Bangalore: Mumbai Indians produced a clinical performance to beat Royal Challengers Bangalore by 18 runs on a high-scoring affair and record their first win this year’s Indian Premier League here today.
Posted at bat, Lendl Simmons and Unmukt Chand broke first half strokeful centuries to power Mumbai Indians to an imposing 209 for seven and then veteran off-spinner Harbhajan Singh (3/27) wove his magic to restrict RCB to 191 for seven . (Scorecard)
Chasing an imposing 210 for a win, RCB had not the best of starts and kept losing windows at regular intervals harm their cause. (Pollard tapes his mouth after warning umpire)
In fact, the persecution of RCB largely relied on an explosive start to Chris Gayle but would not be as despite having two lives Antillean cut a sorry figure scoring just 10 runs off 20 balls.
Gayle got his first life on the second ball RCB ticket when he dropped by Mitchell McClenaghan Simmons was then in the eighth over it fell again by Lasith Malinga.But the left possibilities have no adverse effect on the Indians Mumbai and outside color Gayle perished in the ninth over when Harbhajan went through his defense.
RCB captain Virat Kohli (18 0ff 18) showed glimpses of his potential, but he also perished in search of fast tracks, caught by Ambati Rayudu McClenaghan out in the 11th over. Wicket-keeper batsman Dinesh Karthik also promised, but he also vanished under the pressure of a rigid asking rate. He was captured by Unmukt Lasith Malinga bowling.
From there it looked like a Herculean task for RCB overwhelm the target Mumbai but not improbable, as long as AB de Villiers was there. De Villiers attacking opponents took and ran his way to 41 from just 11 balls before the pressure of the asking rate took a hold on him. De Villiers five fours and three huge sixes crashed during his call to keep afloat RCB before being captured by Kieron Pollard was young Jasprit Bumrah.
David Wiese (47 not out off into 25 balls), who picked up four wickets for 33 runs in his debut, and Iqbal Abdullah (20 of 15) did their best towards the end but proved too tall task to achieve.
Earlier, opening the batting Simmons made 59 off 44 balls with the help of nine boundaries and two sixes, while Unmukt gave way to 58 from just 37 balls that included eight fours and two hits over the fence to lay the foundation for Mumbai score.
Skipper Rohit Sharma also played a cameo 15-ball 42 runs to help the cause of Mumbai. He punished RCB bowlers to all parts of the earth and in the process hit three fours and four huge sixes.
Towards the end, the young Hardik Pandya used his long handle to great effect to accumulate unbeaten 16 runs off just six deliveries to Mumbai.
For RCB, debutante David Wiese was the selection of players with numbers 44 to 33 of his four overs, while young leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal picked up two wickets giving away 28 runs.
Rohit was the hammer and tongs at the end as Mumbai scored 77 runs in the last five overs of the innings before being captured by Weise off his own bowling.
Posted at bat, Pathiv Patel and Simmons gave a solid start putting Mumbai entries in 47 races out of the window opening in 35 balls. While Simmons looked comfortable at the wicket, Parthiv looked a little rusty. The diminutive wicket-keeper batsman hit two sweetly timed boundaries during his short stay at the crease before playing David Wiese delivery on the stumps in the sixth.
Simmons got lost in the second when he broke Varun Aaron for three consecutive boundaries. The West then turned on the hit Nechim Abu Ahmed, hitting the bowler for two lovely borders in next time.
After losing Patel, Simmons went into a shell, but it opened the ninth later. He first beat left arm spinner Iqbal Abdullah for a massive six and then repeated the shot against Aaron. Simmons recorded its fourth IPL fifty of just 36 balls. But shortly after the top overcame a delivery Chahal was well taken by Aaron.
Unmukt, however, maintained the tempo. Shortly after arriving at the crease Abdullah hammered for two consecutive boundaries. Chand scored his first half century of IPL thie year with a limit of Wiese, but soon lost his cool and top edges of childbirth Chahal RCB captain Virat Kohli long-off.
