MMumbai Indians have started to have a good time on return to India as they defeated the Royal Challengers Bangalore here on Tuesday by 19 runs to register their second win, both at home.
After putting up huge 187 on the board, Mumbai restricted Bangalore to 168 with Harbhajan Singh, lasith Malinga and Jasprit Bimrah taking two wickets each.Earlier, skipper Rohit Sharma’s brilliant half century and Kieron Pollard’s 31-ball 43, Mumbai posted a competitive 187 for five against Bangalore on Wednesday.Rohit, who remained unbeaten on a 35-ball 59, combined with the burly West Indian to forge a 60-ball 97-run partnership for the fifth wicket at the Wankhede Stadium.Rohit’s 68-minute innings yielded three fours and four sixes, while Pollard struck six boundaries.
Put into bat, Mumbai started well but lost Aussie opener Ben Dunk (15) in the first ball of the fourth over. He shared a 25-run stand with wicketkeeper batsman CM Gautam and had struck a couple of fours against Ashoke Dinda before paying the price for a loose shot that was caught by Yuvraj Singh off Harshal Patel.Mumbai looked in control for a while before losing wickets in quick succession. Ambati Rayudu and Gautam added 46 runs off 29 balls for the second wicket before Dinda castled Rayudu in the eighth over.
Gautam departed in the next over. He struck three sixes and two fours in his 28-ball 30.
Corey Anderson, who hit a six over long on off leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal, perished while attempting the same shot two balls later, reducing the hosts to 84 for four in the tenth over.It was upto skipper Rohit and Pollard to do the repair job. Rohit who got off to a slow start, accelerated and thrashed pacer Varun Aaron in the penultimate over for 24 runs. He carted the bowler for three sixes and a four to bring up his half century.The innings was marred by an ugly mid-field altercation between West Indian all-rounder Kieron Pollard and Australian fast bowler Mitchell Starc in the 17th over of the Mumbai innings.
The pacer who had bowled a bouncer earlier, said something to the batsman, who dismissed it with a wave. In the next ball, even though Pollard pulled out of the strike, Starc fired the ball at the batsman, angering the Trinidadian, who appeared to fling the bat at the bowler’s end but, luckily, it slipped out of his hand.Pollard was run out following a misunderstanding in the last over. Royal Challengers Bangalore conceded 48 runs in the last three overs. Dinda was the most profligate and gave away 38 runs in his three overs, while Aaron was expensive as he conceded 41 runs in his four.
Brief Scores Mumbai Indians: 187/5 in 20 overs (Rohit Sharma not out 59, Kieron Pollard 43) beat Royal Challengers Bangalore: 168/8 in 20 overs (Chris Gayle 38, Virat Kohli 35; Harbhajan Singh 2/33, Jasprit Bumrah 2/22, lasith Malinga 2/29) by 19 runs.
Starc-Pollard duel The game had its share of had its share of controversy owing to an ugly on-field spat between Kieron Pollard and Mitchell Starc. It happened in the 17th over of the MI innings when RCB’s Starc continued with his delivery despite the batsman pulling out of his strike.
As the Aussie fired the ball at Pollard, the batsman advanced menacingly towards Starc and flung his willow at the bowler but, luckily, it slipped out of the Trinidadian’s hand and dropped near him. A fuming Pollard had a word with the umpire complaining about the bowler’s conduct.
In the previous ball, after bowling a bouncer that sailed over Pollard’s head, Starc mouthed something which the big-built West Indian simply brushed away with a wave of his hand.After the bat lay on the turf, the two on-field umpires intervened to talk to the two angry players as Chris Gayle, playing for RCB, came on to calm his West Indian teammate.The on-field umpires S Ravi and K Srinath also had a word with RCB captain Virat Kohli.