The players are back for the second innings. Rahane will open the batting. Faf du Plessis at the other end. Crossfit lover Mitchell McClenaghan has the new ball in his hand. One slip in place.
The lowest total that Mumbai have defended in the T20 League was 120 against Pune India back in 2012. Against the same city, will there be an encore? I am not putting my money on it though.
"It's not going to be a big target," declares Ishant. Admirable confidence, but is it misplaced? The general sentiment still is that Pune should get these runs, but at least Mumbai have a fighting chance now. On a green pitch where the ball behaved like a flying golden snitch, Mumbai kept floundering. And this after Rohit won the toss opting to bat first. Absolutely no one could come to terms. But full marks to Harbhajan for making a fist out of it. He came in with the score reading 68/7, hung around for a while - part luck, part more luck. Then he lit himself on fire and rattled Pune with an offensive onslaught. Will it be enough?
19.6 -
Ishant to Harbhajan, FOUR, what a stunning fightback! From out of nowhere, Mumbai finish with 121 on the board. Back of a length from Ishant, after having lost all confidence in executing yorkers, it's wide too. And it's been greeted with a flat-batted smack to the extra-cover fence
19.5 -
Ishant to Harbhajan, SIX, yes, yes, yes! Full toss and Bhajji has beaten it to a pulp. Swings his bat and deposits it over long-off
19.4 -
Ishant to McClenaghan, 1 run, excellent yorker and McClenaghan can only chop it off a thick inside edge onto boot. No matter, they run through and the crowd is foaming for Bhajji again
19.3 -
Ishant to Harbhajan, 1 run, oh man! Shortish outside off and Harbhajan pummels a cut straight to deep cover
19.2 -
Ishant to Harbhajan, FOUR, Harbhajan is boosting Mumbai in these end overs. This onslaught might still not be enough to complete a recovery, but it's a start. Ishant goes slower ball, bowls it well wide of off and is tonked back down the ground. Long-off has no chance
19.1 -
Ishant to McClenaghan, 1 run, length ball and McClenaghan loses shape trying to slog. Mistimes it towards long-on
Ishant Sharma [3.0-0-19-2] is back into the attack
18.6 -
RP Singh to Harbhajan, FOUR, not to me, you don't! Short ball around off, no venom behind it and it's been pulled over and wide of short fine leg. Excellent swivel of the feet to enable him to fetch it from wide of him
18.5 -
RP Singh to Harbhajan, FOUR, whack! Oh yeah. Bhajji unleashing his wrath and slugs a low full toss straight back over the head of RP. Clears his front leg, or both his legs, and gives it a heave ho
Mitchell McClenaghan, left handed bat, comes to the crease
18.4 -
RP Singh to Vinay, out Caught by Smith!! Change of plan. Change of plan for Vinay. And it's worked. Pounds it in on a back of a length, hits high on the bat as Vinay commits to a pull and spoons towards Smith at deep mid-wicket. He can catch those drunk. Vinay c Smith b RP Singh 12(11) [6s-1]
RP Singh to Vinay, THAT'S OUT!! Caught!!
18.3 -
RP Singh to Harbhajan, 1 run, overpitched outside off and slaughtered down to long-off. Absolutely drilled it
18.2 -
RP Singh to Harbhajan, FOUR, ufff! How I love this ninja swinging! Length ball outside off, he's got the line wide like he wanted to, but the length makes Bhajji see red. Sits on the back knee and slaps the funk out of it through extra-cover
18.1 -
RP Singh to Harbhajan, no run, ah, now that's a sizzler. Right in the blockhole outside off and Harbhajan can't do much
18.1 -
RP Singh to Harbhajan, wide, slants one well wide of off. That seems to be RP Singh's formula for this over. But sadly, he's pushed it far too wide
RP Singh [2.0-0-16-0] is back into the attack
17.6 -
Mitchell Marsh to Vinay, 2 runs, walks well across off, gets down on his back knee and smears a very full ball wide of long-on. He's done in for length completely, but he is stubborn on getting it away. Slots it wide of long-on to enable a couple
17.5 -
Mitchell Marsh to Vinay, SIX, it's almost the similar ball like the previous one, maybe not as wide, and Vinay has muscled the flat-batted forehand over extra-cover. Packed a punch. Just loaded up on the bottom hand and spanked it hard. Looked terribly ungainly while playing it. Who cares
17.4 -
Mitchell Marsh to Vinay, no run, that's just premeditated slogging. Marsh bowls one near the wide tramline outside off and Vinay tries to heave it to leg. Not a very smart wager. Misses
17.3 -
Mitchell Marsh to Harbhajan, 1 run, crunched off the back foot but straight to sweeper cover. Sees the width and the length and belts a fiery cut. Doesn't fetch more than a single
17.2 -
Mitchell Marsh to Vinay, 1 run, slower shorter ball in line with the stumps and it's been pulled away behind square. Vinay held his shot well despite being deceived by the lack of pace and just rolled the wrists on top to help it away
Marsh looks in some discomfort, trying to stretch the legs on the way to his mark
17.1 -
Mitchell Marsh to Vinay, no run, slower back of a length delivery around off, defended from the crease
Mitchell Marsh [3.0-0-11-2] is back into the attack
16.6 -
Murugan Ashwin to Harbhajan, no run, punches it wide of the bowler who parries it towards extra-cover
16.5 -
Murugan Ashwin to Harbhajan, no run, Bhajji has smoked another one but this is straight back down the pitch and has shattered the stumps at the non-striker's end. Murugan just tosses in an enquiry - not quite sure whether he got a boot. No he didn't
16.4 -
Murugan Ashwin to Harbhajan, FOUR, clubbed back down the ground. Very full from Murugan and Harbhajan lays into it. Drills it hard over the bowler's head
16.3 -
Murugan Ashwin to Harbhajan, no run, ya, a slick leave outside off. Shortish and turning away, and Bhajji shoulders arms
16.2 -
Murugan Ashwin to Vinay, 1 run, lots of flight around off, but a touch too full. Eased down to long-off
16.1 -
Murugan Ashwin to Vinay, no run, flatter, quicker wrong 'un which beats Vinay for pace on his attempted slash
15.6 -
Ashwin to Vinay, 1 run, another leggie, nudged wide of square leg who swoops in quick but his throw is wide of the stumps. Dhoni tries his smooth flick back on, but can't really execute it like he usually does. A better throw though and Vinay was gone
15.5 -
Ashwin to Harbhajan, 1 run, tries the leg-break and lands it perfectly around off, softly pushed wide of cover for a single
15.4 -
Ashwin to Harbhajan, FOUR, these spinner vs spinner battles are so fascinating. Surely you want the bragging rights at the end of the day. Harbhajan's feet work like a ballerina this time. Goes right back in the crease, creates his own length and executes the late-cut to perfection past backward point
15.3 -
Ashwin to Vinay, 1 run, drops it slightly short and Vinay pulls it to deep mid-wicket to get off the mark
15.2 -
Ashwin to Vinay, no run, looped up outside off and is hacked back off the inside half to the bowler
Vinay Kumar, right handed bat, comes to the crease
The umpires decide to usher in the second strategic timeout.
