IPL 2021: Jayant Yadav credits Mumbai Indians’ bowler’s performance with wet ball after loss to Delhi Capitals

Mumbai Indians were confounded by the guile of Amit Mishra who took 4/24. His scalps included Rohit Sharma, whom he dismissed for the seventh time in his IPL career. Later on, he would get the big wickets of Hardik Pandya and Kieron Pollard. When Ishan Kishan was threatening to take the game away from Mumbai Indians, Mishra managed to dismiss the left-hander in his last over.

In the second innings, dew played a major factor as Delhi Capitals had a steady powerplay. However, Mumbai Indians did not give up and despite the wet ball, they managed to drag the match till the last over. It is this positive that Jayant Yadav, who was included in the match today, stressed on after Mumbai Indians suffered a six-wicket defeat.

“It was tough. We were 10-15 runs short. There was dew. We showed character to drag the match till the last over,” Yadav said in the post-match press conference.

Bowling with the wet ball

In the IPL, especially in the night games, dew has played an important factor in the Wankhede and in Chepauk. Bowling with the wet ball has proven to be a disadvantage to bowlers in terms of grip. There was even talk of asking the umpires to change the ball every two or five overs. However, Yadav said that decision relied on the umpires. Yet, he credited the Mumbai Indians’ bowlers for the way how they bowled with the wet ball.

“think it is not up to us to change the ball. We can tell the umpires that it is wet. It is upto the umpires whether they want to change the ball. The umpires are bosses on the field. They have to see whether the ball is entirely wet. In this match, it was quiet wet. What has happened in previous matches, they change the ball when it goes out of shape. Not a lot of sixes was hit. It was different The same ball was being used which made it very wet,” Yadav said. 

Yadav was playing his first match in IPL 2021, with his last game also being against the Delhi Capitals in the final of IPL 2020. When asked about how he kept himself in shape, Yadav replied, “IPL is one tournament where you have to be ready anytime. We have to buy into what the management and captain say. There is a clear communication each player. We have to prepare accordingly,” Yadav said.