PUNE: selected Member of Parliament Sachin Tendulkar might have had the power of the world on his shoulders. How else could one give details the 35 deliveries he faced to scratch out a painstaking 34? Well, at slightest the maestro spent some time in the center, which is more that what any other Mumbai Indians batsman did.
Tendulkar stodgy knock turned out to the highest score for Mumbai in what was being promote as the ‘Maharashtra derby’, and Pune shot themselves in the foot by flaw to chase 121 on a track with some degree of sluggishness, but which was far from being the minefield their leaden-footed batsmen made it out to be.
This meant that Mumbai was able to give Pune a dose of medicine. Sourav Ganguly’s team had banned Harbhajan Singh’s men from reaching a very gettable target at the Wankhede Stadium recently, and on Thursday night Mumbai returned the favors by stall Pune one run short of enforce a Super Over. Lasith Malinga was stated Man-of-the-match for figures of 4-0-25-2, and for granting just four in a crucial 19th over.
After Harbhajan selected to bat and watched his team stutters to a sub-par total Pune made heavy weather of the chase. Robin Uthappa, Jesse Ryder, Michael Clarke and Steven Smith were all back in the tent within ten overs, with the score still under 50. At that juncture, the maudlin would have a lot to wish for. Ganguly, after all, was in the middle, and in the company of Mithun Manhas the previous India captain could still be probable to drive his team on to its 2nd win in as many matches next to their State rival.
That was not to be. Ganguly pottered about, receiving his 1st boundary off the 23rd ball he faced, but was out almost right away after, as Malinga brought a trademark in-dipper to run into into his stumps. Manhas for now outscored Tendulkar, and was finally left facing the task of getting 12 to win off Munaf Patel’s final over.
while Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s inside-out four got the home team to within one blow of the target, Pune ended one run adrift, ensuring that honours at the end of this novel rivalry remained even. The win took Mumbai to 3rd on the points table, while for Pune the loss meant that they are now just ahead of the perennially subjugated Deccan Chargers.
Super Kings v Chargers (20:00 local | 14:30 GMT)
Player of the match
SL Malinga Today Match
Super Kings v Chargers (20:00 local | 14:30 GMT)
