On a day Hyderabad wore a cheerful look, celebrating Ugadi, Mumbai Indians’ pace bowler Alzarri Joseph played spoilsport picking six for 12, the best spell in IPL history to derail the home team Sunrisers Hyderabad’s chase. ((Full Scorecard))

After restricting Mumbai Indians to 136/7 in 20 overs, Sunrisers Hyderabad looked on course but the Antiguan fast bowler put the spanner in the works by bettering a record that has stood for 11 seasons. Before Joseph, Sohail Tanvir’s 6/14 in the inaugural season in 2008 was the best.

But his spell would have come to no avail had fellow West Indian Keiron Pollard not rescued MI earlier. It often comes down to just one delivery that shifts the momentum of a game. If Mohammad Siraj’s waist-high full toss had handed that to KKR on Friday as the beneficiary Andre Russell unleashed onslaught on RCB, on Saturday, it took a dropped catch from Rashid Khan to bring curtains down on his side. The wily leggie dropped Kieron Pollard on eight at a time Mumbai Indians were tottering at 92 for six at the end of the 17th over.

Pollard unleashed a gem of a knock thereafter, smacking balls to all corners of the park on way to 26-ball 46. And while it helped Mumbai Indians put up a 137-run target, with the likes of David Warner and Jonny Bairstow in the dugout, the home crowd wasn’t too bothered.

But unfortunately, it didn’t quite go as per the script for Hyderabad. The star pair fell in the space of just four deliveries with 33 on the board and what should have been a walk in the park for the hosts, eventually saw them lose the tie by 40 runs.

IPL debutant Joseph had walked in to the side replacing Lasith Malinga and ensured the side didn’t miss the veteran’s services. From his toe-crushing yorkers to the length he maintained outside the off-stump, it made batting difficult for the untested middle-order who had so far been steered home by the heroics of Warner and Bairstow.

Joseph removed the dangerous Warner, who played on to his stumps. He then removed another hard-hitter Vijay Shankar in his next over to peg the hosts back. He then returned to take two wickets in his third over before adding another couple in his last to seal the game.

First Published: Apr 07, 2019 00:12 IST