Bravo inspires Mumbai to dramatic win
Dwayne Bravo rescued the Mumbai Indians from a seemingly hopelessly
position and inspired them to a dramatic two-run win over the Royal
Challengers Bangalore in a Champions League Twenty20 match at Kingsmead
on Sunday night.
Bravo hit 29 off 17 balls and took two for 23 as Mumbai defeated
their fellow Indian Premier League rivals to finish their Group B round
robin programme with two wins from four matches.
But the victory is unlikely to earn Mumbai a place in the semi-finals
because they have an inferior run rate to the Highveld Lions, who have
also had two wins, and Bangalore, who have won once.
Last four
The Lions meet Bangalore in Johannesburg on Tuesday in a match which
is likely to decide which team joins the South Australian Redbacks from
Group B in the last four.
Bangalore appeared to have taken control of Sunday’s match when they
reduced Mumbai to 84 for five after 13 overs.
Fast bowler Dale Steyn seemed to have given his team the edge after
dismissing top-scorer Shikhar Dhawan for 41 and danger man Kieron
Pollard for a duck. But Bravo and Saurabh Tiwary (38 not out) enabled
Mumbai to reach 165 for seven.
Bangalore could only manage 163 for five in reply despite a sound 71
not out by Rahul Dravid and an explosive 47 off 24 balls by Virat Kohli.
Last delivery
Kohli hit three fours off the penultimate over from Lasith Malinga,
which yielded 15 runs, leaving Bangalore needing 13 off the last over,
bowled by Zaheer Khan. A boundary by Kohli off the fifth ball meant
three were needed off the last delivery but Kohli mistimed a full toss
and the ball sailed high in the air. Wicketkeeper Ambati Rayudu held his
nerve and took the catch. “It was a wonderful game,” said Mumbai captain
Sachin Tendulkar. “The first half was not so great but Dwayne Bravo
pulled us through.” Tendulkar admitted that run rate could scupper his
team’s chances of advancing. “It’s beyond our control,” he said.
Bangalore captain Anil Kumble said: “I thought we bowled brilliantly
until Bravo and Tiwary took the game away from us.”
Mumbai (IND) 165-7 in 20 overs (S. Dhawan 41, S. Tiwary 38 not out,
D. Bravo 29; D. Steyn 3-26).
Bangalore (IND) 163-5 in 20 overs (R. Dravid 71 not out, V. Kohli 47;
D. Bravo 2-23).
NEW DELHI, Monday (AFP)AFP |
