Mumbai Indians stormed to their maiden Indian
Premier League title beating two-time champions Chennai Super Kings by 23 runs
at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Sunday.
Mumbai had recovered from 16
for 3, thanks to a blazing 60 not out by Kieron Pollard and set Chennai 149 to
lay their hands on the trophy for the third time.
However, Lasith Malinga and Mitchell Johnson broke the back of Chennai's batting, as with blistering spells with the new ball they ran through the much-vaunted top-order.
While Malinga snuffed out Michael Hussey and Suresh Raina off successive deliveries in the first over, Johnson knocked off S Badrinath and Murali Vijay to leave Chennai gasping for breath.
It was a fine, all-round performance by Mumbai, who were playing their second final as Rishi Dhawan got rid of the dangerous Dwayne Bravo while Ravindra Jadeja perished to a ridiculous shot against Harbhajan Singh.
By the time, Pragyan Ojha castled Albie Morkel, the writing was pretty much on the wall for Chennai while skipper MS Dhoni again defied all logic and walked in at number seven leaving himself with too much to do in the end. The required run-rate climbed steeply and all of Chennai's specialist batsmen were back in the hut.
Dhoni did try valiantly but he got no support at the other end and he was also let down by R Ashwin, who looked very cagey in his brief stay at the crease and Dhoni's cracking half-century went in vain.
Mumbai elected to bat after Rohit Sharma called the coin correctly, but promptly lost their in-form opening pair. Mohit Sharma trapped Dwayne Smith, who has been key to Mumbai's success this season, LBW in the first over. Albie Morkel bowled Aditya Tare in the next and Mumbai were reeling at 8 for 2 in a final played amid spot-fixing and betting controversy.
Mumbai were dealt with another blow when Morkel took a sharp return catch to see off Rohit Sharma, the side's best batsman this year. At 16 for 3, Mumbai were off to a nightmarish start before Dinesh Karthik and Ambati Rayudu staged a mini-recovery, adding 36 runs for the fourth wicket.
However, Mumbai's early woes were far from over as Karthik played on to a pitched up delivery from Chris Morris and the inside edge disturbed the leg-stump. It was now up to Pollard, who joined Rayudu at the crease in the 10th over to help the team recover and post a competitive total against Chennai's power-packed batting line-up.
The duo threw all caution to the wind and accelerated the scoring-rate with a brisk 48-run stand before Dwayne Bravo broke through, removing Rayudu for a 36-ball 37. Bravo struck again soon after, to see off Harbhajan Singh but Pollard's power-hitting helped Mumbai reach a semblance of respectability.
Bravo returned for his last over to pack off Mitchell Johnson and Lasith Malinga while Pollard, having been kept off the strike for a while, looked frustrated. However, he finally got to face the last two balls of the innings, which he deposited into the stands for towering sixes and finished unbeaten on a 32-ball 60, the crux of Mumbai's total.
It was sweet revenge for Mumbai, who had lost the final to the same team back in 2010 despite a half-century by Sachin Tendulkar, the man who missed out the title clash this year in what was his last match in the IPL career.
However, Lasith Malinga and Mitchell Johnson broke the back of Chennai's batting, as with blistering spells with the new ball they ran through the much-vaunted top-order.
While Malinga snuffed out Michael Hussey and Suresh Raina off successive deliveries in the first over, Johnson knocked off S Badrinath and Murali Vijay to leave Chennai gasping for breath.
It was a fine, all-round performance by Mumbai, who were playing their second final as Rishi Dhawan got rid of the dangerous Dwayne Bravo while Ravindra Jadeja perished to a ridiculous shot against Harbhajan Singh.
By the time, Pragyan Ojha castled Albie Morkel, the writing was pretty much on the wall for Chennai while skipper MS Dhoni again defied all logic and walked in at number seven leaving himself with too much to do in the end. The required run-rate climbed steeply and all of Chennai's specialist batsmen were back in the hut.
Dhoni did try valiantly but he got no support at the other end and he was also let down by R Ashwin, who looked very cagey in his brief stay at the crease and Dhoni's cracking half-century went in vain.
Mumbai elected to bat after Rohit Sharma called the coin correctly, but promptly lost their in-form opening pair. Mohit Sharma trapped Dwayne Smith, who has been key to Mumbai's success this season, LBW in the first over. Albie Morkel bowled Aditya Tare in the next and Mumbai were reeling at 8 for 2 in a final played amid spot-fixing and betting controversy.
Mumbai were dealt with another blow when Morkel took a sharp return catch to see off Rohit Sharma, the side's best batsman this year. At 16 for 3, Mumbai were off to a nightmarish start before Dinesh Karthik and Ambati Rayudu staged a mini-recovery, adding 36 runs for the fourth wicket.
However, Mumbai's early woes were far from over as Karthik played on to a pitched up delivery from Chris Morris and the inside edge disturbed the leg-stump. It was now up to Pollard, who joined Rayudu at the crease in the 10th over to help the team recover and post a competitive total against Chennai's power-packed batting line-up.
The duo threw all caution to the wind and accelerated the scoring-rate with a brisk 48-run stand before Dwayne Bravo broke through, removing Rayudu for a 36-ball 37. Bravo struck again soon after, to see off Harbhajan Singh but Pollard's power-hitting helped Mumbai reach a semblance of respectability.
Bravo returned for his last over to pack off Mitchell Johnson and Lasith Malinga while Pollard, having been kept off the strike for a while, looked frustrated. However, he finally got to face the last two balls of the innings, which he deposited into the stands for towering sixes and finished unbeaten on a 32-ball 60, the crux of Mumbai's total.
It was sweet revenge for Mumbai, who had lost the final to the same team back in 2010 despite a half-century by Sachin Tendulkar, the man who missed out the title clash this year in what was his last match in the IPL career.
Desk Report,
