IPL 4 2011 : Mumbai Indians Demolish Royal Challengers

Wednesday, 13 April 2011 01:41 Anmol Singh Diddan

From the iSport IPL Paddock: When there are players like Sachin Tendulkar,Kieron Pollard, Harbhajan Singh, Tilakaratne Dilshan, AB De Villiers, Zaheer Khan and Daniel Vettori to name a few involved in a game, whether playing together or against each other, it promises to be a cracker. Yet, the game turned out to be a no contest as Mumbai Indians demolished Royal Challengers Bangalore at the Chinnaswamy stadium in Bangalore. iSporter Anmol Diddan reports.

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The atmosphere at the Chinnaswamy was electric and there was no spectator fatigue in Bangalore after five games of the World Cup played there. Tendulkar won the toss and chose to bowl owing to the dew factor.

Lasith Malinga did what he does best; hit the stumps with the first ball of the match. Virat Kohli did not get off the blocks scoring just 12 off 19 and was put out of his misery by Kieron Pollard in the 4^th over. Dilshan and De Villiers then got together for a steady partnership, neither going on the attack. They took the score to 110 in 16.5 overs before De Villiers was caught and bowled by Pollard. The wicket came at the right time for Mumbai as the partnership was threatening to take the score to 160-170 with overs 14 to 17 yielding 28 runs.

Bangalore ended up with only 140 for 4 in their 20 overs even though Dilshan batted through with a 59 off 52. They were helped by a 16 run 20^th over bowled by Malinga; something that does not usually happen. The score never looked good on a pitch that was the highest scoring venue of the World Cup.

All the bowlers did well not conceding over 7 runs an over except Malinga who went at 8 runs per over. Munaf Patel was the pick of the bowlers going for just 10 runs in 3 overs even though he bowled his overs to Kohli, Dilshan and De Villiers.

All that Mumbai needed from then on was a good start to ease any remote pressure they would have felt. Davy Jacobs gave them just that taking the ex Mumbai Indian Zaheer Khan apart hitting him for 21 in his first two overs. Dirk Nannes then dismissed Jacobs clean bowling him in the 5^th over when the score stood at 33. Jacobs scored 22 off 16 balls.

Tendulkar would always be confident on a pitch where he had scored a brilliant hundred just a month or so ago against England. He was joined by Ambati Rayudu and no other batsmen were required. They matched each other shot for shot and comfortably guided Mumbai to the target in 18.3 overs. Tendulkar scored 51 off 44 balls and Rayudu played brilliantly to outscore him with a 49 ball 62.

Anyone who watched the match would have agreed that Rayudu deserved the Man of the Match award. Yet, popularity and an iconic status sometimes prevail even amongst the experts who select the Man of the Match. Tendulkar was given the award but, the great man that he is, he pulled a reluctant and embarrassed Rayudu along and shared the accolade with him; truly Godly!