15.1 -
Ashwin to Rayudu, out Caught by du Plessis!! My word, it's a day for first ball wickets. Fourth Pune bowler to do so. Ashwin twirls in and drops a stinker halfway down outside off, which is pulled hard, but straight to Faf at mid-wicket. He plucks it nonchalantly and starts chuckling. Mumbai are going down in a rush. Rayudu c du Plessis b Ashwin 22(27) [4s-2]
Ashwin to Rayudu, THAT'S OUT!! Caught!!
Ravichandran Ashwin, right-arm off break, comes into the attack
14.6 -
Murugan Ashwin to Harbhajan, no run, the first real decent ball of the over. Lures the batsman forward outside off. Bhajji is tempted to drive but is foxed by the turn. Slices it off a thick outside edge towards backward point who is nearly left embarassed by the spin on the ball
14.5 -
Murugan Ashwin to Harbhajan, 2 runs, lobs a full toss which drifts in towards leg and Harbhajan flicks it through the mid-wicket region for a brace
14.4 -
Murugan Ashwin to Harbhajan, no run, goes deep in the crease and punches it wide of cover who dives and stops
14.3 -
Murugan Ashwin to Rayudu, 1 run, third short ball in a row and slapped to deep cover
14.2 -
Murugan Ashwin to Rayudu, no run, oooh, the googly. Rayudu didn't pick it. He shaped for the cut and was slightly taken aback to see it ripping back. Adjusts well though and chops it to backward point
14.1 -
Murugan Ashwin to Rayudu, no run, on the shorter side outside off, the turn adds to the width but Rayudu places his cut straight to backward point
Brilliant spell from Rajat Bhatia: 4-1-10-1. Here's Sagar Chawla to take you through the end of this innings..
13.6 -
R Bhatia to Rayudu, 1 run, pulls his length back a little, Rayudu punches past the bowler and sneaks through for a single
13.5 -
R Bhatia to Harbhajan, 1 run, drifts this one into the pads, flicked through mid-wicket
13.4 -
R Bhatia to Harbhajan, no run, absolutely no pace on offer, length on middle, Harbhajan Singh smothers it into the leg-side
13.3 -
R Bhatia to Harbhajan, no run, back to off-pace again, Bhajji taps it to the off-side
13.2 -
R Bhatia to Rayudu, 1 run, alters his pace this time, 116ks with width on offer, Rayudu drives powerfuly through cover
13.1 -
R Bhatia to Rayudu, no run, the leg-cutter from Rajat Bhatia, bowled at 86ks, Rayudu seeks to cut, ends up chopping it off the bottom edge, right in front of MS
12.6 -
Murugan Ashwin to Harbhajan, no run, short and spinning away outside off, Harbhajan miscues the cut to cover
12.5 -
Murugan Ashwin to Rayudu, 1 run, plenty of room on offer but the ball ain't coming on the bat nicely, Rayudu had to wait for ages, slaps it past point and scampers to the other end
12.4 -
Murugan Ashwin to Harbhajan, 1 run, tap-and-run single from Bhajji, drops this one towards point and hustles for a quick single
12.3 -
Murugan Ashwin to Harbhajan, no run, fired full and on the pads, nutmegs Harbhajan who fails to lay bat on ball
12.2 -
Murugan Ashwin to Harbhajan, 2 runs, lands it on a length and gets it to turn away from the right-hander, Bhajji camps on the back foot and late-cuts behind backward point. Mitch Marsh does well to slide in the deep, saved a couple there
One slip in place for Bhajji...
12.1 -
Murugan Ashwin to Rayudu, 1 run, pushed through quicker outside off, Rayudu drives past extra cover for an easy single
11.6 -
R Bhatia to Harbhajan, no run, good length outside off, punched straight to backward point
11.5 -
R Bhatia to Rayudu, 1 run, on the pads this time, driven down to long-on
11.4 -
R Bhatia to Rayudu, FOUR, errs in length and pays the price. Slips it full outside off, Rayudu drives and slots it to the left of mid-off, way she goes into the fence. Much-needed boundary that!
