockbuster game we had but before I come to that, as always you know you need to predict

00:50the winner, you walk away with this beautiful jacket, two winners every day and three months

00:55of subscription. Yes, so yes for that you need to log on to the Gulf News Facebook page to find

01:04out more, predict the winners and win this lovely jackets as well as subscription as Anish said.

01:10We will quickly get on to the match. As we had been saying that a Mumbai-Chennai contest is

01:17always you know, yesterday only we were discussing that it's the El Clasico of IPL

01:23and it lived up to its billing. So Anish, what's your take? Well, you're right Mr. Gautam. You call

01:31it the El Clasico, call it the blockbuster, call it the hard beater. It lived up to all expectation

01:38and I could probably say that it was one of the best matches this IPL had after the Punjab-NRR

01:44game and when these two big teams play, there is firework, you saw lots of runs, incredible

01:50hitting and in the end, the mighty Mumbai Indians probably just tipped CSK with a special

01:57inning from none other than the great Pollard. I'll go to Sahil with that. Sahil, given a choice,

02:06what kind of a T20 match appeals to you more? I mean, this kind of hitting when you're getting

02:12200 runs almost on a platter or you would like to see 175-180 being chased with a lot of thrills.

02:20What would you prefer? Honestly, the first show is the one where you score more than 200

02:25and it gets chased down. I think that is more entertaining for me to watch. I mean,

02:33look, I'm a fan here. So obviously, I'm going to talk like a fan because every fan would like to

02:37see fireworks of non-stop sixes and fours in a specific T20 game. So obviously, I'd prefer

02:44a score which goes over 200 runs. Definitely, 200 runs.

02:49Yeah, I mean, honestly, today for a change and I'd like to ask you that today for a change when

02:56Mumbai's best option was chasing but then I was just wondering that whether Rohit

03:02got a trick wrong because he had been a bowler short. So he's trying with Jimmy Nishan

03:08who wasn't of much help. Dhawal Kulkarni tried his best. He's got a lot of local experience.

03:14So I was thinking that yes, I mean, the target of 219 doesn't happen every day and it was Chennai's

03:20best ever against Mumbai. So we do think it was a single-handed effort on part of Pollard.

03:28I mean, he made the difference. Otherwise, they would have still fallen short by around 20

03:32runs a day, isn't it? Oh yes, absolutely Gautam. In the end, it was definitely a single-handed

03:39effort from Pollard. But they got a decent start by the openers where they scored in 7 over 70

03:45runs. So the platform was set. In between, they lost a couple of wickets of Surya as well as

03:51then they lost Rohit Sharma and Quinton Dickock in a heap and they were three down.

03:57Then they got a little partnership with Kunal scoring some runs and Hardik also scoring a cameo.

04:02But Pollard was like the demolition man, you know. Like anything and everything, it all started with

04:08the Jadeja over. I still remember in that 13th over of Jadeja, I hit him for 20 runs. 14th over NGD,

04:1516 runs. 15th over of Thakur, 23 runs. Again, Thakur going for 17 in the 18th over and the last over,

04:2216. And there are many matches. There is one match which comes to my mind. He has done it against

04:26Punjab at the Wankhede. They just pull off a hiss. That's what they are known for. You know,

04:32they have guys like Hardik, the big boys who can probably steal it from your hands.

04:39Right. And I think that's the specialty about this Mumbai side. For two matches now,

04:47Rohit had been using Kunal at No. 4. Now, we would tend to ask ourselves that is Kunal the

04:54right No. 4 for a heavyweight team like Bombay? But both matches he delivered. But one thing I

05:00would like to ask you, you see, when there was a critical moment in the match, the last ball,

05:06when Mumbai needed two of the last delivery. So, if you look at Dhawal Kulkarni who was at

05:11the non-striker's end, Dhawal had kind of backed up a couple of paces too many. Now, this is

05:20becoming a bit of a common practice. Did you notice that, Anish?

