MI sets huge target.... Pravin Tambe excels......

At half-way, it is a great match ~ and the team which has won all its matches at Jaipur might find it too daunting at Kotla, Delhi………………… it was good to see Sachin strike some neat blows – a trademark shot off Watson brought cheers, though he got out next ball……… a collective team effort, with all making runs ~ Glenn Maxwell who had no big role in IPL excelling with some clean hits in his cameo….  All the bowlers from experienced to raw were hit around the park…….

~but not this man…. Who is experiencing a great twist to his life…. The man who never played for his city, got selected for Indian Premier League;  the day Rajasthan Royals clinched the inaugural IPL title, he  was part of the staff at the DY Patil Stadium, taking care of the players' needs in the dressing room. Over the next few years, he served as liaison manager for Deccan Chargers, and later for Pune Warriors. – he bowled exceedingly well – figures of 4-0-9-2 in a match where MI made 202 @ 10.10 per over. 

It is  Pravin Vijay Tambe who till recently was totally unknown stock and was a surprise element ~  he hasn't played any form of top-level domestic cricket~ and to add to the surprise was 41 years and 212 days old [born in 1971] when made his debut in May 2013 in a IPL match.  

This tournament has been fabulous – today he finished with 12 – the highest by any bowler in the tournament ~ in that crunch match against CSK; his figures read 4-0-10-3 – the wickets of Subramaniam Badrinath, Bravo and Suresh Raina.  Today he scalped 2… of Dwayne Smith and Ambati Rayudu. 

The leg spinner never found favour of Mumbai Selectors though turning out at Shivaji park Gymkhana with employment in a Shipping line…. Some now remark that he is fitter than some youngsters………… he has certainly carved out a name for himself though the start has been exceptionally belated.

Very unlikely that RR would chase the target set by MI now.

With regards – S. Sampathkumar

6th Oct 2013 @ 09.45 pm.