Cricket News By TODAYLIVESCORE.INFO - MI secure crucial win to move up to fifth. A crucial victory for the Mumbai Indians helped them move up to fifth on the points table with 10 points from 11 matches.
A crucial victory for the Mumbai Indians helped them move up to fifth on the points table with 10 points from 11 matches.
Under the pump after three successive losses in the UAE leg, Mumbai Indians came up with a clinical display with the ball to restrict Punjab Kings to 135 for 6 in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday (September 28). Mumbai's top three didn't contribute much with the bat but a measured 45 off 37 by Saurabh Tiwary kept them in the hunt before Hardik Pandya (40* off 30) and Kieron Pollard (15* off 7) finished it off with an over to spare to help their side move up to fifth spot in the table.
Hardik-Pollard blitz takes MI over the line
When the fifth wicket association started, Mumbai Indians were still playing catch-up with the required rate and pressure on the middle order that had faltered in the earlier games. Hardik had only managed 11 off 14 on a sluggish wicket when Pollard joined him at the crease, with their side needing 44 off 29 deliveries. It came down to 40 off the last four overs and Hardik struck a four and a six off Mohammed Shami while Pollard repeated that against Arshdeep Singh to bring it to 16 off the last two. It didn't even go to the final over as Hardik cut and pulled Shami for two boundaries and saw Deepak Hooda tip the ball over the boundary for Hardik's winning six.
Bishnoi rattles MI early in the chase
Three overs of spin were used by the Kings in the powerplay, two of them being bowled by Markram who conceded only 13 runs. But it was the other spinner – Ravi Bishnoi – who really hurt the Mumbai Indians as he bagged the important wickets of Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav. Mumbai's skipper miscued a slog sweep to mid on while their No. 3 was bowled for a golden duck after failing to read a googly. Quinton de Kock was struggling to get a move on at the other end and if not for Tiwary – coming in as Ishan Kishan's replacement – scoring a couple of boundaries, Mumbai Indians wouldn't even have reached 30/2 that they eventually managed in the first six overs.
Kings chip away in the middle overs
Tiwary tried to be a calming influence at the crease, keeping the scorecard ticking along, with some boundaries from time to time – including a six over mid-wicket off Harpreet Brar. Even as de Kock was bowled by Shami for 27 off 29, falling in his attempt to force the pace, Tiwary was trying to take it deep on a slow wicket. When the run-rate was around nine an over, Tiwary eased some of the pressure with a six over midwicket off Bishnoi, who nonetheless completed a fine spell. The experienced left-hander, who appeared to have some measure of the slow wicket, saw Hardik finding it difficult to come to terms with the pitch. In an attempt to up the ante, Tiwary chased a wide delivery from Nathan Ellis and edged it to the ‘keeper. There might have been some jitters in the Mumbai camp when Tiwary went back but Hardik ensured his knock did not go in vain.
Kings falter in the powerplay
They managed only 38 runs for the loss of a wicket, with their start largely a struggle barring a couple of classy cover drives from Rahul. Mandeep Singh, coming in for Mayank Agarwal (missing the game due to a stiff back), was playing his first IPL match of the season. The lack of game time clearly showed as he was chasing wide ones, going hard at deliveries, mistiming shots before he fell to Krunal Pandya for a 14-ball 15 when he missed a sweep and was trapped in front. At the other end, was a bit circumspect in the absence of his regular opening partner, and managed only a run-a-ball 20 in the first six overs.
Things take a turn for the worse
Chris Gayle and Rahul both fell to Pollard, with the ball just not coming on. Gayle tried to pull but found Hardik at long-off while Rahul became Pollard's 300th T20 wicket when he was early into a pull and gloved a catch to Jasprit Bumrah at short fine leg. Nicholas Pooran was out leg-before after missing a dipping, low full toss from Bumrah as Punjab lost three wickets for the addition of only 10 runs post powerplay.
A recovery and a stranglehold
Despite the wickets, Aiden Markram didn't shy from playing his shots while he also was on the constant lookout for singles and twos as he built a steady partnership with Hooda. Trent Boult came under attack as Hooda connected a pull for a six in the 11th over while Markram struck two fours and Hooda one in the 15th over to help the Kings past the 100-run mark. The fifth-wicket stand, however, came to an end when Markram fell to Rahul Chahar in the 16th over soon after striking his sixth four, opting to sweep a full ball to be bowled. Markram's boundary off Chahar was the last that the Kings managed in their innings, picking up only 25 runs in the last four overs as Bumrah and Nathan Coulter-Nile (coming in for Adam Milne) applied the stranglehold to good effect.
Brief scores: Punjab Kings135/6 in 20 overs (Aiden Markram 42, Deepak Hooda 28; Kieron Pollard 2-8, Jasprit Bumrah 2-24)lost to Mumbai Indians 137/4 in 19 overs (Saurabh Tiwary 45, Hardik Pandya 40*; Ravi Bishnoi 2-25) by 6 wickets.
What next for the two teams?
A crucial victory for the Mumbai Indians helped them to 10 points from 11 matches. They have a three-day break before they take on Delhi Capitals in the afternoon game in Sharjah on October 2. Punjab Kings, currently sixth with eight points, head to Dubai to face the resurgent Kolkata Knight Riders on October 1.
