IPL 2014: 5 issues for Mumbai Indians that need addressing

The Mumbai Indians campaign this season has been diametrically opposite to what it was the previous year wherein they ran through oppositions with repose. Everything Rohit Sharma, the skipper, has unleashed from his bag of tricks has gone abegging. Michael Hussey and Corey Anderson, the new recruits, are still unable find their feet. The fact that former MI players (Glenn Maxwell, Dwayne Smith and Mitchell Johnson) are proving to be gems for other teams only rubs salt on the wounds.Nonetheless, here are the issues that Mumbai Indians need to ponder over:

#5 Is Lasith Malinga merely a death bowler?

T20 cricket may fine-tune you as a cricketer by steeling your nerves, but it can act as a constraint, at the same time, by not allowing you to be the cricketer you can be! Lasith Malinga is one fine example to explicate the stated thought. Known for his accurate toe-crushing yorkers, slower balls, slower-ball yorkers, wide yorkers, and a host of other variations, Malinga’s ability to swing the new ball has almost become a myth, though it isn’t, mind you!

Captains are increasingly using him as a death-over specialist to curb the big heaves during that part of the innings. Having said that, more often than not, teams find themselves in a comfortable position to play out his overs and still put up a good score or chase down the requisite total.

The throngs of pundits in the Mumbai Indians backroom need to explain Rohit Sharma the utility of Malinga upfront. At least 2 overs of Malinga in the course of the powerplay is a must. When he gets it right, his swinging yorkers are literally, unplayable – Gautam Gambhir or even Michael Hussey (the former CSKian) himself, can tell you a thing or two about it!

#4 Please, dont over-analyse!

You have Sachin Tendulkar, Anil Kumble, John Wright, Jonty Rhodes and Robin Singh at your disposal, which itself is going overboard, what is Ricky Ponting called in for? Over-analysis can never be good, particularly in the context of a T20 game.

MS Dhoni, the skipper of Team India and CSK, stresses the point of executing the basics and keeping things as simple as one can. Having a clear mind is the best virtue to possess when on a cricket field so as to express oneself to the fullest. Rohit Sharmas torrid time this season as Mumbais skipper, can perhaps be ascribed to excessive strategizing, which inadvertently muddles up the mind, which in turn leads to failures on ground.

Having suffered repeated setbacks despite trying various combinations and employing various tactics, Rohit would be better off going back to the basics. The senior pros in the dressing room should take up the roles of mentors, rather than strategists. At the end of the day, T20 is a confidence game and once they start believing in their faculties, it wont be far before they get on a roll.

#3 Cant have a half-batter, half-bowler

In 5 matches, Anderson has scored 73 runs at an average of 14.60, striking at 91.25. In 4 matches hes bowled in, Anderson has 3 wickets to his name; average being 30.00 and economy rate being 11.25. Purely on performance, he should get dropped for the next game. Neither has he been able to wield his magic with the bat, nor has he produced any sort of impact with the ball.

Sure he is deemed to be a quality cricketer in the future, but at present, he just hasnt been good enough. Part of the blame could be attributed to the fact that this is his first IPL and nerves do come into play. But in a league where stakes are high, emotion cannot overpower reality. At present, he hasnt justified his spot as a batter or as a bowler.

It is high time that the team management gives an opportunity to a specialist bat; the bowling has been decent, if not excellent. Theres only option, though, to replace him, in Michael Hussey. Strangely so, Mumbai seems to be lacking in bench strength this year. Nevertheless, Michael Hussey needs to use all his experience to steady to sinking MI ship.

#2 Whats the role for Ambati Rayudu in the team?

Theres no denying that Ambati Raydu was Mumbai Indians best batsman in the Emirates. But, was he their most effective batsman? Well, not quite. 133 runs at 26.60; strike rate being 104.72 is suited for the record of a top-order opening batsman who is supposed to act as a cornerstone. But hang on! Ambati Rayudu doesnt open the innings. Does he?

In the five matches so far, hes batted at 3, 4 and 6. Now then, what is his role in the team? Nobody knows! The Mumbai Indians have shuffled their batting order so often this season that everything lies in disarray, to say the least. If Rohit actually opens the innings, Rayudu shouldnt bat any lower than 3. This would help the innings be steady until the 14th over after which Pollard could come in and explode. However if Rohit decides to bat at 3, which isnt desirable though, Rayudus role must that be of a finisher.

Rayudu found it tough clearing the big boundaries in UAE. In India, however, the case is otherwise, as the boundaries are shorter. Moreover, Rayudu past IPL record in India, as a lower middle order bat augurs well for the cause. All in all, a clear-cut plan is a must, to start with.

#1 Dilemma of the opening combination

Mumbai Indians’ campaign in the UAE very well demonstrates the importance of a good start to a batting innings. Leave alone a flier; they could not get off to a steady start in any of their games. The opening partnerships in their five games were worth 24, 20, 11, 10, and 6.

It wasn’t that they didn’t experiment – the Indians tried combinations like Hussey-Tare, Rohit-Tare and Rohit-Dunk; none seem to have worked so far. While Hussey has been struggling to find the middle of his bat, Tare with his abominable shot-selection has cost his side dearly.

Rohit has shown some form and Dunk looked fluent against the Sunrisers as he bludgeoned his way to a 20-run knock. Thus, it would make perfect sense to stick with this combination. Rohit could well be assigned the role of an anchor while Dunk plays the power-game, a game which he is adept at.