11.3 -
R Bhatia to Harbhajan, 1 run, back of a length, curled away outside off, Harbhajan cuts it through cover, off the mark with a single
11.2 -
R Bhatia to Harbhajan, no run, angled in from a length, Harbhajan Singh bunts it down the pitch
11.1 -
R Bhatia to Harbhajan, no run, off-cutter outside off, safely pushed into the off-side
Harbhajan Singh, right handed bat, comes to the crease
10.6 -
Murugan Ashwin to Shreyas Gopal, out Caught by Rahane!! There you go! The first wicket for the debutant and Murugan Ashwin wins the battle of legspinners. Tosses the ball up outside off and tempts Shreyas Gopal to race down the pitch. Request obliged but he could only find Rahane at long-off who grabs a good low catch. Shreyas Gopal c Rahane b Murugan Ashwin 2(16)
Murugan Ashwin to Shreyas Gopal, THAT'S OUT!! Caught!!
10.5 -
Murugan Ashwin to Shreyas Gopal, no run, flatter outside off, Shreyas Gopal backs away and thumps hard, that one ain't clearing the off-side ring, more power than timing
10.4 -
Murugan Ashwin to Rayudu, 1 run, flighted on middle, eased down to long-on
10.3 -
Murugan Ashwin to Shreyas Gopal, 1 run, on middle and leg, Shreyas Gopal rocks back and pulls it through mid-wicket
10.2 -
Murugan Ashwin to Shreyas Gopal, no run, another shortish leggie, Shreyas Gopal slaps with a flat-bat, couldn't get it past cover
10.1 -
Murugan Ashwin to Rayudu, 1 run, starts with a legspinner, shortish in length, Rayudu backs away and powers it through cover
Murugan Ashwin, right-arm leg break, comes into the attack
Here comes Ashwin, not the offie. The leggie who's making his debut today...Seems a bit nervous
Look at those figures from Rajat Bhatia: 2-1-1-1.
9.6 -
R Bhatia to Shreyas Gopal, no run, hint of width on offer, the slower ball infact, Shreyas Gopal chops and picks out backward point
9.5 -
R Bhatia to Shreyas Gopal, no run, good length outside off, another solid defensive stroke into the off-side
9.4 -
R Bhatia to Shreyas Gopal, no run, width on offer but Shreyas Gopal is circumspect of the movement, tap-defends into the off-side
9.3 -
R Bhatia to Shreyas Gopal, no run, driven to mid-off
9.2 -
R Bhatia to Rayudu, 1 run, sits up on a length outside off, Rayudu punchily drives wide of mid-off and sets off for a risky single, just manages to get in - With a desperate dive beating the throw from the fieldsman
9.1 -
R Bhatia to Rayudu, no run, top-nut from Rajat Bhatia, pitched on a perfect length and got it to nip away in the corridor of uncertainty, Rayudu was trying to guide it down to third man and is beaten by the movement
Right then! Time for a strategic time out...Whadday start for Pune. Couldn't have asked for any better, ain't it? Half the Mumbai side are back in the hutch and onus is now on the experienced Ambati Rayudu to steer them to a safe total. Mind You! Ashwin hasn't bowled yet.
8.6 -
Mitchell Marsh to Shreyas Gopal, no run, shortish and wide of off, Shreyas Gopal rises on his toes to punch towards point
8.5 -
Mitchell Marsh to Rayudu, 1 run, very full and drifting down leg, Rayudu nearly goes off balance trying to flick, manages an inside edge to mid-wicket
8.4 -
Mitchell Marsh to Shreyas Gopal, 1 run, cleverly done! Waits for the length ball and opens the bat face to run it down to third man
8.3 -
Mitchell Marsh to Shreyas Gopal, no run, fullish around off, Shreyas Gopal gets into a bit of tangle as he is stuck on the back foot, manages to tap it towards point
8.2 -
Mitchell Marsh to Rayudu, 1 run, a little too straight is Mitch Marsh and Rayudu is content with a soft drive to mid-on, a quick single taken
8.1 -
Mitchell Marsh to Rayudu, FOUR, don't bowl there! Full toss on the pads, easy peasy for Rayudu who flicks behind square to fetch his first boundary of T20 League 2016
7.6 -
R Bhatia to Shreyas Gopal, no run, defended with soft hands into the leg-side
7.5 -
R Bhatia to Shreyas Gopal, no run, this time he watches the ball all along and push-drives to cover-point
7.4 -
R Bhatia to Shreyas Gopal, no run, another soft leading edge as Shreyas Gopal seeks to flick, undone by the away movement again, rolls safely in front of point
7.3 -
R Bhatia to Shreyas Gopal, no run, slower length ball in the outside off channel, Shreyas Gopal looks to flick, could only manage a leading edge which rolls to cover
7.2 -
R Bhatia to Shreyas Gopal, no run, length outside off, left alone
Shreyas Gopal, right handed bat, comes to the crease
7.1 -
R Bhatia to Pollard, out Lbw!! And guess what! He consumes the big fish. The umpires are checking for a possible no-ball. He seems okay and Pollard will have to carry on. He could only add one run after that lucky reprieve. Certainly there's some movement on offer. It was on a length and seamed back in, Pollard looks to work it to leg but ends up playing all around it. Struck on the back leg - In front of middle and umpire Kumar Dharmasena had no hesitation in putting his finger up. Pollard lbw b R Bhatia 1(8)
R Bhatia to Pollard, THAT'S OUT!! Lbw!!
Rajat Bhatia, right-arm medium, comes into the attack
Here comes the dibbly-dobbly Rajat Bhatia...
