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It’s Lendl Simmons-Ambati Rayudu show as Mumbai Indians stay in hunt

Duo shares 130 for second wicket to help Mumbai Indians win comfortably against Sunrisers Hyderabad

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Sunrisers Hyderabad’s Dale Steyn jumps to attempt a catch during the match against Mumbai Indians at the Rajiv Gandhi Cricket Stadium in Hyderabad on Monday
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It was a total that needed to be met with careful planning. Mumbai Indians executed their plans almost perfectly to win back their confidence by posting their third win of the league and staying in the hunt for the last four place.

After containing Sunrisers Hyderabad to 158/3, Mumbai Indians reached the target with sevens wickets in hand at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Uppal, Hyderabad on Monday night.

Trinidadian Lendl Simmons played his role to perfection, giving Mumbai Indians the start they needed. For the second successive time, Simmons came good with the bat as an opener, mixing caution with aggression. Even though the 29-year-old right-hander lost his opening partner CM Gautam to a tame dismissal in the second over, he found a perfect comrade in Ambati Rayudu, who is a local lad as he hails from this place though he plays first-class cricket for Baroda. Simmons (68, 50b, 5x4, 4x6) and Rayudu  (68, 46b, 7x4, 2x6) stitched together 130 runs for the second wicket. Mumbai thus moved to sixth place in the points table.

The defending champions, though, got off to a scratchy start, making only nine for one in the first three overs. But once Simmons slammed Irfan Pathan for two sixes and a four in the innings’ fifth over, it was all about despatching the loose deliveries, and also some good length balls by making room, to the pickets.

Winning the toss and batting first, the home team’s batting revolved around two Australians — Aaron Finch (68, 62b, 7x4, 2x6) in the first 10 overs and David Warner (55*, 31b, 6x4, 2x6) in the last 10. No doubt, Australians have made a huge impact in this IPL unlike in the earlier ones. If it was Steven Smith and James Faulkner in Bangalore on Sunday night pulling off a sensational win for Rajasthan Royals over Royal Challengers Bangalore, it was the Finch and Warner show as both reached half-centuries in constrating styles to take Sunrisers Hyderabad to a challenging total.

MI WON BY SEVEN WICKETS

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