Host Mumbai Indians capitalised on a couple of marginal leg before decisions to notch up a 23-run victory against Kings XI Punjab, its sixth win in the DLF-IPL IV, and climb to the top of the points table at the Wankhede Stadium here on Monday.
First Harbhajan Singh won a leg before appeal against Adam Gilchrist from umpire Kumar Dharmasena in the first over of the Kings XI Punjab's run chase and subsequently Kieron Pollard won a leg-stump directed leg before appeal against Dinesh Karthik from umpire Paul Reiffel.
Shaun Marsh and Paul Valthaty, dropped on three by Munaf Patel when the visitor was 16 for one, forged 72 runs for the second wicket to keep the match gripping to an extent. But once Andrew Symonds lured Valthaty to his doom in his first over of this edition of the IPL, Mumbai took control of the match.
Stand out performers
Once again the host's catching and fielding played a pivotal role; Rohit Sharma and Symonds being the stand out performers. Kings XI promoted David Hussey after Valthaty's dismissal, but he departed following a splendid catch held by Rohit,
Later Symonds took a sprawling two-handed catch to eject an aggressive Abishek Nayar from the middle.
With the pitch appearing to be a trifle sluggish, Marsh was unable to find the gaps and clear the ropes. In the end he too ran out of steam, but after scoring an attractive half century. Nayar's dismissal virtually took MI close to victory.
Lasith Malinga produced another spell of fine fast bowling to send back Bipul Sharma, knocking down his off-stump and then forced Marsh to drive into the hands of Sachin Tendulkar, who had earlier regained the Orange Cap.
Electing to field first based on Gilchrist's premise that his team was adept at pursuing targets, the visitor opened its attack with left-arm orthodox spinners Bhargav Bhatt and Bipul Sharma.
Absorbing tussle
The tussle between Tendulkar and two spinners was absorbing. Unafraid, they spun the new ball hard, showed the skill to drift it into the right handers, and then deviate it the other way after pitching.
Bipul even tricked opener Davy Jacobs. It was a classical left arm spinner's delivery that produced the first breakthrough in the third over after Jacobs had cracked a powerful cover drive off Praveen Kumar and immediately edged him wide of the lone slip fielder in the previous over.
Gilchrist's option to use the left arm spinners against Tendulkar was a clever move following the MI skipper having come a cropper against Ashok Menaria in the previous match against Rajasthan Royals at Jaipur.
For his part Tendulkar eschewed risks, was content in working the ball away for singles and then proceeded to make his third half century. He along with one down batsman Ambati Rayudu were involved in a smart partnership of 97 off 72 balls.
Rayudu's dominance
An on-driven mid wicket shot off Bipul, followed by a slog-pull off Bhatt and punishing shots when Kumar returned for a one-over second spell marked Rayudu's dominance. He struck eight fours and one six before Dinesh Karthik terminated his rousing knock with a well judged catch inches off the mid-wicket fence rope.
Tendulkar and Kieron Pollard's departure in the 17th and 18th over diminished MI's potential to take the total beyond a probable 160. Pollard showed glimpses of his ability to send the ball soaring over the line in the course of his 11-ball 20.
While it was an easy catch Valthaty took to send back Pollard at point, Australian Hussey — quick-footed and extraordinary in anticipation — clutched the ball with two hands to send back Rohit.
