Mumbai Indians got back to their winning ways, albeit, in the last over, for a five-wicket verdict over defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Wednesday night. After KKR posted a competitive 159, MI batsmen, led by Dwayne Smith, chased it down with just a ball to spare. Chasing a competitive 160, MI started quietly before Smith deposited Iqbal Abdulla for consecutive sixes in the fourth over. Sunil Narine drew first blood as he pegged back ‘birthday boy’ Sachin Tendulkar's (2) middle stump.
MI made 42 runs from the power play. Smith continued to attack Abdulla blasting another six. Sachithra Senanayake was taken to the cleaners by Smith as he smashed a boundary and a six in the 8th over to bring up his fifty. Senanayake then trapped Dinesh Karthik (7) leg before. Narine struck again getting rid of Smith (62) who was looking dangerous. Rohit Sharma effortlessly hit Senanayake for two sixes in the 13th over. Narine got the important wicket of Sharma (34) to break the 50-run partnership with Kieron Pollard.
Pollard carried on with a massive six off Senanayake to reduce the equation to 18 off 12. With MI needing 10 runs to win off the last over, Rajat Bhatia dismissed Pollard (33) first ball before Harbhajan Singh hit a six and Ambati Rayudu hit a boundary to see MI home. Earlier the start of the match was delayed by thirty minutes due to a wet outfield. KKR elected to bat, winning the toss. Yusuf Pathan started in grand style with three boundaries and a six off Harbhajan in the first over as KKR scored 26 runs from it.
Mitchell Johnson then had Pathan (19) caught at slip the next over. Jacques Kallis continued the assault with two boundaries off Lasith Malinga. KKR raced to 61 for 1 from their power-play overs. Pragyan Ojha then had Gambhir (26) miscue a shot to give MI their second wicket. Kallis was given a life on 22 when Johnson dropped him off Ojha. But Ojha finally got his man as Kallis (37) was caught by Sharma.
After being bogged down by the MI bowlers, Manoj Tiwary broke the shackles with a boundary off Yuzvendra Chahal, before launching him for a six. Eoin Morgan (31) swatted Johnson for a six, before perishing a couple deliveries later. Malinga castled (33) Tiwary and Debabrata Das (6) in the final over as KKR finished at 159 for 6 from 20 overs. Man-of-the-Match: Dwayne Smith Brief Scores: Kolkata Knight Riders 159 for 6 (Jacques Kallis 37, Pragjan Ohja 2-21) lost to Mumbai Indians 162 for 5 in 19.5 overs (Dwayne Smith 62, Sunil Narine 3-17) by 5 wickets.
