Brilliant captain very nearly wins the game for Super Kings (MCC vs. Super Kings) - 17 July 2021, Saturday, Lincoln Park - Part 1

MCC won by 12 runs

MCC 159/3 in 20 overs (Avinash 70 off 40 balls with 4 boundaries and 4 sixers, Nikhil 33 off 39, Chandra 0/16 in 3 overs, John 0/25 in 3 overs, Aditya 0/32 in 4 overs)

Super Kings 147/7 in 20 overs (Jeff 31 n.0 off 18 balls, Zubair 29 off 20 balls, Shiv 28 off 19 balls, Vikram 21 off 28 balls, Shikar 1/24 in 4 overs, Garuav 1/22 in 4 overs)

https://cricclubs.com/MilwaukeeRegalT20/viewScorecard.do?matchId=414&clubId=110

I don't think I have ever been under a captain who has done so much homework for a game and it is a pity that the captain ended up just a little short after an absorbing game against a champion side. But it just shows that the Milwaukee Super Kings is here to stay and win championships, who knows this year itself. 

Coming to the game, probably for the first time Aditya won the toss and decided to bowl first. Frankly speaking, I was expecting to bat first as in a T20 game, especially when you have a good batting line up (not to forget the strong bowling lineup as well although we were missing Arvind Iyengar), chasing a big score will always put the chasing team under pressure especially if they need to chase anything more than 170 even in a  batting paradise like Lincoln.

But Aditya, Super Kings captain,  instantly chose to bowl first and as the game evolved , one can see how much  he has planned the game with minute details and was confidence personified in executing his plans and also with strong belief that his team will  back his plans.

MCC batting (159/3 in 20 overs)

MCC had a decent start with Shafiq and Mahesh.  Shafiq after scoring a run a ball 12 including a six and boundary was well caught by Venkat C off Shailesh who, after a relatively slow start to the season, has picked up steam and is really bowling well, as his hard work in practice sessions and his motivation to the team to work on fitness is showing up and the team really rallies behind someone who is so cheerful and exuberant in his team spirit.   

What can one say about Chandra, who is one of the best new ball bowler I have seen,  as he uses the new ball so effectively by pitching up and also have in-swingers which seem to accelerate after pitching.  He bowed three brilliant overs and gave away only 16 runs.  Still so young and going to be such a force in our league over the years.  In the fag end of my career, it is the opportunity to see such young, vibrant talent that makes me wake up for the game despite the tired and aching body at times. 

Mahesh Mada, whom I thought to be far better striker off the ball (recall one of his fabulous aggressive knock in one of the Regal finals, forgot which year it was) was very sedate and scored 10 off 17 balls before being well caught of Shiva off Rahul. Score was 40/2 in 6.3 overs which was good for the power play overs but not extraordinary by any means as they have lost two wickets as well.

Then there was a very interesting partnership between Nikhil and Avinash who were remarkably quiet and by the 11 overs, MCC was only 66/2 which is exactly 6 RPO which is quite slow for a T20 game.  But, it was only the quietness before the storm as we witnessed from Avinash's flashing blade later. 

John, who came for the 12 overs, bowled one of the most remarkable spell of leg spin bowing I have seen in the league.  I can't recall having seen too many leg spinners in our league, probably Durai who used to play for United. 

Leg spin is such a wonderful facet of the game and frankly any game of cricket, with a wily leg spinner is something so charming indeed.  Am particularly so happy to see John becoming such a wonderful leg spinner in the league as it was only by chance that I got to meet him.  The moment he uttered the word "leg spinner" during that day, I jumped in joy and had no hesitation in romping him into Super Kings in 2019.  

John, brilliant leg spin bowling

Knowing that leg spin in such an art that requires so much of practice, John practices the art even in his sleep (am sure each of my team members will vouch for it).  Infact, he is not only such a hard worker, mastering such a dying and wonderful art of leg spinner, but a fabulous team player and  an all rounder.  

Frankly the game of cricket is lucky to have such players as such players not only emphasize the importance of hard work but also make the game so fabulous by being exponents of such a beautiful facet of cricket, leg spin. 

