The former cricketer accused the Titans of disrupting the rhythm of their seamer by sending substitutes with messages when he was executing yorkers to perfection.
Mohit Sharma was in top-notch form and executed his yorker-based plan to perfection till deep into the decisive 20th over of the IPL 2023 final played against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK). Suddenly, however, the Gujarat Titans (GT) seamer lost his radar for the blockhole and conceded a six and a four, with which Ravindra Jadeja sealed the game in CSK’s favour.
The experienced India and Haryana seamer, who made an inspirational comeback with the Titans this season, looked set to finish off his fairytale run with an excellent defence of the 13 runs CSK required off the last six balls in the ultimate clash but painstakingly finished off on the losing side.
Until the fourth ball, Mohit Sharma executed his yorkers with pinpoint accuracy and gave away just three runs to bring the equation down a stiff 10 off 2. Just then, however, a pause in the proceedings seemed to have derailed the pacer’s rhythm and he lost his control to a rampaging Jadeja, something that would haunt the 34-year-old for times to come.
For former India batter turned leading commentator Sanjay Manjrekar, it’s that pause that should fall under great scrutiny as he asked why the Gujarat think-tank felt the need to send messages to the seamer who looked in command of the situation as it only dented his rhythm and tamed his execution.
Manjrekar pointed his scanner on GT dugout’s move to send substitute players to the field with drinks ahead of the fifth ball of the over when Mohit Sharma was enjoying spectacular momentum and control over Jadeja’s downswing.
After these fielder’s left, even Titans skipper Hardik Pandya had a lengthy discussion with the bowler, further delaying the proceedings when perhaps Sharma could’ve best done with sticking to his own process and backing his yorkers to come good.
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“Mohit Sharma is not somebody that we know is a yorker-bowler. His main strength is taking the pace off, and here, he was nailing the perfect yorkers. He was in a zone, three brilliant yorkers to dangerous batters. He has a drink!” Manjrekar told ESPNcricinfo.
“There are a couple of people who come around. When he was walking back to his bowling mark, he was looking calm and confident. Why would you spoil that rhythm?” he added.
As it panned out, Mohit Sharma did back his yorker, but this time, Jadeja was more alert to the task and got underneath the delivery to belt it over long-on for a maximum, which shifted the pressure completely. The next ball was a result of the previous one as Sharma sent a low full-toss on the leg-stump that the left-hander dispatched for a four behind square.