6.6 -
Mitchell Marsh to Rayudu, no run, this drive off the front foot from Rayudu did not make the sound he would have wanted, clearly a mistimed one, fielded on the followthrough
6.6 -
Mitchell Marsh to Rayudu, wide, splayed down the leg-side and it has been called a wide for a valid reason
6.5 -
Mitchell Marsh to Rayudu, no run, back of a length from Marsh this time, well outside off, Rayudu ignores it
6.4 -
Mitchell Marsh to Pollard, 1 run, very full on the middle and leg, Pollard flicks it to backward square leg
6.3 -
Mitchell Marsh to Pollard, no run, what I saw, clearly the umpire did not see it, for it was plumb. Full toss that curled in a touch, Pollard missed it completely, the umpire was not interested in the appeal, maybe he thought there was an inside edge. These West Indian cricketers are lucky for sure. Hawkeye confirms my verdict, not the umpire's
When are you getting that Zlatan like pony? It has worked wonders for Ishant Sharma
6.2 -
Mitchell Marsh to Pollard, no run, back of a length delivery around off, Pollard prods across and pats to the left of the bowler
6.1 -
Mitchell Marsh to Rayudu, 1 run, length around middle and leg, Rayudu works to the right of mid-wicket and will get to the other end
5.6 -
Ishant to Pollard, no run, Pollard uses his reach and gets his front leg in the line of the delivery, defends towards the off-side
5.5 -
Ishant to Pollard, no run, look at that bounce, pitched on a length and almost hit Pollard's flap of the front pad as he got his leg across, no extra there, the fielder at square leg was quick
5.4 -
Ishant to Pollard, no run, back of a length outside off, line is closer this time, still fails to lure Pollard
There is a leg gully in place, was brought in a couple of deliveries ago
5.4 -
Ishant to Pollard, wide, very wide, Pollard is not interested in at all, wide called
5.3 -
Ishant to Pollard, no run, Pollard does not offer a shot and the ball rolls off his thigh pad, dead ball called
5.3 -
Ishant to Pollard, 5 wides, bouncers are good but only so long as they don't trouble the keeper, too high and Pollard left it after bending back, Dhoni was not tall enough to gather this one in his leap
5.2 -
Ishant to Rayudu, 1 run, once again Ishant cuts the batsman, Rayudu took the bottom hand off the bat as he tucked behind square on the on-side
5.1 -
Ishant to Rayudu, no run, well bowled, very well bowled, tight on the stumps, Rayudu defends after getting a touch forward
Kieron Pollard, right handed bat, comes to the crease
4.6 -
Mitchell Marsh to Buttler, out Caught by Ashwin!! Dhoni wanted to bowl and he will be delighted with how things are unfolding here, Buttler was lucky to have survived a run-out scare on the previous delivery, but not this time though, the ball swings away after pitching full around off, Buttler closed the bat face too early and leading edge carried to the slip fielder, who I must tell you took a really good low catch. An English batter not accounting for swing is baffling for me. Buttler c Ashwin b Mitchell Marsh 0(2)
Mitchell Marsh to Buttler, THAT'S OUT!! Caught!!
4.5 -
Mitchell Marsh to Rayudu, 1 run, direct hit and Buttler was back in the hut, Rayudu dabbed this back of a length delivery to gully and after a bit of hesitation set off, Buttler was running to the danger end, an under-arm flick from Rahane missed the target and Buttler survives
4.4 -
Mitchell Marsh to Rayudu, no run, back of a length and Rayudu lets it go to the keeper
4.3 -
Mitchell Marsh to Rayudu, no run, waits on this one and tries to tuck it past square leg, cannot beat the field
4.2 -
Mitchell Marsh to Rayudu, no run, short delivery outside off, Rayudu guides it to slip
Ambati Rayudu, right handed bat, comes to the crease
4.1 -
Mitchell Marsh to Pandya, out Caught by Dhoni!! From what I have seen, Dhoni does not drop high catches and this is not an exception. The move to send Pandya up the order has failed, nothing great about the delivery, shortish on the stumps, Pandya was so early on the pull that he could have played the last delivery of the previous over, gets it off the top edge and it balloons high for Dhoni to settle under it, was also undone by some extra bounce. Pandya c Dhoni b Mitchell Marsh 9(11) [4s-2]
Mitchell Marsh to Pandya, THAT'S OUT!! Caught!!
Mitchell Marsh, right-arm medium, comes into the attack
3.6 -
Ishant to Buttler, no run, length outside off, Buttler does not mind leaving that one
Jos Buttler, right handed bat, comes to the crease
3.5 -
Ishant to Simmons, out Bowled!! Oh Ishant where were you in the T20 WC semis, he has cleaned up Simmons. And this time too the umpires check for the no ball but the luck is not with Simmons tonight. Coming to the delivery, the ball was angled in and Simmons tried to flick it across but missed the line, there was enough gap between the bat and the pad for the ball to sneak through and uproot the leg-stump. Simmons b Ishant 8(8) [6s-1]
Ishant to Simmons, THAT'S OUT!! Bowled!!
