Twitter
Advertisement

IPL 8: Mumbai Indians romp into final

Rohit & Co. beat Dhoni's CSK by 25 runs to gain direct entry into Sunday's title clash in Kolkata

Latest News
article-main
Harbhajan Singh exults after dismissing MS Dhoni for a duck at the Wankhede in Mumbai on Tuesday, (below) Kieron Pollard smacks one over the top on Tuesday. The West Indian scored a 17-ball 41 that included one four and five sixes
FacebookTwitterWhatsappLinkedin

Mumbai Indians's remarkable run in this IPL continued in the all-important Qualifier 1 when they defeated two-time champions and table-toppers Chennai Super Kings by 25 runs at the Wankhede Stadium on Tuesday night.

The win, their ninth in 11 games, has taken the Rohit Sharma-led Mumbai Indians directly into the final, to be played at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Sunday. This is Mumbai's third entry into the final. They won in 2013 and finished runners-up in 2010.

When a team loses its big-striking opener to an atrocious leg-before decision and then two key batsmen who happen to be Suresh Raina and Mahendra Singh Dhoni off successive deliveries, there is nothing that Chennai Super Kings could do.

After restricting Mumbai Indians to 187/6, the two-time champions would have fancied their chances of a direct entry into the final rather than having to go through Qualifier 2. Already sulking without Brendon McCullum, who is away on Test duty in England, the last thing CSK needed was for Smith to be given dubiously out by former England international Richard Illingworth for zero in Lasith Malinga's first over. After all, the ball was dipping wide of leg stump. It was not the start that they needed.

Credit to Mumbai Indians for keeping the CSK batsmen under pressure. Harbhajan Singh, coming in to bowl after the powerplay, picked up Suresh Raina and Dhoni off successive deliveries just when the third-wicket partnership between Raina and Faf du Plessis threatened to take the game away from Mumbai Indians. Their fielders held on to anything that was catchable, complementing their bowlers.
With four down for 86 and 102 needed in 9.3 overs, it was all over for CSK, who now travel to Dhoni's hometown Ranchi and await the winner of Wednesday's Eliminator between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Rajasthan Royals.

Despite all the big hitting by Lendl Simmons and fellow Trinidadian Kieron Pollard, Mumbai's run-rate did not, at any stage, go beyond 10 an over. Of course, there were overs that fetched more than 10 runs. There were eight such overs in the entire innings, including two that yielded 16 each.

A score in the region of 180-190 is considered par on this Wankhede pitch. The last time the two teams met at this venue on April 17, CSK made a successful chase of 183 with more than three overs to spare. They had McCullum then.

Dhoni made the right beginning by opening with R Ashwin. Only twice before in this league has he opened the bowling with spin. Ashwin did it against Mumbai Indians in Chennai and left-arm spinner Pawan Negi against Kings XI Punjab in the last league game in Mohali. Only nine came from Ashwin's first two overs before going for 13, courtesy two Simmons sixes, in his third, opening the floodgates for Simmons and Patel.

The otherwise-effective Ashish Nehra, who won the man of the match award the last time he made an appearance at the Wankhede with 3/23, was off-colour. Simmons cashed in on the loose deliveries early on, never giving the Delhi speedster any chance to settle down.

The ball soared over the boundary on five occasions off Simmons's blade. He made 65 off 51. Pollard, who also smashed five sixes, smote the hapless Pawan Negi early on in his 17-ball 41 innings that the left-arm spinner did not recover and finished with 0/46 in his four overs.

Simmons has scored a plenty of runs at the Wankhede. When the 30-year-old Trinidadian hits the ball, he really gives it a mighty whack. Stretching forward and giving all his power, the ball was certain to clear the boundary.

Simmons was the dominant partner, but Parthiv Patel was not to be left behind. Though the diminutive Patel did not hit as much as the five sixes Simmons struck, he did his role to perfection, finding the odd six, a couple of fours boundaries and plenty of running between the wickets. The two raised 90 in 10.4 overs, setting the platform for the rest of the batsmen to more than double that score in the second half.
But sudden fall of wickets courtesy the Purple Cap owner Dwayne Bravo whenever he came on to bowl arrested the flow of runs. But late strikes by Pollard, who was out in the last over, made the difference.

Find your daily dose of news & explainers in your WhatsApp. Stay updated, Stay informed-  Follow DNA on WhatsApp.
Advertisement

Live tv

Advertisement
Advertisement