Krunal, Rohit reinvigorate Mumbai’s campaign

ESPNcricinfo: Rohit Sharma returned to a familiar batting position which has brought him considerable success to thwart Royal Challengers Bangalore’s designs on a flat Wankhede deck, in the process helping Mumbai Indians revive their campaign with a six-wicket win. Promoting himself to open, Rohit made a 44-ball 62 as Mumbai overhauled Royal Challengers’ 170 for 7 with 12 balls to spare.

He took charge of the chase along with Ambati Rayudu, who was anything but elegant yet equally effective during his 31.

The second-wicket stand of 76 in 55 balls laid the platform for Mumbai’s chase, before Iqbal Abdulla gave Royal Challengers a new lease of life by dismissing Rayudu and Rohit in quick succession, both to slogs. While Buttler was out for 28, Pollard remained unbeaten on 40 off 19 balls as Mumbai recorded their second win in five matches.

Halfway into the first innings, Mumbai, who opted to bowl, were staring at a 200-plus target as Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers feasted on some friendly bowling during the course of a 59-run stand, before the unheralded players rose to the occasion in what was billed as a battle of two heavyweight teams.

Krunal Pandya’s twin strikes to get rid of Kohli and de Villiers in the space of five deliveries stunned Royal Challengers, who had made as many as six changes to their XI. Shane Watson fell not long after, but Travis Head, on IPL debut, and Sarfaraz Khan lifted Royal Challengers from 99 for 4 to 170 for 7.

Frenetic action highlighted the first 20 minutes of the game. KL Rahul - opening in place of Chris Gayle who was away on paternity leave - was put through a short-ball test in a hostile burst by Mitchell McClenaghan, during which he was hit hard on the helmet. After the early jitters, though, he ramped and slapped his way to 23 before being caught in the slips. Kohli and de Villiers then counterpunched before the cluster of wickets resulted in a complete breakdown in momentum.

Head took his time to settle in, the nervousness clearly showing as he pushed and prodded his way for nine deliveries before exhibiting his ball-striking power to swat Hardik Pandya for six over deep square leg in the 15th over. Sarfaraz showed there is more to his game than just scoops and paddles as he milked the spinners. He saved his best for the final over, clubbing two sixes off successive deliveries from Jasprit Bumrah.

Mumbai lost Parthiv Patel in the second over of the chase, but Varun Aaron’s third over, which went for 19, brought their innings back on track. Once Royal Challengers’ uncapped Indian bowlers were summoned, a game that was only marginally tilted in Mumbai’s favour turned decisively in their direction. Abdulla’s wickets injected a touch of excitement, but any possibility of a close finish was firmly snuffed out by Pollard’s charge.