Internet Desk: Defending champions Mumbai Indians returned to winning ways after they defeated Kings XI Punjab by 25 runs at the IS Bindra Stadium in Mohali. After posting 189-6, a disciplined performance from the MI bowlers ensured the home-side was restricted to 164-7 in their run-chase.
Reduced to 32 for 2 in the fifth over of the run-chase, KXIP found their way back into the contest through an 89-run stand between Shaun Marsh and Glenn Maxwell. Both batsmen ran the singles and twos, apart from picking up the occasional boundary or hitting the odd one out of the park. Marsh, who appears to have a liking for the MI attack, made 45 from 34 balls before he hit a leg-stump delivery from Tim Southee straight down the throat of Ambati Rayudu at square-leg in the 15th over.
Amidst mounting pressure on him to deliver, Maxwell, who batted at four, played a mature innings and did what experts have been suggesting to him – bat out a few deliveries before getting adventurous. The Australian did that today, and helped himself to a half-century – though it was not the quick-paced big-hitting innings one associates with him. Maxwell’s innings and his partnership with Marsh kept KXIP in the chase for most part, but once they were separated, the MI bowlers took control of proceedings. Maxwell (56 from 39 balls) was dismissed at the start of the 18th over when he dragged the ball back onto the stumps, after which Jasprit Bumrah and McClenaghan struck timber thrice in two overs to deny the hosts.
The Mumbai Indians bowlers delivered when it mattered. They bowled the lines and lengths and forced the batsmen to play to areas where they had placed fielders. In the last four overs of the chase – bowled by McClenaghan and Bumrah – MI only conceded 31 runs and picked up 4 wickets. KXIP eventually finished with 164-7.
25 for 1 could have become 30 for 2 in the sixth over had Mitchell Johnson not overstepped the popping crease when he had Parthiv Patel caught at midwicket. Ambati Rayudu showed first signs of intent in the eighth over when he hit Maxwell for a six and picked up a boundary in the following over bowled by Pardeep Sahu. The MI number three should have been dismissed for 33 in the same over, but Axar Patel couldn’t cling on to a chance running in from the midwicket boundary.
Parthiv and Rayudu capitalised on the fortune that came their way and made the hosts pay. Rayudu was the first to get to the half-century; he got there in the 12th over needing 31 balls to get to the milestone. Parthiv got there in the following over, needing 41 balls to get to the milestone. Starting over 11 and until over 15 – when Rayudu holed out to midwicket for a well-made 65 (35 balls) – MI’s second-wicket pair added 60 runs in a period of 4.3 overs. The duo came together with the score at 0 for 1 and left their team in a very good position with their 137-run partnership.