Mumbai, (IANS): Pune Warriors started their IPL campaign with a 29-run win over title favourites Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede ground on 06-04-12.
Asked to bat 1st, Pune Warriors Ended 129 for 9 in 20 overs. Mumbai Indians lost wickets at regular interval and could manage only 100 for 9 in reply. Pace bowler Ashok Dinda was the pick and chooses of the Pune Warriors bowlers, bagging four for 17.
Pune Warriors, who are in their 2nd IPL season, made a poor start but vital innings from Man of the Match Steve Smith (39) and Robin Uthappa (36) helped them to post a meek target on the board.Pune Warriors lost their top 3 batsmen for 27 runs in 5 overs. Lasith Malinga set the ball rolling, remove Manish Pandey, who didn't trouble the scorers, in the very 1st over.
Captain Sourav Ganguly (3), most important the Pune Warriors for the 1st time, was stumped by Dinesh Karthik after he came down the track to charge Mumbai Indians captain Harbhajan Singh while Wayne Parnell (11), startlingly promoted up the order, in his zeal to up the ante gone his leg stump to pacer Munaf Patel.Callum Ferguson (12) looked in touch but he was run out by straight throw from Rohit Sharma as Pune Warriors were abridged to 47 for four in 8.5 overs.
Smith and Uthappa then resurrect the innings with their 44-run stand on a slow bowling to bring Pune back on track. Uthappa hit 3 fours in his 33 ball knock. Kieron Pollard take an easy catch off his own bowling to get rid of Uthappa came from Murali Kartik (14) and a few lusty blows from Smith in the death overs catapult the Warriors to a finished score of 129.
Mumbai Indians had the worst possible opening to their chase as they lost 3 wickets in the space of 2 overs with just 5 runs on board. South African big hitter Richard Levi, who hit a half-century in the first match against Chennai Super Kings, didn't trouble the scorers and was confused by Uthappa off spin bowler Murali Kartik. In the next over, Dinda strike twice to get rid of Ambati Rayudu (1) and Rohit (1) to create kit worse for Mumbai Indians.
Dinesh Karthik (32) played a gritty hand as he forged a 49 run partnership with New Zealand all-rounder James Franklin (32). Karthik although fell quickly, stumped off the bowling of his namesake Murali Kartik, after bring Mumbai back in the chase. Franklin (32) carried on and kept Mumbai in the hunt, but after the fall of West Indian Kieron Pollard (8), the writing was on the wall.
Mumbai needing 45 off the last 3 over could manage only 15 runs as they slumped to their 1st loss in the match.
