Mumbai Indians brush aside Bangalore to reach final
by CricketArchive Staff Reporter


Ground:Dr DY Patil Sports Academy, Mumbai
Scorecard:Mumbai Indians v Royal Challengers Bangalore
Player:KA Pollard, AT Rayudu, SS Tiwary
Event:Indian Premier League 2009/10

DateLine: 21st April 2010

 

Mumbai Indians showed as to why they are the best team in the Indian Premier League 2010 as they got better of Bangalore by 35 runs. Sachin Tendulkar failed for the first time but his young guns stood up to the test. Moreover Pollard continued to blaze away as he plummeted the Bangalore bowlers into submission and the visitors never recovered from the brutal onslaught.

 

Tendulkar without battling an eyelid elected to bat first as he wanted to use a barren pitch that looked like taking spin in the latter sages of the match. Praveen Kumar bowled a excellent first over but Tendulkar turned the heat on the visitors. Tendulkar (9, 9b, 2x4) got two sublime boundaries on both sides of the wicket before a slower ball from Steyn consumed the Mumbai skipper. Nayar was promoted up the order to give an extra muscle at the top but the left-hander was clearly at sea against the pace of Steyn. Though the left-handed pair counter-attacked there were examples of misunderstanding during the running between the wickets.

 

The inevitable was just waiting to happen as Dhawan (12, 9b, 2x4) was run-out in a hilarious fashion. Though Nayar got the boundaries he struggled to call right when going for the tight single. Rayudu was at the crease and his plan was to counter-attack to upset the Bangalore bowlers. Nayar (22, 18b, 2x4) fell trying to sweep Pietersen as Mumbai wobbled at 68 for 3 in 8.2 overs.

 

The young guns, Rayudu and Tiwary did no let the situation panic them as they settle down. The pair saw off Pietersen and Kumble as they were quite content in pinching the singles and doubles. The pair struggled to get the boundaries as the bowlers bowled stump to stump and it seemed that Mumbai were losing steam. Tiwary opened up in Kallis over as he scored 17 runs in the 16th overs and that changed the momentum. The slog continued in Kumble's over as Mumbai gathered steam.

 

Rayudu (40, 38b, 4x4) fell in trying to up the ante and that set the stage for the explosive Pollard. The huge West Indian did not waste much time as he tore into a hapless Vinay Kumar who was left scratching his head. Pollard then turned his attention towards Steyn, who till then was accurate, sprayed the ball around as Pollard took full toll. At the end of 20 overs Mumbai posted a strong 184 with Pollard (33 not out, 13b, 3x6, 1x4) and Tiwary (52 not out, 31b, 4x6, 3x4) unbeaten at the crease.

 

Bangalore in reply opened with Kallis and Dravid but the visitors failed to get the start that they desired. Though Kallis (11, 9b, 2x4) got a reprieve he failed to utilise the opportunity as he was caught behind to an out-swinger from Malinga. Pietersen (19, 14b, 2x4) struggled on the low and slow pitch and he tried to neutralize it by using his feet. The flamboyant right-hander got a couple of boundaries before he was stumped of Harbhajan Singh.

 

Robin Uthappa (26, 13b, 2x6, 2x4) did what he has being doing during this season. The right-hander blasted a couple of sixes and equal number of boundaries before adrenaline rush got better of the batsman. In the very next ball Dravid (23, 22b, 3x4) was run-out in a horrible mix-up with Taylor. The Bangalore team management mixed up the batting order as Kohli walked out.

 

Kohli (9, 7b, 1x4) and Pandey (5, 9b )failed to create any sort of impact as wickets tumbled for Bangalore. Harbhajan Singh was spot on with his yorkers and one of the yorker claimed the wicket of Praveen Kumar (1, 2b). Towards the end it was just too much for Taylor as he had no answer to the accurate yorkers from Malinga and Zaheer Khan as Bangalore fell short by a huge margin.