3.4 -
Ishant to Pandya, leg byes, 1 run, Ishant was appealing for an lbw but it might have been doing down the leg-side, the ball was a bit full and curled in, Pandya missed the flick and was rapped on the front pad
3.3 -
Ishant to Pandya, no run, Ishant does well this time, keeps it tight on the stumps, Pandya defends it off the inside part of the bat, the ball rolls along the pitch
3.2 -
Ishant to Pandya, FOUR, not as poetic as the previous one but who minds as long as they fetch runs, Pandya backed out and flashed hard this time, top edge flew away from third man, one bounce over the ropes, two in two for Pandya
3.1 -
Ishant to Pandya, FOUR, finally Pandya justifies the move to send him up the order, length was up there and he smashed it over the fielder at cover, outfield here is a batsman's ally
2.6 -
RP Singh to Simmons, no run, angling away from a shortish length once again, Simmons gets an under-edge and the keeper, who was caught wrong-footed does well to save a few runs
2.5 -
RP Singh to Simmons, no run, shortish and outside off, Simmons does not move his feet and pokes at it, was never going to make the willow meet the leather, beaten
2.4 -
RP Singh to Pandya, 1 run, Pandya wanted to cover RP Singh's angle by trekking towards the line of the delivery, the ball was a touch short and it curled in, Pandya does well to tuck it to square leg
2.3 -
RP Singh to Simmons, 1 run, nice roll of wrists from the Caribbean, waits for the ball and clips it towards square leg
2.2 -
RP Singh to Simmons, SIX, disdain, carnage and other few more adjectives, no respect for the bowler at all, charges down the track and lofts it over the bowler's head with a straight bat, just about clears the fence down the ground, first six of the T20 League, 2016
2.1 -
RP Singh to Simmons, no run, full from RP Singh just outside off, inviting Simmons to drive, he does so but off the toe towards mid-off
1.6 -
Ishant to Pandya, no run, and again inward angle and extra bounce causes some trouble for Pandya, he is hit near the abdomen area in forward defence, wants a single which is not there even in the parallel universe
1.5 -
Ishant to Pandya, no run, Ishant hurls it on a length around off, Pandya is anxious to get off the mark, taps it in front of cover and sets off, Simmons is not interested
1.5 -
Ishant to Pandya, wide, wayward line from Ishant once again, splays it down the leg-side, there was a lot of bounce and it eluded Pandya's glance, Dhoni collects it near his face after moving to his left
1.4 -
Ishant to Pandya, no run, away movement for Ishant and Pandya throws his bat on the drive, does not get anything and a big ooh aah across the ground
1.3 -
Ishant to Pandya, no run, length around off and look at Pandya, gets a stride forward and drives towards the cover region, no luck with the gap though
1.2 -
Ishant to Pandya, no run, good length delivery around off, Pandya stays on the back foot and pats it towards point
1.2 -
Ishant to Pandya, 3 wides, poor from Ishant, hurls it well down the leg-side, keeper does well to save a few runs
Hardik Pandya, right handed bat, comes to the crease
1.1 -
Ishant to Rohit, out Lbw!! Take a bow Ishant, he has devoured the Mumbai captain, first ball wicket. Rohit played across the line and missed the angle created by Ishant, the ball hit Rohit well below the knee roll and the umpire raised his finger almost instantly. Rohit though does not look happy as he walks back, but is he unhappy with himself or the decision? Replays will tell us the complete story. The ball would have hit the middle and leg, I guess.Rohit lbw b Ishant 7(5) [4s-1]
Ishant to Rohit, THAT'S OUT!! Lbw!!
One slip in place for Ishant
Ishant Sharma, right-arm fast, comes into the attack
So RP Singh looks a bit out of shape but can still swing it. Ishant Sharma though is as lean as ever.
0.6 -
RP Singh to Simmons, no run, better line from RP Singh, kept it around off and got the ball to come in a touch, Simmons was aware of it and got his bat down in time, bowler fields on the followthrough
0.5 -
RP Singh to Rohit, 1 run, full from RP Singh, Sharma happily flicks it to fine leg for a single
0.4 -
RP Singh to Rohit, FOUR, and that will be the first four of the event, many more to come in the coming days. Short delivery, offered Rohit room, he sat back and cracked it to the sweeper cover fence
0.3 -
RP Singh to Rohit, 2 runs, fullish from RP Singh this time, the ball swings but too full to cause any trouble, Sharma flicks it to deep square leg, where Ishant Sharma does the mopping work
0.2 -
RP Singh to Rohit, no run, short and wide this time, Sharma cuts it hard, cannot pierce the gap through the cover region, missed out on some runs
0.1 -
RP Singh to Simmons, 1 run, some inswing for RP Singh but Simmons is away, tucks this one in front of square on the on-side and sets off for a single
Simmons and Rohit are at the crease. Simmons is on strike. RP Singh will open the attack
So that brings the curtains down on what was a real thumping of the Mumbai. Not an auspicious start to their title defence. But Pune? Wow. That's how you announce your arrival. Didn't at all show any sign of nerves. Guess it never came to a stage where they were really tested on the field, Harbhajan's assault notwithstanding. Never mind. It's only the first match. This league is not a sprint, it's a marathon. That's it from us here. Join us back tomorrow. Cheers!
Rahane: "I felt that it was important to time the ball. It was stopping a bit so it was important for me to take some time early on and finish the job. The pitch was two paced, not what we usually get at the Wankhede. In the first six overs, the ball was moving a lot. They are all world class players [talking about his teammates]. All match-winners and we try to learn things from them."
Ajinkya Rahane is Man of the Match for his 47-ball 66
Dhoni: "I don't think we could have had a better start. Credit to the bowlers. Yes the pitch had a bit in it for the fast bowlers but they stuck to their lines. Once they were a few wickets down, they had to change their tactics which played to our advantage. The start was important. I've always felt that Rahane is brilliant when the ball comes on. He's someone who plays traditional shots. Good to see him finish it off. We have not spent a lot of time together [as a team], this gives an opportunity to take some time off and interact with each other. It's a bunch of fun loving guys which makes my job easy. Support staff have put in a lot of effort."
Ravi Shastri is carrying out presentation duties. Looks at home..
Rohit: "Pitch looked okay. We didn't bat well to be honest. 121 is never going to be enough against a batting lineup like Pune. Lot to learn from this game. Hopefully we'll go back and come with a positive frame of mind. Never thought the ball would do that much having played a lot of cricket here. They swung it a lot and our shot selection wasn't great. We go to Kolkata from here where we have good memories - we have won 2 titles there. It's just the start of the tournament, no need to panic."
