MATCH REPORT: KINGS XI PUNJAB vs MUMBAI INDIANS
Kings XI Punjab’s IPL 8 finals chances took a significant blow last night when they lost to the Mumbai Indians by 23 runs at PCA Stadium in Mohali.
Despite a valiant batting display from David Miller (43) and Murali Vijay (39), the Kings XI batsmen struggled to hit the gaps in the latter part of their innings, posting 149/7 in response to the 172 target set by the visitors.
Miserly bowling was the key to Mumbai securing victory, with LasithMalinga (4-0-31-2), Vinay Kumar (3-017-0), Harbhajan Singh (4-0-27-1) and Mitchell McClenaghan (4-0-25-0) all finishing with an economy rate under eight runs per over.
The Kings XI’s run chase started in promising fashion, with Virender Sehwag (2) and Vijay taking nine from the first over and showcasing an improved understanding with their running between the wickets. However, their partnership was short-lived as Malinga exploited Sehwag’s lack of footwork, catching his outside edge and causing ViruPaaji to depart in the second over with only two runs to his name.
Back into the side after a short hiatus on the pine, Glenn Maxwell (12) walked to the crease with the roar of an entire stadium behind him. His 29-run partnership with Vijay was a mixture of textbook cover drives and reverse slop sweeps to the boundary. His promising start came to end in the fifth over when he tried to repeat slop sweep JagadeeshaSuchith(4-0-33-1) and instead found the hands of Kumar at point, leaving the Kings XI in a precarious position at 38/2.
Despite losing wickets at the other end, Vijay battled manfully for his 39 runs from 34 balls, anchoring one end and providing a steady platform for those around him to increase the run rate. He and Miller added a much-needed 48 runs before Vijay holed out to Singh and found the waiting hands of Unmukt Chand at long-off in the 12th over.
The Kings XI narrowly avoided a double blow one ball later when Miller was dropped at deep square-leg and handed a boundary. An excellent spell of bowling throughout the middle part of the innings created the double chance for Mumbai, as Kumar, Suchith and Singh all dried up the runs and subsequently applied serious pressure to the Kings XI batsmen.
Miller momentarily made Mumbai rue the missed opportunity as he proceeded to add another 15 runs and look the sole batsmen capable of winning the game for the Kings XI. His dismissal in the 17th over was curtains for the home side as George Bailey (21) and Wriddhiman Saha (12) – who needed 53 runs from 21 deliveries – struggled to find gaps in the field, with neither going at a run rate above 116.7.
Mumbai finished the innings in style with two run outs in the second-last over. Wicket-keeper Parthiv Patel hit the stumps as Bailey tried to steal a single before an incredible piece of athleticism from Malinga saw him scoop up a block shot off his own bowling, turn and throw down the stumps at the non-strikers end.
Earlier in the match, captain Rohit Sharma’s (26) decision to bat first on the Mohali green top proved a sterling one as his openers, man-of-the-match Lendl Simmons (71) and Patel (59), put on a 111-run stand.
Sandeep Sharma (3-0-24-0) and Anureet Singh (4-0-30-1) bowled with control throughout the first four overs, going for a respectable 28 at seven runs per over. The fifth was the turning point for the batting side as they used the pace of Mitchell Johnson (4-0-41-1) to their advantage and hit 18 runs, including a Patel six perfectly guided over the slips cordon.
In-form Axar Patel (3-0-24-0) could not stem the flow of the opening pair as they passed the 100-run mark in the 11th over.
Kings XI’s best bowler, Karanveer Singh (4-0-30-1), made the eventual breakthrough to the delight of the sold-out stadium crowd, forcing Patel to hit a deep ball down the throat of Vijay on the square-leg boundary.
The arrival of Sharma to the crease brought with it a sense of hope for the Kings XI, who knew if they could obtain one more wicket the momentum would almost certainly have shifted in their favour. Unfortunately, the batsmen continued to dominate the bowlers and added 43 runs before Sharma fell to Johnson in the 18th over at 154/2.
The final two overs proved fruitful for the Kings XI, going for 18 runs as Mumbai ended their innings on 172/3. Simmons almost carried his bat but fell swinging wildly to a Singh delivery and getting caught at deep backward square-leg in the final over.
Now playing in a bid to salvage something from their season, the Kings XI’s next match is against the Royal Challengers Bangalore in Bengaluru on Wednesday May 6.
Nick Armistead is studying a Bachelor of Journalism (Sport)
Follow his internship adventures on Twitter @NickArmistead
