Sports Mirchi
2013 Indian Premier League champions Mumbai Indians are set to lift one more IPL trophy as they have qualified for IPL-8 final. Rohit Sharma’s team beat Chennai Super Kings by 25 runs in the first qualifier match played at Wankhede Stadium. Kieron Pollard was named Man of The Match for his match winning innings of 41 in 17 balls.
Mumbai Indians were up to the mark from the beginning of match and after winning the toss they got brilliant start. Both openers Lendl Simmons and Parthiv Patel added 90 runs for the first wicket partnership. Purple cap holder Dwayne Bravo took first wicket in Mumbai innings as he dismissed Patel on 35 individual score.
Lendl Simmons has been consistent for the side and showed in this match as well. He made 65 runs in 51 balls with the help of 5 sixes and 4 fours. Captain Rohit tried to take team’s score to next level but he again failed to deliver in playoffs. It was clear that MI should score at least 200 the way they got start. But wickets at quick session hurt Mumbai Indians.
MI lost 4 wickets on the score of 139 in the 17th over and it was looking that they might not get more than 170. But West Indies star all-rounder Kieron Pollard played some destructive and powerful strokes that helped Mumbai Indians to post 187 runs on the board in 20 overs. Pollard hit sensational 5 sixes in his 41 runs short innings of 17 balls.
Returning to Chennai Super Kings playing XI, Dwayne Smith never thought of that he would such a wrong decision against him in the very first over of innings. Lasith Malinga took his wicket and CSK was in trouble as they lost Smith early in the chase of 188 in a pressure game. Mike Hussey was trying hard to score runs but couldn’t score more than 16 in 11 balls.
CSK were 55+ after completion of 6 overs for the loss of 2 wickets. Two most reliable batsmen for man in yellow were on the crease as Faf du Plessis and Suresh Raina were hitting to ball very well. Rohit’s tension was on seventh sky as Malinga dropped Du Plessis catch and he was scoring the crucial runs. But Mumbai’s spin magician Harbhajan Singh joined the party and took big wicket of Raina in the 11th over.
Chennai Super Kings backbone was broken after the dismissal of Raina but their morale was completely destroyed when Harbhajan dismissed Dhoni on the very not ball of Raina’s dismissal. Match was in Mumbai’s pocket as CSK lost 4 wickets on 86 runs score in 11th over. The only hope of Chennai was lying on Bravo and du Plessis but Suchith dimissed du Plessis to take his team at the top of the match.
No other batsman could score big runs and failed to take his team towards winning end. Whole Chennai Super Kings team was dismissed in 19 overs after making 162. Winning this match Mumbai Indians have reached to IPL final for the third time. On the other hand CSK has got one more chance to qualify for the final as they have to meet either RCB or RR in the second qualifier match on 22 May, 2015.