05:28I am glad, Gautam, you asked this question. You know why? Because there was a lot of

05:32hoo and cry when Ashwin had munkered Joss Butler. And they were saying it is not in the spirit of

05:39the game, blah, blah, blah. I mean, it was ridiculous. And now when I saw this last ball,

05:43my eyes were actually at the non-striker's end just to see. Before the ball was even released

05:48from the hand of the bowler, Dhawal Kulkarni was almost at the middle of the ground. That

05:55means he has covered half the distance. I don't see any logic in that. I mean, you are like

06:00stealing half a run. And don't forget, if the throw was at the non-striker's end and had Dhawal

06:05not taken the start, he would have been run out. So, at this stage, you are like, I should not be

06:11using the word cheating. But this is default and shouldn't be allowed. The moment the umpire sees

06:17that the bowler, the non-striker has backed out of the crease, he should immediately say,

06:23sorry, this is not allowed. And maybe they have to come into the law so that, like,

06:28how you are allowing, you know, when a bowler bowls and his hand hits the stunt, it's given a no-ball.

06:32In this way, they have to give a penalty to the opposition. Because this is like stealing a run.

06:37I don't think this player would have reached the non-striker's end had it been taking a normal

06:42start. Or you allow the bowler to do a monkert. But if you do a monkert, then you say it's against

06:48the spirit. I'm sure Sahil can add this. Sahil? Yeah, I absolutely agree. It should not be

06:56allowed. Like, even when I was seeing Dhawal, he took a heavy, heavy start. You know, I mean,

07:02you cannot expect the bowler to have an event if the bowler is under complete pressure. Because,

07:06you know, two runs and one ball. So, the bowler will not realize that Dhawal has taken a huge

07:10start. It's the umpire's job to see that. So, I definitely agree that you're not allowed to

07:16take a massive start. Right. Yeah, I mean, very strong but very pertinent words. Now, moving on,

07:26Anish, I would like to ask you that, you know, in the number of matches that is now left on the

07:30Delhi BK, I mean, what is a pass score or what should be the bowler's, you know, approach to

07:38the game? Because so far, one, you know, one line of defense had been taking the pace of the ball,

07:45but nothing would work if you are, you know, pitted against this kind of hitters. So, what

07:50would a bowler do? What would be your advice? Well, I'm again glad you asked this question,

07:56Gautam. Because when you say that if you cannot defend 220 runs, then your execution is wrong.

08:01That's what MS Dhoni said that if you are trying to execute something and you are not able to

08:06deliver that. So, what a bowler can do, like you said, that if you take off the pace, still guys

08:12like Pollard will go after you because they have got such a big reach. Now, it's easy for us as an

08:18armchair expert that you could do that, you could do this. But I would still say that probably

08:22bowling wide yorkers is the best way wherein you, you know, do not give him that room. Obviously,

08:28wide yorker, you give him the chance to swing his bat. But giving him that, bowling him that

08:33wide yorker is the best option. Or bowling is right on the pads and make sure that you give

08:38him that field. Because when you are bowling the wide yorker, there is a chance he might stick and

08:43it goes over the, if you keep a short third man and if you give, if you see the last over bowl,

08:48there was a fantastic yorker bowl to the first ball. And he sneaked out and it went but still

08:53that is still okay. But you bowling full tosses, I can understand because of the dew. But then you

08:58have to practice. Yorkers come with practice and the best ball in this cricket is the yorker.

09:03Yorker, yeah. And actually, Sam Curran showed the way somewhat because he kept

09:09Pollard wide in the previous over a couple of times. Yes. Okay, now, quickly moving on.

09:17Once again, it's a double-headed day tomorrow, Sunday. And we, there had been a coup quite

09:24silently which took place. You had spoken about it in the pre-match analysis. So, you know,

09:31keeping in tradition with IPL of, you know, not being tolerant about captains who are not

09:37performing, unless, you know, David Warner's decision, it was a voluntary decision. So,

09:44we have got Ken Williamson coming up tomorrow. But will a change of captain only help Sunrisers

09:51Hyderabad? Or I see a strange attitude on part of the management. Sunrisers had been quite a

09:58discrete management. They didn't believe in knee-jerk action. So, what happened this time?

