IPL: Rohit Sharma guides Mumbai to narrow win over Punjab

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Captain Rohit Sharma's batting heroics made all the difference in the end as Mumbai Indians beat Kings XI Punjab by a narrow four runs in a nail-biting Pepsi IPL clash on Monday.

Opting to bat, Sharma led from the front with a blistering unbeaten 79 off just 39 balls as Mumbai posted a challenging 174 for three before Punjab were bowled out for 170 in the match that went down the wire.

David Miller (56 off 34 balls) and later Praveen Kumar (24 off 15 balls) kept Punjab in the hunt till the end before the latter was out in the last ball of the innings in the match which kept the full-house crowd at the Wankhede Stadium on the edge of their seats throughout.

For Mumbai, Harbhajan was the pick of the bowlers as he grabbed three wickets for 14 runs while Mitchell Johnson, Dhawal Kulkarni and Pragyan Ojha took two wickets each.

With their third straight victory and second at home, Mumbai remained firmly in the hunt for a berth in knock-out phase as they jumped to fourth place with 12 points from nine matches. Punjab are now on sixth spot with eight points from nine matches.

Chasing the big score, Punjab lost half their side before the score had reached 80 and were then all out for 170 despite a valiant attempt by Miller and a fighting knock by Praveen.

David Hussey, who captained Punjab after regular skipper Adam Gilchrist decided to sit out, made 34 in 18 balls before the left-handed Miller kept them afloat by cracking five sixes and one four in 34 balls.

Miller's late charge helped reduce the target to 37 in three overs before he was caught at short extra cover off the leading edge while trying to hoist Johnson for another leg side six when 26 were needed.

The last pair of Praveen, who struck two sixes and one four, and Parvinder Awana (0 not out) took the game to the last over before the former was caught by Sachin Tendulkar off Kulkarni off the last ball of the match.

A stunning catch inches inside the long on boundary by Kieron Pollard showcased MI's efficient fielding display. Punjab began the run chase on the rear foot by losing the wickets of Mandeep Singh (9) and Manan Vohra (1) to Lasith Malinga and Johnson in the second and third over when the score had not reached 20 and it became a steeper climb for the visitors.

Opener Shaun Marsh (10), picked to play in place of captain Gilchrist, and Hussey flourished briefly in a third wicket stand of 39 before the lanky figure of Pollard plucked an impossible catch with a giant leap on the long-on rope to send back the former. It would have been a sure six off left-arm spinner Ojha had any other fielder been stationed there.

Marsh was followed into the hut shortly by Hussey, who hit five fours and a six, and stumper Gurkeerat Singh Mann off Ojha and Harbhajan Singh respectively as the visitors plunged to a sorry 79 for five in the 10 over. Though Miller attacked at one end, the visitors lost wickets at regular intervals at the other.

Earlier, captain Rohit Sharma, who turns 26 on Tuesday, smashed a blistering unbeaten 79 off 39 balls to power Mumbai to 174 for three after opting to bat.

Sharma struck six sixes and as many fours in his knock to take Mumbai from 43 for two in the eighth over to a big score. Other significant contributors for Mumbai were Dwayne Smith (33), Dinesh Kartik (25) and Kieron Pollard (20 not out).

Sharma put on 43 runs for the third wicket with Smith and an 88 runs with Pollard for the unfinished fourth wicket. The highlight of his innings was the three sixes and two fours he hit in the final over bowled by Kings XI captain David Hussey who conceded 27 runs in that over. The best bowling effort for Kings XI came from Praveen Kumar (1 for 24) and Piyush Chawla (1 for 24). 

Photograph: BCCI