Mumbai Indians notch up their first win

KOLKATA: Mumbai’s all-round bowling performance allowed them to restrict the dangerous Knight Riders to just 137-8 from their 20 overs, a total the Indians overhauled for the loss of just three wickets with eight balls remaining thanks to a remarkable partnership between Robin Uthappa and Dwayne Bravo.

Mumbai’s victory took its impetus from the bowling display. Shaun Pollock, who may have to get used to the captain’s job, as Tendulkar’s groin is taking time to heal and Harbhajan has been sent to Siberia, took the symbolic and actual responsibility of the first over. He did not disappoint, which is more than can be said for anything Ganguly (4) has done in the IPL. The left hander edged Pollock’s third delivery and a diving Jayasuriya at third slip brought about his opposing captain’s end.

From that moment, it seemed Mumbai may have seen a turn in their fortunes. If Ganguly’s wicket seemed big, however, it paled to the emotions the City team expressed two ballslater.

Teams throughout the IPL watched Brendon McCullum (1) massacre Bangalore and shuddered, so when Pollock rapped him on the pad, and the finger slowly went up, the relief was immense. He was batting out of his crease, but the ball was dead straight, and the Mumbai cause had new life.

There followed a crime, as Mohammad Hafeez to push a Jayasuriya delivery to off side, run, then stop, leaving Ponting stranded and run out by a mile for a pitiful 19 off
31 balls. Hafeez compounded the error by getting out two balls later, edging the highly impressive Jayasuriya behind. Knowing Mumbai’s penchant for self-destruction, there was a suspicion that 137 may well prove to be enough.

That suspicion was only increased into a presumption as Mumbai came to bat, and soon found themselves down at 25 for three in the fifth over. Rahane, Luke Ronchi’s replacement as opener, tamely played an Agarkar delivery into the hands of mid off, while M Pandey scored a Mumbai duck special, chopping a A Dinda’s wide delivery onto his own stumps.

Ishant Sharma the proved a little too much for Jayasuiriya, and after having been luckily edged for four, the India fast bowler crashed his next delivery into Jayasuriya’s stumps in the fourth over to leave Mumbai reeling.

What followed the three quick wickets was a singular display however. Uthappa and Bravo faced the prospect of scoring 113 runs at 7.26 per over with the entire upper order gone. Instead of caving in however, the two built a combined innings that was full of the maturity and patience that is not supposed to win Twenty20 games. Uthappa ended with 37 off as many deliveries, but it was Bravo who took the responsibility on, and his 62 off 52 may be one of the best knocks the IPL has seen so far.

Scorecard
Kolkata Knight Riders: B McCullum lbw b Pollock 1, S Ganguly c Jayasuriya b Pollock 4, R Ponting run out 19, D Das c Uthappa b Bravo 29, D Hussey c Nehra b Jayasuriya 17, M Hafeez c Shah b Jayasuriya 2,  LR Shukla not out 40, A Agarkar c Nehra b Jayasuriya 2, M Kartik c Jayasuriya b Fernando 10, I Sharma not out 0
Extras: (b-1, lb-5, w-7) 13; Total: (8 wickets; 20 overs) 137
FoW: 1-5, 2-6, 3-40, 4-74, 5-77, 6-77, 7-90, 8-131
Bowling: S Pollock 4-0-27-2, A Nehra 1-0-9-0, D Fernando 4-0-41-1, D Kulkarni 3-0-15-0, D Bravo 4-0-25-1, S Jayasuriya 4-1-14-3
Mumbai Indians: AM Rahane c Hussey b Agarkar 4, ST Jayasuriya b Sharma 18, M Pandey b Dinda 0, RV Uthappa not out 37, DJ Bravo not out 64, Extras (lb 5, w 9, nb 1) 15. Total (3 wkts; 18.4 overs) 138.
Fall of wickets: 1-16, 2-25, 3-25.
Bowling: Agarkar 4-0-23-1, Sharma 3.4-0-33-1, Dinda 4-0-12-1, Kartik 3-0-24-0, Hafeez 1-0-16-0, Ganguly 2-0-14-0, Shukla 1-0-11-0.