JOIN USPune Supergiant keep rising
Rising Pune Supergiant snapped Mumbai Indians’ six-match winning run as the visitors prevailed over the table-toppers by three runs in a thrilling Indian Premier League (IPL) match here on Monday.
Captain Rohit Sharma cracked his second half century of the IPL season but could not help Mumbai Indians from suffering a nail-biting defeat at the Wankhede Stadium.
Rohit smashed 58 off 39 balls, studded with 3 sixes and six fours, and got out in the last over to Jaydev Unadkat, who took another wicket and effected a run-out to stop MI at 157 for eight while chasing 161.
There was lot of drama towards the end with Mumbai needing 17 in the last over from Unadkat after being 144 for five.
Ben Stokes took a brilliant catch in the deep to pack off Hardik Pandya, the second was heaved over long-on for a six by Rohit and the third, bowled wide of the stumps, disappointed the Mumbai captain as the umpire did not declare it a wide.
He had a word with the umpire and then skied the fourth ball, which Unadkat took off the second attempt, to leave Mumbai at 150 for seven.
Mitchell McClenaghan was run out off the fifth ball after failing to complete the second run to end MI’s hopes even though Harbhajan Singh smashed the final ball for a six to bring them closer to the target.
A brilliant 19th over from Stokes, in which only seven runs could be scored, left MI with too many to get from the last over. Earlier, Mumbai came back strongly after Supergiant’s sound start and restricted them to 160 for six.
Openers Ajinkya Rahane (38 in 32 balls) and Rahul Tripathi, who top-scored with a 31-ball 45, gave the Pune innings a solid launchpad by putting on 76 runs in less than 10 overs, but once the partnership was broken Mumbai had it under control.
Skipper Steve Smith made 17, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who had cracked a 34-ball 61 not out in a last-ball win two days ago, struggled in making 7 while another big-hitter, Stokes, too fell for 17.
Manoj Tiwary struck a breezy 22 off 13 balls with four boundaries towards the end, but the final total appeared below par.
For Mumbai, leg spinner Karn Sharma was easily the pick with the wickets of both the openers at a crucial time, while Harbhajan arrested the early run-flow to finish with fine figures of one for 20. Jasprit Bumrah bowled well again at the death to finish with two for 29.
Meanwhile, Harbhajan got to his 200th T20 wicket when he dismissed Smith in the 13th over. Rahane, not in the best of form going into the game, and Tripathi got the visitors off to an impressive start.
At the halfway stage of the innings, Pune were comfortably placed at 84 for one. Three wickets in quick succession, between the 10th and 13th overs, pegged back Pune.
PTI