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Harshal’s haul versus MI doubly sweet in first game since IPL 2020
The Haryana seamer’s IPL career had been uneventful since he began in 2012, but he regained form before the edition and delivered at the death with a five-wicket haul for Royal Challengers Bangalore against the champions.
It has been a tough year for everyone due to the pandemic. For pacer Harshal Patel, things got tougher when he suffered a freak ankle injury ahead of Haryana’s first Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy T20 match in 2020. It led his missing the entire season.
“He twisted his ankle during a fielding session ahead of Haryana’s first game and couldn’t take part in any match. Yesterday’s performance was all the more satisfying for him and us as it was his first after IPL 2020,” said Anirudh Choudhary. The former BCCI treasurer who heads Haryana Cricket Association has had a long association with Patel. He was the manager of the 2010 India U-19 team who also gave Patel break in the senior ranks at Haryana.
Having been a fringe IPL player since 2012, Royal Challengers Bangalore’s Harshal Patel proved the story of the league’s 2021 opener, producing a match-winning 5/27 against champions Mumbai Indians.
The ankle injury hurt all the more because it came at a time when the Haryana captain had hit his peak. In 2019-20, Patel was the standout performer for Haryana, taking 52 wickets in nine first-class games at an average of 14.48 and a strike rate of 27.1. In the National T20 championship, he took 19 wickets in 12 games at a creditable average of 15.94 and an economy of 7.04.
CHANGES VISIBLE
Haryana coach Jatinder Singh saw the transformation in his bowler. “It is my third season with the team. He has gained consistency. He had sharp pace earlier too, now his line and length is unwavering. The ability to land the ball where you want to is not easy, he has mastered it. He always had potential, when you have control, consistency in performances improves. Last year, he did well throughout the season. His pace variations are very good,” the former Haryana opener said.
While teammates and opponents in domestic cricket were familiar with his effectiveness, he was still an unknown commodity in IPL. Overall, he had figured in only 49 games, including the one against MI on Friday night. Last season, he played just five games for Delhi Capitals and was traded to RCB.
On Friday, Patel made MI take notice. Bowling the 16th, 18th and 20th overs, he ensured RCB conceded only 25 runs off the last four overs. In the final over, Patel grabbed three wickets in the first four balls, for one run. There was a run-out off the final ball, making it a stunning four wicket, one-run over.
Harshal Patel said he has added a good yorker to variations of pace. “I’ve been bowling yorkers for long, but I wasn’t confident to take that into the game. But in the last 15-20 days, I put myself in situations where I have to bowl yorkers and I'm now really confident,” he told a virtual press conference.
“I’m happy I was able to execute that. If you’re bowling in the death overs, you need to rely a little bit on the yorkers. You can’t just keep bowling length balls and slower balls… So it’s important to have that one delivery which can get the batsman off strike. It can give you options,” he said. A bowler is always under pressure in a T20 game but bowling at the death is a different ball game. And, there is no bigger challenge than bowling to the MI line-up in the final overs.
MENACING HITTERS
Hardik Pandya (S/R 158.92), Kieron Pollard (149.55) and Krunal Pandya 142.03 can be devastating batting at the end. In IPL 2020, Pollard’s strike rate was 191.42, Hardik’s 178.98.
So, these phases of play test your skills to the limit. RCB had trouble at the death, defending totals at the smaller M Chinnaswamy Stadium, but not at neutral M Chidambaram Stadium. The dry wicket suited Harshal’s bowling style as his cutters, pace variations and reverse swing proved effective.
“It definitely suited my bowling,” he said. “That was why Virat left my three overs at the death. When the ball got older, it started reversing a bit and when it starts reversing, it is easier to execute your yorkers. My slower balls have been my main strength for almost 10 years now.”
The RCB management had planned their death bowling strategy around Patel. After his returns in the first game, they are convinced.
“When we gathered for the first camp, there was very clear instruction to me that I’m going to bowl at least two overs at the death. That gave me a lot of clarity and confidence to work on my skills and develop plans against the batters I’m going to face in the death overs in various teams. It made my preparation concise.”
In the first game, he also had the advantage as a surprise element. Patel knows it will get tougher as teams will be better prepared. “You always want to start well. That leaves a massive impact on how you go about in the coming games. In IPL, it’s a pendulum; things can change very quickly, for good and for bad. All you have to do is focus on your planning and execution, take one game at a time. Don’t get overconfident. At the same time, if you have had a bad day, can't get depressed. You have to move on from these situations very quickly.”
