Mon, 26 Sep 2011-IP Mumbai vs IP Trinidad and Tobago, Champions T20 League 2011, 6th Match-Bulletin

Mumbai win in last ball thriller

Mumbai Indians scampered to a one wicket victory against Trinidad and Tobago in yet another last ball Champions League thriller. It was a riveting chase with so many twists and turns before last man Yuzendra Chahal hurried between the wickets to manage two runs off final ball. He could well have been run-out by a virtual mile had wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin not missed the stumps after collecting the throw from the deep. While stunning victory made Mumbai Indians to erupt with joy, there were very gloomy and disappointed faces in T&T’s camp. The West Indies side did give everything to defend paltry 98 before succumbing in the last minute.

Needing 11 to win in the final over bowled by offie Sherwin Ganga, Ambati Rayudu scored a single first ball, second was hit for a six by Lasith Malinga, third for another single, fourth saw Malinga been run-out, Rayudu was run-out while going for a second. Two to get off final ball and number eleven Chahal on the strike, Darren Ganga kept the field wide spread and it gave batsman enough space to find the gap.

Mumbai’s reply to 98 was very inauspicious with fast bowler Ravi Rampaul running trough the top order. After leg spinner Samuel Badree had Aiden Blizzard caught for two, the pacer had batsmen in all sorts of trouble. Rampaul got TL Suman caught at mid-off for 11, before getting James Franklin and Andrew Symonds off successive balls. Franklin chased an away going delivery edging it to Badree at first slip and Symonds was cleaned up with a peach of a yorker to have the IPL side battling at 16 for 4.

The arrival of Kieran Pollard got his former T&T mates buzzing for his wicket who were at their chirpy best at that time. Pollard had a very iffy tenure at the crease almost getting out every second ball. He survived hat-trick but could play only nine balls after that as he chopped Sunil Narine’s turning off-spinner on to his stumps to depart for a scratchy 9. At that moment T&T was all over Mumbai with score reading 33 for 5 in the 9th over.

It was number three Rayudu and Rajagopal Satish who scripted a mini-recovery added 32 for the sixth wicket. Satish’s painful vigil came to an end when he lobbed a simple catch to short mid-wicket off Narine to put Mumbai in strife.

With asking rate touching 8-an over, Mumbai skipper Harbhajan went for attack from the word go. He made nine out of 10-run stand including a six before his exit through run-out with his team still needing 22 off 17. Malinga’s arrival got things going hitting a four and a last over six in his 8-ball 15 before his dismissal. Rayudu didn’t look all comfortable during his 47-ball stay for 36 including four fours but anchored a low scoring but tough chase to play a crucial role in his team winning the tight game.

Earlier T&T capitulation had all the ingredients of familiar batting collapses one can associate with its national team West Indies in last five years or so. Having got off to a bright start, T&T receded thanks to senseless and reckless application to be crumbled for a paltry 98. Poor shot selection led to the dismissal of majority of batsmen but it was lazy and careless Lendl Simmons’ run-out that started the rot. T&T batsmen, for some reason, had only glory shots in the mind, and, in the process, succumbed.

Malinga’s scorcher was good enough for Adrian Barath to have his stumps cart-wheeling at the team score of 21. Simmons and Darren Bravo played some proper cricket shots to put Mumbai in trouble with score shooting up to 41 in 5th over. Simmons, who hit two fours and a six, had a brain fade while going for second run forgetting to slide his bat. Much to astonishment of all, Simmons foot was on the line and bat in the air and consequently was given run-out for 21.

Post his departure, batsmen came and went back without contributing much. Skipper Ganga decided to launch left arm pacer Franklin but mistimed the shot only to be caught brilliantly by diving Rajagopal Satish at long-off. All of a sudden, Mumbai and Harbhajan raised their game. Mumbai captain had Denesh Ramdin caught bowled for a duck and beat Bravo’s booming bat to have the left hander clean bowled for a 15-ball 18. With his tail up, Bhajji trapped Sherwin Ganga leg before for 2 and things just worse and worse for T&T when Malinga got Kevin Cooper for a duck in his comeback spell. Rampaul didn’t last long run-out for third duck of the innings as T&T lost their eighth wicket for 83.

Jason Mohammad hit a six and four in his 27-ball 23 to put some resistance but fell to Pollard’s gentle medium pace. Abu Nechim wrapped up the proceedings dismissing Sunil Narine to a well judged catch by Yuzendra Chahal at third man.