A stroll. That's all it was. Harbhajan's heroics with the bat might have swayed opinion but it all came down to nought after the start Faf and Rahane got off to. Yes, they rode their luck early on. But hey! Let's not begrudge a thoroughly comprehensive win. The fact remains that the hosts just didn't have enough runs to make a fist out of it. Mumbai, who are usually so good at home, were forced into eating the humble pie. Must say that after watching how the pitch behaved, and given Wankhede's notorious reputation for being a chasing ground, Rohit's decision to bat first seems .. well .. questionable. Hear in to what he has to say...
14.4 -
Pandya to Rahane, SIX, that's it! The demolition job is complete. Mumbai's tombstone has been planted at the Wankhede with the sign "Rest in Peace". And what a way to bring up victory! Short ball, Rahane jumps with it and ramps it over the third man fence. Well played
14.3 -
Pandya to Rahane, no run, back of a length delivery outside off, Rahane tries to glide it to third man but can't lay a bat
14.2 -
Pandya to Rahane, SIX, length ball and bam! Bam bam bam! Rahane opens his stance, loads up big time and smears it over long-on. Small man, fierce stroke
14.1 -
Pandya to Rahane, no run, picks a short of length delivery from outside off, and twirls his wrists but a good stop from Rayudu at mid-wicket stops the single
Hardik Pandya, right-arm medium, comes into the attack
13.6 -
Harbhajan to Rahane, 1 run, eases on the front foot and nudges a single down to long-on
13.5 -
Harbhajan to Pietersen, 1 run, Harbhajan won't be tossing them up now, fires it flat on middle and catches a thick inside edge as KP is stuck on the crease. It wanders away through the square leg region
13.4 -
Harbhajan to Rahane, 1 run, bends his back knee a shade and helps the flatter ball to deep backward square with a controlled pull
13.3 -
Harbhajan to Rahane, no run, pushes it quick just outside off, skids on from a length and it's been punched towards cover
13.2 -
Harbhajan to Pietersen, 1 run, flatter on the stumps and nurdled behind square to hand it over to Rahane
13.1 -
Harbhajan to Pietersen, SIX, Bhajji tries the drifter, and he's been rammed into oblivion. Drops it short allowing KP enough time on the back foot and he butchers it
12.6 -
Shreyas Gopal to Rahane, no run, dropped! Quicker just outside off, Rahane smashes it straight into the lap of Shreyas Gopal who spills it. Wasn't expecting the catch and looked lazy on the replays
12.5 -
Shreyas Gopal to Pietersen, leg byes, 1 run, splayed down leg, Pietersen fails to glance, off the pads behind square
12.4 -
Shreyas Gopal to Pietersen, 2 runs, sat on the back foot and nailed the cut shot through cover. Looked in a bit of strife while hustling back for the second but made it safely in the end. Buttler didn't gather that cleanly either
RUN-OUT check sent upstairs: KP is the man in question. Looks safe and NOT OUT should/will be the verdict. Yes "NOT OUT" flashes on the giant screen
12.3 -
Shreyas Gopal to Rahane, 1 run, flattish outside off, Rahane camps back and cuts through cover
12.2 -
Shreyas Gopal to Rahane, no run, on the stumps, nudged in front of short mid-wicket
12.1 -
Shreyas Gopal to Rahane, FOUR, this won't help either. Short and please-slap me line from Shreyas Gopal. Rahane jumps back and murders the pull through mid-wicket. Fifty for Rahane
11.6 -
Harbhajan to Pietersen, SIX, "Take that" lauds Ravi Shaz as KP waltzes down the pitch and deposits a handsome blow over long-on. Too predictable from Bhajji who floats one on off and KP says "Thank you" after pinging it off the middle
11.5 -
Harbhajan to Pietersen, no run, pulls his length back and entices KP into the back foot cut, ends up chopping it to backward point
11.4 -
Harbhajan to Pietersen, no run, quick and flat, pushed back to the bowler
11.3 -
Harbhajan to Pietersen, 2 runs, darted down leg, Pietersen helps it on its way with a wristy tickle towards fine leg
11.2 -
Harbhajan to Rahane, 1 run, shortish just outside off, punched with the full face of the bat to sweeper cover
11.1 -
Harbhajan to Rahane, 2 runs, drifting into the pads, Rahane plays late - Flicked off the pads and good running takes care of the rest
10.6 -
Shreyas Gopal to Rahane, 1 run, drops it short around middle, Rahane is happy to sit back and pull that over mid-wicket. Sensible batting this!
10.5 -
Shreyas Gopal to Rahane, 2 runs, lots of revs. on this legspinner, Rahane jumps on the back foot and punches it on its head through cover
10.4 -
Shreyas Gopal to Pietersen, 1 run, sprays this one around the pads, clipped away modestly past square leg
10.3 -
Shreyas Gopal to Pietersen, no run, looped full on off, Pietersen drives hard, off the toe-end and back to the bowler
10.2 -
Shreyas Gopal to Rahane, 1 run, keeps it around the stumps again, worked through mid-wicket
10.1 -
Shreyas Gopal to Pietersen, 1 run, quicker on the stumps, eased down to long-on
Shreyas Gopal [1.0-0-5-0] is back into the attack
9.6 -
Harbhajan to Pietersen, 1 run, gets across the pitch and scoops a flat delivery past fine leg, off the mark with a single
9.5 -
Harbhajan to Pietersen, no run, what a way to welcome KP. Absolute jaffa to start with. Tossed up around off and spun viciously into the batsman. KP was stuck on the back foot, was trying to cut but was beaten all ends up. How did that miss the edge?
Kevin Pietersen, right handed bat, comes to the crease
9.4 -
Harbhajan to du Plessis, out Bowled!! Bhajji is having one heck of a night. First with the bat and now with the ball. Finally a wicket for Mumbai. But was it too late? Flattish on leg-stump line, du Plessis drops to one knee and seeks to sweep. Was a bit early into the stroke and the key was - Bhajji slowed it up in the air. Missed the shot completely and finds his leg-stump pegged back. The ball sneaked through his arms and du Plessis was befuddled by the slowness of the delivery. du Plessis b Harbhajan 34(33) [4s-1 6s-3]
Harbhajan to du Plessis, THAT'S OUT!! Bowled!!
