28 May,2011 06:13 AM IST | | Sai Mohan
Daniel Vettori's Royal Challengers Bangalore outplay Sachin Tendulkar's Mumbai Indians to enter second Indian Premier League final; meet Chennai in today's big bash
Mumbai Indians made severe judgmental errors while crashing to a 43-run defeat to Royal Challengers Bangalore in Qualifier 2 here at MA Chidambaram Stadium yesterday. Electing to bowl, Mumbai played the solitary spinner on a surface where the ball stopped on batsmen as was evident when Bangalore's spin trio of Daniel Vettori, Syed Mohammed and Chris Gayle restricted last year's Indian Premier League (IPL) runners-up to 142-8. Vettori and Co bowled at least 20 kmph slower than their usual pace, forcing Mumbai's batsmen to hole out while attempting to clear the infield.
Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper Daniel Vettori celebrates after
claiming Mumbai Indians' dangerman Kieron Pollard at M Chidambaram
Stadium yesterday. Pic/Suresh KK
Chasing 186, the opening duo of Sachin Tendulkar and Aiden Blizzard faced minimal trouble in countering Bangalore's three-pronged seam attack of Zaheer Khan, Abhimanyu Mithun and Sreenath Aravind. The precession began when Blizzard tried to clear a slower ball from Aravind only to hole out at long-on. Thereafter, Bangalore's bowlers perennially bowled at a slower pace. The highlight of the night came in the last ball of the eighth over when Mohammed extracted enormous turn from one that pitched on middle and spun away sharply. The shortish length of the ball made it difficult for Tendulkar to make a last-minute adjustment.
A disappointed Sachin Tendulkar.Pic/Suresh KKu00a0
He was stumped to the ball of the night. Rohit Sharma attempted a heave through extra cover when deceived in the flight by Vettori. Two balls later, Ambati Rayudu was trapped leg-before while pushing outside the line to a ball that pitched on leg stump and rapped him on the pads. It was an outstanding exhibition of spin bowling from the Bangalore captain, after his batsmen had posted a total far beyond Mumbai's reach.
Earlier, Mumbai Indians' fast bowlers Abu Nachim and Lasith Malinga sprayed it all over the wicket. attempting to push the batsmen on the back foot. Nachim's first over was a random collection of half volleys and length balls that fetched 27 runs as Chris Gayle stamped his authority on proceedings. Malinga's misdirected yorker took the toe end of Gayle's bat and flew to the fine-leg boundary. Malinga, who ended the tournament with 28 wickets, tried to swing the ball back into the left-handed Gayle, but got his line and length wrong on a night when it actually counted. He came back strongly to finish with 0-24 in four overs.
Even as the likes of Kieron Pollard and Munaf Patel attempted to slow the pace, there was enough firepower in Gayle and Agarwal, who comfortably cleared the inner circle, posting an opening stand of 113. In fact, Bangalore managed only 74 in the last 10 overs, but the damage was already done.
Scoreboard
Royal Challengers Bangalore
M Agarwal c Sharma
b Pollard 41
C Gayle c Franklin b Patel 89
V Kohli b Ahmed 8
AB de Villiers not out 21
Luke Pomersbach c
Malinga b Patel 4
Saurabh Tiwary not out 8 Extras: (W13, Nb1) 14.
Total: (for four wickets in 20 overs) 185.
Fall of wickets: 1-113, 2-148,
3-151, 4-157.
Bowling: Abu Nachim 4-0-56-1
Harbhajan Singh 4-0-40-0 Lasith Malinga 4-0-24-0
Munaf Patel 4-0-27-2
Rohit Sharma 1-0-14-0
Kieron Pollard 3-0-24-1
Mumbai Indians
A Blizzard c Agarwal
b Aravind 10
S Tendulkar st de Villiers
b Syed Mohammad 40
Harbhajan Singh c
Pomersbach b Aravind 13
R Sharma c Pomersbach
b Vettori 13
A Rayudu lbw b Vettori 0
K Pollard c Mithun b Vettori 3
R Sathish not out 19
L Malinga c Pomersbach b Syed Mohammad 7
A Ahmed not out 19
Extras: (Lb2, W1) 3.
Total (for eight wickets in 20 overs) 143.
Fall of wickets: 1-23, 2-41, 3-68, 4-82, 5-83, 6-89, 7-99, 8-110
Bowling: Zaheer Khan 4-0-32-1
Sreenath Aravind 3-0-27-2 Chris Gayle 3-0-11-0
Abhimanyu Mithun 2-0-27-0 Daniel Vettori 4-0-19-3
Syed Mohammad 4-0-25-2
