Captain Steve Smith struck his maiden Indian Premier League half-century to steer Rajasthan Royals to a comfortable seven-wicket win over Mumbai Indians in Ahmedabad, on Tuesday.
- Scorecard
It was Rajasthan's third consecutive win while Mumbai suffered their third defeat in a row.
Chasing a challenging 165 to win, Rajasthan romped home in 19.1 overs with Smith scoring an unbeaten 79 from 53 balls. He was well supported by Ajinkya Rahane (46) as they raised a 64-run stand for the second wicket.
Smith shifted gears at will as he first relied on finding the gaps, running hard between the wicket, and when needed, he found the boundaries effortlessly. He found the fence eight times and also smashed a six.
The decision to bat seemed to have backfired as Mumbai managed only 45 runs in the first 10 overs but the fiery 104-run stand between Kieron Pollard (70) and Corey Anderson (50) changed the team's fortunes as they ended with a respectable 164 for five.
Pollard's 70 came off just 34 balls as he punished the Royals bowlers with seven fours and five sixes while Anderson supported the Caribbean with a 38-ball 50.
Rajasthan were steady in their chase despite losing Sanju Samson (17) early. There were no big shots to see but under the charismatic leader Smith, Royals kept a decent run-rate.
As has been Smith's style, he took his time to get his eye in but kept the scoreboard busy with regular ones and twos with Ajinkya Rahane finding the odd boundary in between from the other end.
Rahane looked good for a big innings before he was dismissed by Shreyas Gopal as he tried to accelerate. In came young sensation Deepak Hooda and he started the fireworks straightaway by hitting two monstrous sixes off Gopal.
Malinga, though, sent the exciting youngster back as he bowled him round his legs with a quick yorker as Hooda shuffled too far and failed to cover the line.
Those two wickets saw the asking run rate creep up to around the 10 runs per over mark but Rajasthan always looked in control with the in-form Smith out in the middle as he changed gears in style.
He completed his first fifty in the IPL with two consecutive boundaries off Malinga, as he hit 15 runs from the 17th over.
The right-hander lofted Suyal for a six over midwicket in the next over before a couple of boundaries from Malinga in the next over took Rajasthan to a convincing victory.
Kieron Pollard and Corey Anderson struck fighting half-centuries as Mumbai Indians recovered from a sluggish start to post a respectable 164 for five against Rajasthan Royals in their Indian Premier League match, in Ahmedabad, on Tuesday.
The decision to bat after winning the toss seemed to have backfired as Mumbai managed only 45 runs in the first 10 overs but the fiery 104-run stand between Pollard and Anderson in just 9.1 overs, changed the team's fortunes.
Pollard's 70 came off just 34 balls as he punished the Rajasthan bowlers with seven fours and five sixes while Anderson gave him good support with a 38-ball 50.
The Rajasthan bowlers, who had straight-jacketed the Mumbai batsmen for the major part of the innings, were clueless against Pollard and Anderson, who got a lifeline on 23 after being caught off a no ball.
Steven Smith used four different bowlers in the Powerplay overs after being asked to bowl and the ploy worked as Mumbai could only manage 31 runs in the first six overs.
To make matters worse, Mumbai opener Aaron Finch pulled a hamstring while attempting a single in the fourth over, bowled by Stuart Binny. Helped by teammates, Finch (10) limped back to the dugout, unable to keep his left leg on the ground.
Unmukt Chand joined Parthiv Patel at the crease but the latter offered a simple catch to Chris Morris off Dhawal Kulkarni to be dismissed for 16.
Kiwi paceman Tim Southee was very effective with his outswingers while Kulkarni also kept a very tight line.
All-rounder Stuart Binny too bowled a probing line and was rewarded soon as he scalped rival captain Rohit Sharma (0), who edged one to slips.
Leg-spinner Pravin Tambe was introduced and he struck immediately, castling Chand (12).
Such was the discipline and domination of the Rajasthan bowlers that Mumbai scored only 45 runs in 10 overs, managing only six shots to the fence.
Anderson was caught at long-off but replays showed that the bowler Kulkarni had overstepped the bowling crease, giving the Kiwi left-hander a reprieve and also a free hit.
That let-off proved to be the turning point as Pollard and Anderson went on the attack in the last five overs.
Southee was hit by fellow-Kiwi Anderson for a six and a four and Pollard slammed a full toss through midwicket to get 16 runs from the 16th over.
Faulkner suffered at the hands of Pollard in the next over, who hit him for a six and two fours to score 17 runs from the 17th over.
Veteran leg-spinner Pravin Tambe also went for runs with Pollard launching him down the ground for a six, while in the next over the tall West Indian smashed Southee for two sixes and two fours off successive deliveries.
But Southee managed to check Mumbai's charge with the wicekt of Pollard, who was caught at deep midwicket.
Anderson slammed Morris for a four and a six in the final to race to his fifty from 38 balls as Mumbai hammered a massive 81 runs from the last five overs to post a challenging total.
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