IPL 2020: Mumbai Indians bowlers find life in Sharjah's graveyard to bury Sunrisers Hyderabad

Pacers Sandeep Sharma and Siddarth Kaul took two wickets each for Sunrisers but were expensive, especially the latter who leaked 64 runs in his first game of the season.
Mumbai Indians celebrate after defeating Sunrisers Hyderabad at an IPL match at Sharjah Cricket Stadium. (Photo| PTI)
Mumbai Indians celebrate after defeating Sunrisers Hyderabad at an IPL match at Sharjah Cricket Stadium. (Photo| PTI)

It was a rare sight to see David Warner struggling to time the ball, find the gaps or flex his muscles freely. After all, this was the Sharjah Cricket Stadium where any batsman, even those struggling for form, can find their mojo thanks to the short boundaries.

Bowlers across the board will call it a graveyard and consider it an absolute nightmare and even a punishment to bowl there. It's the kind of venue, where you are never out of the game because just a few sixes will get you back into the game.

The last few matches perfectly demonstrate how cruel it is on bowlers.

We saw Kagiso Rabada, one of the world's best getting hit for three sixes in a row on Saturday night.
That's what makes the bowling display of Mumbai Indians against Sunrisers Hyderabad all the more impressive as they secured a massive 34-run win over the Hyderabad side.

Warner was the top scorer for Sunrisers with 60 runs and he took just 44 balls for it. However, this was no vintage Warner and it was a scratchy innings where he flickered in parts, dragged along in others and simply couldn't cope against a disciplined bowling attack.

If Lasith Malinga, who is the most successful bowler in IPL is a big miss for Mumbai, the likes of Trent Boult and James Pattinson (who is Malinga's replacement) are showing that they are formidable bowlers themselves, and alongside Jasprit Bumrah form one of the most enviable units in the league.

Boult once again demonstrated his ability to pick up early wickets with the new ball and was brilliant in the death. It was not a day to remember for Bumrah as he got whacked around the park a bit but the likes of Pattinson and Krunal Pandya kept it tight to choke Sunrisers.

Mumbai Indians managed to post 208 for 5 and everyone other than Rohit Sharma (6) managed to put runs on board. While Quinton de Kock top scored with 67, Krunal smacked two fours and two sixes from the four balls he faced in the last over.

Sandeep Sharma who came in for injured Bhuvneshwar Kumar was decent with the ball but Sidharth Kaul conceded a massive 64 runs. But since the game was in Sharjah, Mumbai's score looked chaseable. And Sunrisers would have certainly fancied their chances with the likes of Warner, Bairstow and Williamson in their ranks.

But Mumbai Indians never allowed their bowling to be predictable and kept them guessing with variations. In the process, they have given bowlers of other teams hope.

Brief Scores: Mumbai Indians 208/5 in 20 overs (De Kock 67, Pollard 25 not out, Krunal 20 not out; Rashid 1/22).

Sunrisers Hyderabad 174/7 in 20 overs (Warner 60, Boult 2/28, Pattinson 2/29).

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