MUMBAI: Kolkata Knight Riders entrapped Mumbai Indians in a web of deceit as ‘mystery’ spinner Sunil Narine weave for them a 32-run win at the Wankhede Stadium on Wednesday.
Kolkata were sent in to bat and struggled to 140-7 in their owed quota, after which they scuppered Mumbai’s chase with usual wickets. The star actor for Shahrukh Khan’s permit was young Sunil Narine, who proved impossible to read even for the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, and ended with match figures of four for 15. He was support admirably, for once, by Lakshmipathy Balaji, who took 2 for 11 from 4 tight over’s.
The win lifted KKR to the 2nd spot on the table with 19 points - one behind league best Delhi Daredevils, a place in the play-offs now written in stone. For this most pleasant result, KKR should thank their bowlers. Chasing an apparently innocuous 141, Mumbai lost Herschelle Gibbs early – leg-before to Iqbal Abdullah - and were stupefied when Narine got a searing off-break to clatter into Tendulkar’s stumps. Dinesh Karthik and Ambati Rayudu, losses of frank indiscretion, followed quickly after, and when Kieron Pollard was caught behind off a short Jacques Kallis delivery, Mumbai were in plummet.
They lost their last 6 wickets for 12 runs, as Narine lured Harbhajan Singh with a delivery that spun away, and Rohit Sharma with one that straightened. Nobody display the stomach to hang around, and KKR romped home when R.P. Singh hocked Narine to deep mid-wicket, where he was immovable by Abdullah, as Mumbai folded for 108 in the 20th over. Kolkata, however, had begun the match terribly. They were jolted by an abominable leg-before decision and an R.P. Singh ripper as they lost two key batsmen in the 2nd over of the 1st innings, after Mumbai selected to field.
On a wicket not fairly conducive to shot-making, the visitors were pegged back by the early on double blow, and although Manoj Tiwary attempt a restructuring of the innings, Kolkata had to satisfy themselves with a total – their lowly of the season - that seemed inadequate against the might of Mumbai’s batting.R.P. Singh made early inroads and his 1st success was more fortuitous that anything else. Opener Brendon McCollum charged down the pitch and was struck on the pads.
The ball had inclined outside leg, the batsman too was a mile out of the crease, yet umpire Subroto Das raise his finger for a dreadful decision, sending the disappointed New Zealander on his way.On the next ball, R.P. knocked back Kallis' off stump, putting Kolkata in a right spot with 2 wickets down in the 2nd over. Gautam Gambhir, the man in form, also struggle for runs. He was handed 2 reprieves - by the wicketkeeper and by Tendulkar - and was lastly bowled by Kieron Pollard on 27.
Manoj Tiwary hung around, intersperse a rash of singles with a couple of fours and sixes, and was out after scoring 41. Yusuf Pathan did valuable little to salvage his poor season. The strong hitter was handed a quasi ‘life’ when he was caught off an R.P. Singh no-ball, but could not build on it, final with a laborious unbeaten 21.
Man of the match
Sunil Narine
Today Match
Kings XI v Super Kings (16:00 local | 10:30 GMT)
Daredevils v RCB (20:00 local | 14:30 GMT)
