The Lasith Malinga checkmate

Chennai Super Kings vs Mumbai Indians, IPL, Hyderabad, 2019

Mumbai Indians won by one run

Three out of four T20 matches are won by the side that scores more off boundaries. Most are won by the side that attempts more boundaries and is efficient at doing so. Through match-ups and skills and tactics, the fielding side strives to minimise boundary attempts and maximise the risk when such attempts are made. Between these two metrics, you can work out the story of almost every match.

Within this framework emerges what appeals to us externally: all the human drama, history between the teams, traditional rivalries, grand occasions, outrageous shots, power-hitting, individual brilliance, cameos, great fielding, bowling innovation.

Every once in a while, all of it comes together and we get a finish for the ages. Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings had won three IPL titles each out of 11 when they met for the 2019 final.

It began like a chess match, with MI taking the white pieces after winning the toss and opting for runs on the board - as opposed to chasing, which is generally considered easier in T20s. Right out of the gate, Quinton de Kock took down swing bowler Deepak Chahar, who usually bowled through the powerplay for CSK. Playing with black pieces, CSK's other swing bowler, Shardul Thakur, responded with the wicket of de Kock. Chahar came back from the other end and took Rohit Sharma out.

Many moves and counters followed. CSK's usual death bowler, Dwayne Bravo, didn't have a great record against power-hitters Kieron Pollard and Hardik Pandya, so MS Dhoni got him to bowl two of his overs early in the innings. Losing wickets, MI delayed the injection of Pollard and Hardik, but eventually Pollard's 41 off 25 balls gave them something to bowl at.

Shane Watson wouldn't have played the final for many other teams, but CSK backed him through the season. MI opened the bowling with Krunal Pandya's left-arm spin to amplify the pressure on Watson, but Faf du Plessis, CSK's other opener, did Watson a favour, y taking Krunal down. And in turn, Watson took apart Lasith Malinga but was kept quiet by other bowlers.

Malinga and the Pandya brothers celebrate MI's record fourth IPL title Mahesh Kumar A / © Associated Press

Deepak Chahar's cousin, Rahul, stifled CSK in the middle overs, Jasprit Bumrah came and delivered a tight over or a wicket every time he was called upon. Drama began to descend into chaos. Dhoni ran himself out trying to steal an overthrow. Catches went down. Watson hurt himself, but kept going after Malinga, whose ground fielding and catching spoke of creaky joints and tired muscles.

Watson, 37 years old, bruised and battered, a bloodied knee staining his pants, had almost eliminated the 35-year-old Malinga and forced MI to bowl a weak 18th over. Of course Watson took 20 runs off it. The white queen, Bumrah, kept MI alive, but even his last touch on the game was to console the wicketkeeper, de Kock, who had let through four byes to make it nine required off the last over.

There was no way MI were going to give it to anybody other than Malinga, even if he only had three overs, 42 runs and some shoddy fielding to his name in the match. At that ripe old age, in his last IPL, he had only just added a new weapon: the around-the-wicket angle to right-hand batters. In all of T20 cricket before this IPL, he had bowled only three deliveries from that angle. And now, 22 in this tournament, with mixed results.

With the final on the line, the title of the best IPL side of all time on the line, Malinga went to defend eight runs from around the wicket. And immediately began nailing his yorkers. Watson eventually took a risky second trying to keep the strike for the last two balls and was run-out.

With two required off the last ball and a new batter on strike, Malinga moved over the wicket. Most sides in these situations first think of tying the game and taking the win as a bonus.

De Kock removed one glove, the field suggested a wide full ball. MI's owners couldn't bear to watch. They, like many others, shut their eyes and prayed.

Malinga ran in and delivered. Midway through the flight of the delivery, Thakur, standing on middle and off for the wide line, realised this was a bewitching, dipping straight slower ball. In panic, he went for a more forceful shot, but it was too late. The genius of Malinga had done him in. With one outrageous slower ball, Malinga had turned the night around.

Sidharth Monga is a senior writer at ESPNcricinfo

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