Mumbai Indians (MI) won their first match in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2014 after a five-wicket win over Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) on May 3.
Mumbai stopped a five-match losing run at Wankhede Stadium against Punjab, who had won five in-a-row prior to the match. Mumbai chased down a 169-run target in 19.1 overs. With five runs required to win off the last over, Kieron Pollard smashed a six on the first delivery over long-off to seal the victory. Pollard finished with an unbeaten 28. CM Gautam scored 33, while Rohit Sharma top-score with 39. Corey Anderson struck a quick 35.
Sandeep Sharma was the pick of the bowlers as he took two early wickets in the Mumbai Indians innings. Rishi Dhawan also took two wickets. With the win, Mumbai got their first points in IPL 7. They still remain in eight and last position in the IPL 7 Points Table. Punjab fell to second position with the loss behind Chennai Super Kings on net run-rate.
CM Gautam and Ben Dunk began the run-chase for Mumbai. Sandeep Sharma, who has been impressive in the last two matches, opened the bowling for Punjab. The first delivery was full outside off-stump and Dunk played a cover drive for a four. But Sandeep came back to dismiss Dunk for five runs in the first over itself. He bowled a good length delivery and the ball swung away. Dunk was late in his shot and edged the ball to Wriddhiman Saha, who took an acrobatic catch to his left.
Punjab could have got Gautam in the second over, but Akshar Patel dropped a tough chance. Lakshmipathy Balaji angled one into the pads and Gautam top-edged a flick high in the air over wide mid-off. Akshar ran backwards and got his hands on the ball, but could not hold onto it. Ambati Rayudu then hit a four slightly in the air through mid-on. Balaji then found the outside edge of Rayudu’s bat, but the ball went in-between first and second-slip for consecutive fours.
Sandeep bowled one on the stumps and Gautam moved across and scooped the ball over shot fine-leg for a four. Sandeep then darted one in and struck Rayudu’s pads and appealed. The umpire raised his finger and Rayudu departed for eight. Rohit got of the mark with a six in the fourth over. Mitchell Johnson bowled a quick short delivery and Rohit played the pull as the ball went over the deep mid-wicket boundary. Sandeep was troubling Gautam with his in-swingers. But he bowled a slower delivery and Gautam took the opportunity to hit the ball over long-off for a six. The ball had not swung and that helped Gautam to play the shot. That six got Gautam going as he then came forward and slogged a length delivery over deep mid-wicket for another maximum.
Gautam then almost got run-out in the sixth over. Rohit had dabbed on towards point and Gautam had taken off for a single. He was sent back as David Miller threw the ball to bowler Johnson, who collected the ball, but failed to release the ball. Gautam managed to get back as Johnson lay on the ground. Left-arm spinner Akshar Patel came into bowl the seventh over. Gautam reverse-flicked his first delivery just past Saha for a four. That brought up Mumbai’s 50. Rohit then paddled flicked one past short fine-leg for a four as well.
Rishi Dhawan bowled a length delivery on the stumps and Gautam tried to reverse-flick the ball over the short third-man fielder. But he missed and got out LBW for 33 off 29 deliveries with two fours and two sixes. Dhawan then bowled a short and wide delivery and Rohit did not wait any more invitation as he flayed it over the third-man region for a six. Corey Anderson made it two sixes in the over as he played a lofted drive over long-on.
Anderson then smashed one off Akshar over his head for a four. The next ball was driven over wide long-on for a six. The next two deliveries were struck for two fours. The first over the bowler again and the second through deep square-leg. Rohit then played a lofted flick-sweep over the short fine-leg region for a four. Anderson then dabbed one and went for a single, but on his way collided with bowler Balaji. The Punjab players appealed for obstructing the field,. The third umpire was called, but the appeal was dismissed.
Rohit then heaved a length delivery past short fine-leg for a four. But then top-edged a length delivery high in the air and Saha took the catch. Rohit was out for 39 off 34 deliveries with four fours and two sixes. Anderson soon followed as he mishit one from Dhawan straight to Miller at long-off. Anderson had to depart for 35 off 25 deliveries. Aditya Tare came in and played a lofted inside-out shot off Balaji over wide mid-off for a four. He then pulled the last delivery off the 18th over for a six over deep mid-wicket.
Pollard then smashed a six off Johnson over long-on in the 19th over. Pollard struck a further two more fours in the over. Pollard then finished off the match with a six on the first delivery of the 20th over.
Earlier, Kings XI Punjab captain George Bailey won the toss and elected to bat. Punjab posted a challenging 168 for five in their 20 overs. Saha top-scored with an unbeaten 59 off 47 deliveries with four fours and three sixes. Glenn Maxwell struck a 27-ball 45 with five fours and two sixes. Harbhajan Singh took two wickets for 34 deliveries. Anderson and Lasith Malinga took one wicket-each. Zaheer Khan injured his shoulder while bowling the 19th over of the innings.
In the end, the score proved a little less as Mumbai went onto win the match with five deliveries to spare.
Brief scores:
Kings XI Punjab 168 for 5 in 20 overs (Wriddhiman Saha 59*, Glenn Maxwell 45; Harbhajan Singh 2 for 34) lost to Mumbai Indians 170 for 5 in 19.1 overs (CM Gautam 33, Rohit Sharma 39, Corey Anderson 35, Kieron Pollard 28*; Sandeep Sharma 2 for 29, Rishi Dhawan 2 for 23) by 5 wickets.
