Mission Possible for Mumbai Indians

For weeks, Sachin Tendulkar sat on the sidelines clutching his painful groin; he even watched helplessly as his side jumped out of the frying pan into the Harbhajan Singh fire and back into the frying pan.

The Mumbai Indians, and their owners, however, did not lose their faith. Unlike the Royal Challengers, they could fall back on hope: after all, they had a few players who could make an impact, at least in the immediate now. It was merely a question of one victory; the turnaround could always be round the corner.

The onus was taken by Shaun Pollock. The reluctant captain, who hides a sharp wit behind that perpetual frown, realised at that right time that his swansong was turning out to be no more than a squeak. Digging deep into his repertoire, he pulled out slower deliveries, sharp incutters, late outswingers and... eventually the rabbit.

With unexpected support from the maverick Ashish Nehra, he transformed MI from a batting powerhouse into a bowling force. It took them a while, four straight defeats and a firm word from the franchise for the penny to drop. But at least it did. [MORE]