We Lost Today Kings XI Punjab beat Mumbai Indians

MUMBAI: Another day. Another ripper. This time seen to rightful rest by Shaun Marsh. The Aussie southpaw smashed an unbeaten 40-ball 68, allowing Kings XI Punjab to chase down Mumbai Indians’ 163 in the last over at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday.

Marsh’s knock overshadowed James Franklin’s 51-ball 79 in the first innings, as a Sachin Tendulkar-reinforced Mumbai failed to defeat an Adam Gilchrist-less Punjab. Mumbai elected to bat and posted a total at least 20 runs less than what they had appeared set for when Franklin and Dinesh Karthik were going great guns, and failed to restrict Punjab despite Kieron Pollard’s unbelievable 4-0-14-2 outing.

Marsh was accorded timely help by Nitin Saini (30), Mandeep Singh (24) and David Hussey (21) – who was captaining the side – and in the end Punjab’s batsmen completed what had been set up by their bowlers, principally Parvinder Awana (4-0-23-2) and Piyush Chawla (4-0-19-0).

Earlier, Mumbai won the toss and limped at the beginning of their innings, scoring their first run only after eight balls had been bowled, as Praveen Kumar and left-arm spinner Bhargav Bhatt bowled testing spells. Opening with Tendulkar, back after an injury layoff, and Franklin the home team reached 34 runs in five overs.

Tendulkar played a few crisp strokes, caressing Azhar Mahmood for a four through third man, and was dropped by Awana at fine leg off the same bowler. But the lapse did not prove costly as the maestro was run-out soon after – by a direct hit from David Miller from deep mid-wicket. Rohit Sharma was dismissed cheaply in the next over – the tenth - and then followed a phase of aggression from Mumbai, as Franklin and Dinesh Karthik combined for 75 in six overs.

Franklin powered Bhatt into the crowd, heaving the ball from outside off to the leg side, a stroke that brought him one of his four sixes. Karthik too made his time in the middle count, reverse sweeping Hussey and blitzing Mahmood for fours. A total in excess of 180 looked on the cards when these two were cruising along, but Karthik was run out going for a second as Mumbai ran into a road block.

Wickets started to tumble as the new batsmen looked to turn it on. Pollard, Franklin and Harbhajan Singh all got out within ten runs of each other (Praveen claiming two in two balls) and Mumbai finished with a total well short of what they looked like getting at one stage.