Mumbai: A stingy 19th over from big-ticket buy Ben Stokes helped end a six-match win streak as Rising Pune Supergiant squeezed home by three runs against Mumbai Indians at Wankhede Stadium here on Monday.
Chasing 161, Pune kept the pressure on the star-studded home side all the way. And as the run-rate mounted, it was left to Mumbai skipper Rohit Sharma (58, 39b, 6x4, 3x6) to see his side home, but the Stokes over, in which just seven runs came, sent the asking rate to 17, which proved too much even for him.
Jaidev Unadkat then kept things steady as the chase fell apart, three wickets going down in the final six balls to leave the visitors winners by the barest of margins.
Earlier, Mumbai Indians’ bowlers restricted Rising Pune Supergiant to 160/6 to set up the chance of yet another home win.
Supergiant openers Ajinkya Rahane and Rahul Tripathi provided a solid start before spinners Karn Sharma (2/39) and Harbhajan Singh (1/20) struck in the middle overs to halt their charge. The fast bowlers especially Jasprit Bumrah (2/29) kept it tight in the death overs to ensure Pune did not notch up a big score.
Rohit Sharma called it right for the fourth time here in five games and had no hesitation in fielding first. Rahane and Tripathi then played some exquisite strokes especially straight drives to notch up 48 runs in powerplays and went on to add 76 runs, their best opening stand of the season.
Leg-spinner Karn playing his first game for Mumbai in place of injured left-arm spinner Krunal Pandya dismissed both openers. Rahane 38 (32b, 5x4, 1x6) miscued one back to the bowler in the 10th over and Tripathi 45 (31b, 3x4, 2x6) gave Sharma the charge, holing out to Kieron Pollard in the next over.
Scoreboard
Rising Pune Supergiant: A. Rahane c & b KV Sharma 38, R. Tripathi c Pollard b K. Sharma 45, S. Smith b Harbhajan Singh 17, M.S. Dhoni b Bumrah 7, B. Stokes b Johnson 17, M. Tiwary b Bumrah 22, D. Christian (not out) 8, Washington Sundar (not out) 2
Extras: (b1, lb1, w2) 4. Total: (for 6 wkts, in 20 overs) 160
FoW: 1-76, 2-93, 3-104, 4-126, 5-138, 6-158.
Bowling: Johnson 4-0-34-1 (1w), McClenaghan 4-0-36-0 (1w), Karn 4-0-39-2, Bumrah 4-0-29-2, Harbhajan Singh 4-0-20-1
Mumbai Indians: P. Patel b Sundar 33, J. Buttler c Sundar b Stokes 17, N. Rana c Unadkat b Christian 3, R. Sharma c&b Unadkat 58, K. Sharma b Stokes 11, K. Pollard c Smith b Tahir 9, H. Pandya c Stokes b Unadkat 13, Harbhajan Singh (not out) 7, M. McClenaghan (run out) 0, M. Johnson (not out) 0
Extras: (lb3, w3) 6. Total: (for 8 wkts; in 20 overs) 157
FoW: 1-35, 2-51, 3-60, 4-86, 5-122, 6-144, 7-150, 8-151
Bowling: Sundar 4-0-26-1, Thakur 3-0-29-0 (1w), Unadkat 4-0-40-2 (1w), Stokes 4-1-21-2 (1w), Christian 1-0-6-1, Imran Tahir 4-0-32-1
