Mumbai Indians thrash Chennai Super Kings by 23 runs to lift maiden IPL title

 

Kolkata, 26 May 2013: Mumbai Indians lifted their maiden IPL title, thrashing Chennai Super Kings by 23 runs in the summit clash at Eden Gardens on Sunday.

 

Chennai’s chase was out of sync right from the start as after restricting Mumbai to a moderate 148/9, they were reduced to 57/8. Though skipper MS Dhoni gave some hope with few hits, he failed to change Chennai fortunes as his side was restricted to a meagre 129/5.

 

Pacer Lasith Malinga gave Mumbai a dream start by dismissing Mike Hussey, man with orange cap, and Suresh Raina in the first over after brilliant Kieron Pollard guided Mumbai Indians to a competitive total.

 

Malinga bowled out Hussey and then got Raina caught by Dwayne Smith in consecutive deliveries to reduce Chennai to 2/2 in one over.

 

Johnson then added to Chennai’s misery by sending back S Badrinath in the second over leaving Chennai at 3/3.

 

Harbhajan Singh inflicted fifth blow on Chennai in the seventh over by getting Ravindra Jadeja caught by Pollard just after Rishi Dhawan got rid of danger man Dwayne Bravo (15) after 32-run stand.

 

Opener Murali Vijay was the sixth man to fall after struggling knock of 18 (20) in the eighth over. He became second victim of Mitchell Johnson, who earlier scalped S Badrinath.

 

Pragyan Ojha bowled out Albie Morkel to reduce Chennai to 57/7 on the final delivery of the 11th over.

 

Earlier, Pollard stood tall among the ruins with an unbeaten half-century to help Mumbai Indians post a competitive total.

 

Pollard hit two huge sixes over long on and long off to end the proceedings as he smashed a 32-ball 60 not out studded with seven fours and three over-boundaries to push MI’s total close to 150.

 

It was a good toss to lose for Mahendra Singh Dhoni as his seamers duo of Mohit Sharma (1/26) and Albie Morkel (2/12) giving them a dream start rocking Mumbai Indians for 16/3 in the fourth over.

 

Later, it was Dwyane Bravo who earned the ’purple Cap’ in style with his four-wicket blitz that rattled the Mumbai Indians batting.

 

The two-time defending champions played to their reputation as the Dhoni’s men played without being affected by the controversy and the script just went their way at a jam-packed Eden Gardens.

 

The embattled Super Kings could not have asked for a better start with season’s ’find’ Mohit dismissing Dwayne Smith (4) in the first over.

 

The dangerman Smith was trapped right in front when an in-cutter had him plumb in the fourth ball. The young Mohit almost had another in the same over when Dinesh Karthik had an outside edge, this time off an away swinger, but it was a little wide of Ravichandran Ashwin, the lone slip fielder.

 

Aditya Tare’s (0) stint lasted for one ball ball with Morkel rattling the youngster’s leg-stump in the first ball, and came back in the next over to dismiss Rohit Sharma (2) in a soft manner as the Mumbai skipper’s woeful run continued with the bat.

 

The young Mohit justified the faith on him as he kept things tight on one end running through his full quota with 1/26 but it was an otherwise silent Morkel who roared back to form.