Malinga & Co help Mumbai register one-run win over Pune

Pune, May 3: Mumbai Indians dished out a superlative bowling performance to eke out a one run win over Pune Warriors in a nail-biting Indian Premier League match here today.


Set to defend a modest 120 for nine, Mumbai bowlers rose to the occasion to restrict Pune to 119 for six in their 20 overs, thereby falling short by just a run.

Skipper Harbhajan Singh led from the front picking up two wickets for just 18 runs, while Lasith Malinga (2/25) was as usual at his lethal best towards the death.

Munaf Patel and Pragyan Ojha also did their bid ending up with identical figures of one for 24.

Mithun Manhas scored an unbeaten 42 off 34 balls to keep Pune in the hunt but in the end it was not enough.

Earlier, asked to bowl, Pune produced a clinical bowling and fielding display to restrict Mumbai to the paltry score at the Subrata Roy Sahara Stadium.

Young Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Ashish Nehra shared four wickets between them as Pune bowlers stuck to their task from the onset, barring a few overs in the middle.

Pune bowlers were complemented well by their fielders as they inflicted as many as four run outs.

Sachin Tendulkar top-scored for Mumbai a 35-ball 34 and together with James Franklin (25) added 50 runs for the opening stand, which was the only highlight of the visitors’ innings.

Chasing 121 for win, Robin Uthappa scored a run-a-ball 18 before he fell lbw to Patel.

Chennai look to end losing streak at home

Chennai, May 3: Seeking to end their losing streak at home, Chennai Super Kings will have their task cut out when they take on an improved Deccan Chargers in an Indian Premier League match here tomorrow.


The Super Kings have lost their last two matches at the M A Chidambaram stadium, against Kings XI Punjab and Kolkata Knight Riders, whereas the Chargers are slowly finding their feet with wins over Pune Warriors at both home and away.

While CSK coach Stephen Fleming and skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni have been insisting that they have got enough depth in both batting and bowling, that did not reflect in their performance in their last two games. Fleming had commented that it is time his players clicked.

In the initial stages of the tournament, Chennai had South African stars Frau Du Plessis, Albie Morkel and Tamil Nadu’s S Badrinath contributing to the team’s cause.

But Dhoni and Suresh Raina’s lack of form seem to have exposed the chinks in the middle-order. On the other hand, though placed at the bottom of the table, the Chargers’ morale got a boost after wins over Pune.

CSK may appear a better side on paper, but the Chargers have the wherewithal and the combination to beat the struggling hosts.

It is a good opportunity for the Chargers to cash in on Chennai’s poor run at home.

Dhoni, on his part, has done precious little with the bat and his on-field decisions have not yielded the desired results.