9.3 -
Harbhajan to du Plessis, no run, hint of turn, just a smidgen. Around middle and leg, du Plessis drags the pull in front of short mid-wicket
9.2 -
Harbhajan to Rahane, 1 run, darted in outside off, extracts good bounce too. Rahane rises on his toes to punch it down the ground, a single to long-off
9.1 -
Harbhajan to du Plessis, 1 run, flat on middle, swept away behind square leg, not middled but got enough wood to drag the shot
Harbhajan Singh, right-arm off break, comes into the attack
Cruising through and why need a strategic time-out. Guess what's the talk in both teams? Pretty serene I should imagine. So, the equation now reads 46 from 66 balls. Here's Bhajji...
8.6 -
Vinay to Rahane, FOUR, "SHOT...SHOT" screamed Sagar Chawla in the comm. box here. Was spot on that Mumbai lad. Length outside off and Rahane just needed to time the punch - He does so with utter nonchalance and the outfield takes care of the rest. Raced past mid-off and the Pune Supergiants are cruising through
8.5 -
Vinay to Rahane, 2 runs, that's chipped and chipped safely! Fullish delivery curled in just outside off, Rahane aims an ambitious lofted drive. Hits the splice and lands well in front of an incoming deep extra cover
8.4 -
Vinay to du Plessis, 1 run, offers some pace this time, full around fifth stump channel, drilled wide of mid-off
8.3 -
Vinay to du Plessis, no run, the loopy slower bouncer, bowled at 128ks, du Plessis was early into the shot - Trying to play the ramp shot but was defeated for lack of pace
8.2 -
Vinay to du Plessis, 2 runs, hurled full with ample width on offer, crashed through cover for a couple of runs
8.2 -
Vinay to du Plessis, wide, Vinay Kumar is making that wide tramline cry. Literally! Slips a 126ks full ball well wide of off and du Plessis ain't playing that
8.1 -
Vinay to du Plessis, no run, slower back of a length delivery wide of off, du Plessis gives charge, but could only mistime the flat-bat biff to mid-off
7.6 -
Shreyas Gopal to du Plessis, 1 run, looped up on the stumps, du Plessis sinks to one knee and sweeps behind square on the leg-side, retains the strike with that run
7.5 -
Shreyas Gopal to Rahane, 1 run, dragged down around middle and off, Rahane rocks back and muscles the pull through mid-wicket
7.4 -
Shreyas Gopal to Rahane, no run, flighted full around off, Rahane steps out, ain't to the pitch of the ball but manages to negate the spin into the off-side
7.3 -
Shreyas Gopal to du Plessis, 1 run, pushed through quicker, full at the pads, flicked away towards deep mid-wicket and the singles keep coming
7.2 -
Shreyas Gopal to Rahane, 1 run, the googly on middle, Rahane backs away and slashes it through covers, an easy single on offer
7.1 -
Shreyas Gopal to du Plessis, 1 run, tossed up on middle, du Plessis clips off his pads, a single through square leg
Shreyas Gopal, right-arm leg break, comes into the attack
Time for some leg-spin now..
6.6 -
Vinay to du Plessis, 1 run, du Plessis drives this good length delivery towards sweeper cover and will keep the strike
6.6 -
Vinay to du Plessis, wide, slower delivery gone wrong, in terms of line not length, bowled it well outside off and du Plessis let it go, the umpire calls it a wide
6.5 -
Vinay to du Plessis, no run, du Plessis stays leg-side and push-drives this one to Pollard at extra cover
6.5 -
Vinay to du Plessis, wide, du Plessis ventures out of the crease, premeditated and it does not pay well, Vinay bowled it short and wide and du Plessis could not have reached it anyway
6.4 -
Vinay to du Plessis, no run, Vinay does well to save some runs, du Plessis was shaping up to lap it fine, Vinay saw him early and bowled it slower outside off, du Plessis fails to make any connection
6.3 -
Vinay to du Plessis, no run, short of a fuller length around off, du Plessis defends towards cover-point
6.2 -
Vinay to Rahane, 1 run, back of a length delivery and around off, Rahane is happy in his crease, short arm jab to long-on
6.1 -
Vinay to Rahane, no run, around off from a length, Rahane pats to extra cover
Vinay Kumar, right-arm medium, comes into the attack
5.6 -
Bumrah to du Plessis, SIX, this is cruel, very cruel, du Plessis stepped down, Bumrah did well to bowl short, foxed him completely but du Plessis went with the pull, the top edge flies well over third man for a six
5.5 -
Bumrah to du Plessis, SIX, very full outside off, not a poor delivery at all but Plessis throws his bat and gets the best result one could of a that delivery, a six to sweeper cover
5.5 -
Bumrah to Rahane, no ball, 1 run, back of a length delivery outside off, guided to third man, highlight of the delivery is not the shot, it is that Bumrah has overstepped and it is going to be a free hit
5.4 -
Bumrah to Rahane, 2 runs, what happened there? Whatever happened, in the end du Plessis is safe, Rahane wanted to drive towards the off-side, got it off the inside part to square leg, took the first run quite fast and wanted the second as well, du Plessis was ball watching and denied it, but then seeing that Rahane had almost made it, went for the run, had a one on one battle with Buttler who underarmed the throw at the bowler's end. The fielder missed and du Plessis made it to fight another day
5.3 -
Bumrah to Rahane, FOUR, short and pulled, it won't go all the way, but that is because Rahane did not shift his weight on the back foot, pulled it off the front foot and the ball races away the deep mid-wicket fence
5.2 -
Bumrah to Rahane, no run, this time Rahane's front foot did not move at all, he was trying to play away from the body, the length was a touch short and it beat him outside off
5.1 -
