Having worked themselves into a fabulous position in their chase of a stiff 188, Royal Challengers Bangalore lost their way and handed a second straight home win to Mumbai Indians at Wankhede Stadium on Tuesday.
Youngsters Jasprit Bumrah and Pawan Suyal, who was creamed for 28 runs in his first over by Chris Gayle, removed the dangerous A B de Villiers and Virat Kohli at a critical juncture to turn the match Mumbai’s way.
After De Villiers missed the line of a Bumrah delivery, attempting a scoop, Kohli holed out to long-off trying to hit Suyal out of the park. The two fell in the space of two runs. When Yuvraj Singh too was shown the door, Kieron Pollard running him out with a bit of football, the writing on the wall was clear for RCB.
Rohit Sharma marshalled his troops well thereafter to tighten the screws around RCB, as Mumbai prevailed by 19 runs.
It was Harbhajan Singh who provided Mumbai the breakthrough as openers Gayle and Parthiv Patel put on 53 in 5.1 overs to give the visitors a superb start. Left-armer Suyal, Zaheer Khan’s replacement, was struck for three fours and sixes in the second over as Gayle went ballistic. Both, however, were bowled by Harbhajan.
Mumbai were carried to 187 for five primarily by a captain’s knock from Rohit, who remained unbeaten on 59 off 35 balls. He slammed four sixes and three fours during his innings to shepherd the hosts to a big total after being in a spot of bother at 85 for four after 10 overs. He shared an entertaining stand of 97 for the fifth wicket with Pollard, who was run out in the final over for a 31-ball 43.
The 19th over from Varun Aaron went for 24 as Rohit slammed three sixes and a four. While one, over point, was brilliantly timed, the other two were edges that flew over the ropes.
Mumbai for once seemed to be getting an opening partnership going, making 25 in three overs, but Ben Dunk spooned a catch to mid-off off the very first delivery from Harshal Patel.
There was a bit of help for the seamers under lights but the Bangalore pacemen were a bit too short to make the movement count. The Challengers were also guilty of giving away 25 extras, the most this IPL.
C M Gautam was the aggressor in chief striking three sixes. While the big hits kept coming, the batsmen failed to rotate the strike though, so that Gautam made only 30 in 28 balls despite hitting five boundaries.
After Royal Challengers opted to field, fast bowler Mitchell Starc tested the openers with the first five balls. Gautam drove him past mid-off to get Mumbai rolling. In the next over from Ashok Dinda, the left-handed Dunk pierced the off-side field twice but then wasted the start.
New Zealander Corey Anderson, Man of the Match in Mumbai’s win over King’s XI three days ago, fell to leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal two balls after lifting him over long-on.