IPL 10: Rising Pune Supergiant beat Mumbai Indians to enter IPL final

Mumbai: Young offie Washington Sundar spun a web around Mumbai Indians after Mahendra Singh Dhoni had battered the bowling as Rising Pune Supergiant stunned the hosts by a comfortable 20 runs in Qualifier 1 of IPL-10 at Wankhede Stadium here on Tuesday to enter Sunday’s final.

Chasing 163, Mumbai could do no better than 142/9, handing Pune a clean sweep in their three games this year, two of them coming at Mumbai’s fortress.

Mumbai as good as shot themselves in the foot in preparing a slow, two-paced pitch for this crucial game, and in the end, Pune had the better resources — and temperament — for the conditions. The losing side now head for Bengaluru where they play the winners of Wednesday’s Eliminator in Qualifier 2 scheduled for Friday.

The run-out of opener Lendl Simmons (5) was an early setback that Sundar consolidated with the critical wickets of Rohit Sharma (1) and Ambati Rayudu (0) before seeing off dangerman Kieron Polland (7) in successive overs.

In the space of 12 balls, the teenager had swung the game decisively, and though Parthiv Patel (52, 40b, 3x4, 3x6) hung around for as long as he could, it was in a sinking cause thanks to the lack of support from the other end.

Besides the critical interventions by Sundar (3/16) and his fellow bowlers, Pune owed it to some sharp work in the field, their captain Steve Smith leading the way with two important catches close to the wicket. Shardul Thakur (3/37), Jaidev Unadkat (1/24) and Lockie Ferguson (1/21) were the other wicket-takers.

Earlier, Dhoni rolled back the years with a display of superb hitting at the death to lift Rising Pune Supergiant to 162/4. The last two overs of the innings fetched 41 runs.

Half centuries from Ajinkya Rahane 56 (43b, 5x4, 1x6) and Manoj Tiwary 58 (48b, 4x4, 2x6) steadied the visitors after a shaky start and Dhoni 40 (26b, 5x6) finished it with a flourish.

Mumbai Indians kept things tight in the first 18 overs till Tiwary and Dhoni smashed Mitchell McClenaghan (1/46) and Jasprit Bumrah (0/33) to give their total some respectability and spoil the bowlers’ figures. Lasith Malinga ironically bowled only three overs for just 14 runs for the wicket of Steve Smith (1).

Even the absence of the inspirational Ben Stokes could not help Mumbai.

Scorecard
Rising Pune Supergiant: A. Rahane lbw b K. Sharma 56, R. Tripathi b McClenaghan 0, S. Smith c H. Pandya b Malinga 1, M. Tiwary run out 58, M.S. Dhoni (not out) 40.
Extras: (lb 2, w 4, nb 1) 7. Total: (for 4 wkts, in 20 overs) 162.
FoW: 1-6, 2-9, 3-89, 4-162.
Bowling: McClenaghan 4-0-46-1 (1nb, 4w), Malinga 3-0-14-1, Bumrah 4-0-33-0, Karn 4-0-30-1, K. Pandya 4-0-22-0, H. Pandya 1-0-15-0.

Mumbai Indians: L. Simmons (run out) 5, P. Patel s Christian b Thakur 52, R. Sharma lbw b Washington 1, A. Rayudu c Smith b Washington 0, K. Pollard c Smith b Washington 7, H. Pandya c Christian b Ferguson 14, K. Pandya c Christian b Thakur 15, M. McClenaghan c Unadkat b Thakur 12, K. Sharma c Dhoni b Unadkat 4, J. Bumrah (not out) 16, L. Malinga (not out) 7
Extras: (lb 2, w 7) 9. Total: (for 9 wkts, in 20 overs) 142
FoW: 1-35, 2-41, 3-41, 4-51, 5-75, 6-101, 7-103, 8-111, 9-134
Bowling: Unadkat 4-0-24-1, Sundar 4-0-16-3, Ferguson 3-0-21-1 (5w), Thakur 4-0-37-3 (1w), Zampa 1-0-9-0, Christian 4-0-33-0 (1w)