Bumrah to Rahane, no run, Bumrah is happy to angle it into Rahane, he drives it off the inside part back to the bowler, who parries it to mid-on
4.6 -
McClenaghan to du Plessis, no run, cutter from McClenaghan and du Plessis stays leg-side to force it through point, does not make any connection
4.5 -
McClenaghan to du Plessis, no run, slower delivery once again and du Plessis rotates himself on the attempted pull, he also came down the track and lost the shape
4.4 -
McClenaghan to du Plessis, SIX, off-cutter from McClenaghan but does not bother du Plessis, he dances down the track and smokes it over long-on for his first six
4.3 -
McClenaghan to Rahane, 1 run, every time a bowler lets out a grunt, you can be sure that it is a slower one, Rahane waits on this one which was bowled from round the wicket, runs it to third man for a single
4.2 -
McClenaghan to Rahane, SIX, Rahane does pack a punch or two, short delivery and he has pulled it off the meat of the bat, was never trying to keep it down, the ball sailed well over the deep backward square leg fence, there was a fielder there but he could not do anything about it
4.1 -
McClenaghan to du Plessis, 1 run, du Plessis plants his front foot away from the leg-stump and then pats this length delivery to point, Pandya dives and keeps it to one
3.6 -
Bumrah to Rahane, no run, length ball and Jinx defends
3.5 -
Bumrah to Rahane, FOUR, silken from Rahane and gets him the result he wanted, waited for this back of a length delivery and then placed the back foot punch past the fielder at cover, the ball raced away to the sweeper cover fence
3.4 -
Bumrah to du Plessis, 1 run, a little mix-up but they will get a single anyway, du Plessis sensibly defended this length delivery towards mid-on and got what he wanted, a single
3.3 -
Bumrah to du Plessis, no run, is he tailender or what? Had no idea what he was doing there, left his crease and backed away as well, flashed at it and was beaten just outside off
3.2 -
Bumrah to du Plessis, no run, did Bumrah roll his fingers on it? I am not sure, the line was outside off and du Plessis wanted to run it down to third man, beaten
3.1 -
Bumrah to du Plessis, no run, length delivery from Bumrah on off, Plessis wanted to go for the off-drive, gets it off the inside part of the bat to mid-on
2.6 -
McClenaghan to Rahane, no run, slower delivery from round the wicket and on the stumps, Rahane reads it well in time and defends it back to the bowler
2.5 -
McClenaghan to Rahane, no run, fuller outside off, Rahane drives well but cannot beat cover
2.4 -
McClenaghan to Rahane, FOUR, that could have very easily taken down the umpire, good length delivery and Rahane punched it past the bowler, who stuck out his left hand but did not get it to the ball, the umpire did well to get himself out of the line of the shot, the ball races away to long-off fence
2.3 -
McClenaghan to du Plessis, 1 run, short, not that short for the pull to be executed perfectly but du Plessis does well, gets it off the meat of the bat and wide of Bumrah at deep backward square leg, hold on, the fielder did well and kept it down to one
2.2 -
McClenaghan to du Plessis, no run, on a driving length outside off, du Plessis obliges, cannot beat Rayudu at cover
2.1 -
McClenaghan to du Plessis, no run, short of length from the Kiwi, du Plessis gets tall and drops in front of mid-wicket, wants a single but it is not there
1.6 -
Bumrah to du Plessis, 1 run, back of a length and touch outside off, du Plessis pats it off the inside part of the bat towards the gully region, has an eye contact with Rahane and they steal a single with ease
1.5 -
Bumrah to du Plessis, no run, Bumrah keeps it away from du Plessis outside off, he covers his sticks and the keeper has to do the rest
1.4 -
Bumrah to du Plessis, no run, full outside off and Plessis reached out on the drive this time, no timing whatsoever, gets it off the toe of the bat to the fielder at mid-off
1.3 -
Bumrah to du Plessis, no run, short of length around off, du Plessis rides the bounce and punches to cover
1.2 -
Bumrah to du Plessis, FOUR, and luck is with du Plessis this time, once again the ball nipped in, du Plessis played away from the body and ekes out an inside edge, it just missed the stumps and rocketed into the fine leg fence
1.1 -
Bumrah to du Plessis, no run, one slip for Bumrah as well, angles this one from wide of the crease, the ball cuts off the pitch as well, du Plessis does well to defend
Jasprit Bumrah, right-arm medium, comes into the attack
0.6 -
McClenaghan to Rahane, FOUR, second slip and Rahane would have been back in the hut, throws his bat on a length delivery and the thick edge flies towards the third man, the fielder was pretty square and Rahane will get his second four of the over
0.5 -
McClenaghan to Rahane, no run, back of a length angled across Rahane, he does not fiddle with it
0.4 -
McClenaghan to Rahane, no run, leading edge and it falls short of Pandya at backward point, Rahane closed the face of the bat and the edge lobbed towards point, and if Pandya could not reach it with the dive, not many could have
0.3 -
McClenaghan to Rahane, no run, back of a length around the rib-cage of Rahane, he hops the bounce and tucks to mid-wicket
0.2 -
McClenaghan to Rahane, no run, makes the ball kiss the deck this time, keeps it on a length on the stumps, Rahane turns it around the corner, cannot beat the field
0.1 -
McClenaghan to Rahane, FOUR, low full toss angling into Rahane, he punches it down the ground and it beats the mid-off fielder with ease, what a way to get off the mark
Rahane and du Plessis are at the crease. Rahane is on strike. McClenaghan will open the attack