10:04Well, I could see the writing on the wall for Warner the moment he made a statement about

10:10Manish Pandey being axed or not given an opportunity. Because I believe the pressure

10:15came from the top management. We wouldn't know who it has come from. And that is why he languished

10:21out his anger or frustration of Manish Pandey being left out. Secondly, in the last match

10:26against Chennai, where he scored a 50-odd, but it came off 50 balls on a wicket which

10:30Chennai already easily scored it. He took the blame of himself. So, all this boiled down to

10:36the management taking a call. Mr. Warner, it's time for you to go. Because the results don't

10:43show in your favor where they are languishing at the bottom with six matches and only two wins.

10:48And they were looking for an opportunity. And they got that one opportunity. And they said,

10:52Mr. Warner, would you like to step out? And Williamson was ready to take it. And I am afraid

10:58changing of captainship in the middle of the tournament gives you a wrong signal. And

11:03pairing with Rohit Sharma, who took it. That also, mind you, it was Ricky Ponting in 2013.

11:10I don't know whether it was an injury. But he said, I am injured. And they handed over the

11:14captainship to Rohit Sharma. And rest is history from there. But I don't believe, I am not a

11:20believer of changing captains unless he is injured. And this will not go down. Williamson

11:25is not having a magic wand that is going to come and change the fortunes of SRH.

11:30But one thing it might do, I mean, normally, you make that guy a captain who is assured of his

11:36place in the playing 11. I mean, that is why in the first place, when Warner came back after

11:41serving his ban, he was met the captain at the expense of, I mean, it has become a kind of

11:46musical chair. He was met the captain at the expense of Williamson. Now, if so that allows

11:53the management to make him sit in the dugout for a few matches and try out a few other things.

11:59So Jason Roy is still there in the team. Do you see any changes, any radical changes coming up

12:05there? 200% Jason Roy will play the next match, which is happening tomorrow, I guess. And Warner

12:11will be sitting there. I mean, if I know my cricket well, but I'll be very honest on a lighter

12:16side. My predictions on the IPL matches have all gone berserk. Like I have mentioned yesterday,

12:22I said Punjab will lose, RCB will win. Punjab won. Day before yesterday, just to be showing my

12:29heart and soul towards my own Morgan, I said KKR will win. And they were hammered by Delhi. And

12:35today, I had all my backing towards CSK. And then Pollard came in. I should say Pollard and

12:41Mumbai Indians did a heist. So let's not talk about my predictions. You never know what happens

12:47in IPL. Strange things happen. Expect the unexpected. That's true. Before wrapping up,

12:53I'll come to Sahil. The second game of the day, it's a North Indian Derby, Punjab Kings versus

13:00Delhi Capitals. Now, Punjab did well in the previous match. So what kind of a chance do

13:06you give them against Delhi? I mean, Delhi are a much more well-rounded team after all.

13:12Equal. It's an equal chance. Because I actually like the lineup, which the Punjab Kings brought

13:18against the RCB. That is actually a good lineup. You could see they had some bowlers who bowled

13:23well. I mean, the guy Harpreet bowled exceptionally. I mean, he worked out well. But will he work out

13:30next game? Let's see about that. But it's an equal chance. I'm not going to say Delhi are favorites.

13:35No way. It's an equal chance for sure. But is CSK not your favorite, Sahil? I want to ask him.

13:42He's also unhappy today. He's happy, actually. I don't know. Is he happy or not, Gautam?

13:47I don't know. No, I think there is no reason to be unhappy. I mean, it was ultimately with

13:52this kind of little margin of error for the bowlers. I mean, CSK still maintained.

13:59Look at the way they're batting. There have been three half centuries and a very redeeming feature

14:05had been the power hitting from Ambati. So often he has got the flag for not

14:11being able to push along things. So things are looking good for CSK. This kind of a match,

14:16there will always be two to three matches like this in the IPL league stage we have seen.

14:22Anyway, two quite intriguing clashes coming up tomorrow and we'll keep our eye as to how

14:30Ken Williamson marshals his resources. He did that well in those two years when he was

14:34captaining. Wishing the teams all the luck. And we sign off once again telling the readers to log

14:41into the Gulf News Facebook page and take part in our competition for the attractive prizes in

14:47store. Thank you. Good night. Thank you, Gautam.

IPL 2021: Straight Bat with Gulf News and Mr. Cricket UAE Anis Sajan - MI vs CSK

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