Mumbai punish listless Pune
Mumbai Indians rode on a clinical effort by their bowlers to hand a
seven-wicket thrashing to Pune Warriors in the Indian Premier League on
Wednesday.
Munaf Patel grabbed three wickets for eight runs while Ali Murtaza
and Abu Nechim took two apiece to bowl out Pune for a paltry 118 in 17.2
overs before Mumbai overhauled the target off the last ball at the
Wankhede Stadium.
Skipper Sachin Tendulkar scored a fine 35 off 39 balls and shared 74
runs for the second wicket with Ambati Rayudu (37) to set the platform
for the chase.
Australian all-rounder Andre Symonds (16 not out) hit two fours in
the 18th over and Rohit Sharma (20 not out) brought off the winning runs
with a six to give Mumbai their third victory in four matches.
Pune suffered their second defeat from the same number of games.
IPL debutants Pune failed to last their 20 overs despite a 45-run
knock by middle-order batsman Robin Uthappa.
Pune were rocked by early dismissals after skipper Yuvraj Singh won
the toss and elected to bat, losing four wickets in eight balls with
just 17 runs on board.
Nechim had opener Jesse Ryder of New Zealand caught by Tendulkar for
12 before Mithun Manhas edged one behind the wicket to Rayudu in the
same over.
Patel picked two wickets in three balls in the next over, clipping
the off-stump of Australian Tim Paine and inducing a fine edge off
India’s World Cup hero Yuvraj before he could even open his account.
Left-arm spinner Murtaza removed Mohnish Mishra as he tried to play a
reckless shot over the long-on fence, Pune slumping to 52-5 in the ninth
over.
Uthappa perished to a blinder of a catch by burly West Indian Kieron
Pollard, who swooped down to pluck the ball from the air inches above
the ground.
Pune Warriors 118 all out in 17.2 overs (R. Uthappa 45; M. Patel 3-8,
Abu Nechim 2-13, Ali Murtaza 2-18, L. Malinga 2-28) lost to Mumbai
Indians 124-3 in 20 overs (A. Rayudu 37, S. Tendulkar 35) by seven
wickets. AFP
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