John bowled three brilliant overs and gave away only 25 runs.  On might argue that 25 off 3 overs is not a great feat.   What is remarkable is that John was bowling against a stiff breeze and in fact the breeze was so strong that anyone who can hit the ball on the leg side could easily smack sixers.  With a batsman like Avinash batting, it is remarkable that he gave away only 25 runs and this was very decisive spell indeed and it was so enthralling to see the tussle between the wily leg spinner and an aggressive batsman. 

Forgot to tell about the settings of the game. Lincoln was so fabulous to play today with temperature hovering around 70, with very strong breeze blowing from one's right to left if one is bowling from the pavilion end.  Shaker bhai kept the boundaries very long, probably 70 plus at the pavilion end. It seemed  further longer as the three of the big trees in front of the pavilion were cut from the previous week.   As one will see from Super Kings batting, this long boundary from the pavilion end and the stiff breeze were so decisive in the ultimate result of this fabulous game where a couple of hits decided the game.

Avinash, brilliant 70 off 40 balls,

Coming to Avinash and to some extent Nikhi, from a score of 66/2 in 11 overs, MCC galloped to 111/2 in 16 overs, implying that they scored 45 in five overs (9 RPO) which included Avinash hitting a sixer and two boundaries in each of Rahul's and Koushik's over.   Since I was not fielding, I was witness to Avinash's boundary hits and they were indeed so fast and furious indeed.  I don't think that I have seen anyone else who hits the ball so hard and flat  as Avinash packs such a punch and even when someone is outside the boundary, one won't stretch out to stop such a fast travelling ball.  Talk about power hitting. It's right up there. Avinash scored 70 runs in 40 balls with four boundaries and four sixers, mostly peppering the straight or cover boundary and each of those hits were very powerful indeed, flat hit thunderbolts. 

Coming to Kousik, it was a brilliant move by Aditya to have him bowl from the pavilion wind.  As an off spinner, bowling with long boundary and with such a strong wind going against leg side shots, Koushik was the perfect bowler. All that was required was to bowl the off spinners on the middle so that the batsman will be tucked in and  can only hit on the leg side.  Of course with Avinash batting, the ball shouldn't be tossed up. All easier to say but Kousik was bowling his only over and that too to a set batsman. It was a great ploy by Aditya to get Avinash out. But Avinash was upto it by waiting for the ball to arrive and hitting those either on the off side or straighter rather than getting crazy to hit on the leg side against the wind. It was brilliant batsmanship as much as it was brilliant captaincy, which unfortunately didn't' get the fruits. Nothing to take away from Kousik though as he is coming off a thump injury and that too in his right thump.  Like a whole hearted trier, Kousik was there for the team. 

Aditya, brilliant captaincy

There was more to come.  Aditya and Zubair bowled the last four overs quite brilliantly indeed. Despite having wickets left in the tank and with the belligerent Avinash still batting with the champion Shaker, MCC scored only 36 runs in the last four overs.  Although one would argue that this is good one, in Lincoln with wickets in hand, team could easily scored 12 runs per over and or even more if we have to add one big over. But that didn't happen, because of the brilliance of these two exceptional death end bowlers as MCC ended with a par score of 159. But on hindsight, because of the long boundaries today (Shaker's smartness), this was like a 180 plus score.

However, Super Kings gave 21 wides, which is unacceptable in any game and if a team needs to beat champions team like MCC, such unforced errors must be minimized and am sure Aditya has his task cut out to iron the bowlers as he saw from the result of this game itself how those wides were decisive. They will also remember the tie game against Panthers where also wides mattered.  Cricket is such a simple game, played as a one ball game, and the team that minimizes unforced errors will well and truly be on top.   Super Kings are such fast learners that they will iron this out soon indeed. 

Coming to the captaincy aspect, have to give full marks to Aditya, for rotating the bowlers so well, having the confidence to have John bowl from the river end against the breeze and containing a champion team to a par score of 159 indeed. 

MCC also played so professionally as they realized the long boundaries and ran really well between the wickets, did not attempt any shot against the wind and accelerated when necessary. That's what experience does. From 66/2 in 11 overs, MCC went onto score 159 losing only one more wicket, which puts it as 10.3 runs in the last nine overs. Smart batsmanship.

So, at the break, match was even and am sure Aditya was very confident of chasing this par score with good batting depth and capable hitters at the end.