Rising Pune Supergiant thrashed Mumbai Indians by seven wickets with one ball to spare in a cliffhanger second game of the Indian Premier League (IPL) season 10 in Pune on Thursday night.
The hosts achieved the target in 19.5 overs, as skipper Steven Smith led Supergiant from the front with his incredible knock of 84 off 54 balls which included seven fours and three sixes, as Mumbai Indians bogged down few chances during the innings.
Smith was equally supported by Mahendra Singh Dhoni at the other end, who remained unbeaten on 12 off 12 balls.
While chasing the target of 185, Rising Pune Supergiant lost opener Mayank Agarwal (6 off 5 balls) cheaply when he was caught by Rohit Sharma off Mitchell McClenaghan’s bowling.
IPL’s costliest buy Ben Stokes was dismissed by Hardik Pandya on 21 off 14 balls, as Tim Southee completed a simple catch in the deep.
Remember Kieron Pollard’s effort at the boundary line – to grab a blinder, before Hardik Pandya stopped a certain boundary following Nitish Rana’s acrobatic stuff to remove Ajinkya Rahane and in the same breathe put down Steven Smith’s catch in 13th over, as we have also witnessed Ambati Rayudu being stretchered off? This is what the short-version of the game does to you.
Scratch that. The players in the form of Ajinkya Rahane and Steven Smith, who were two rivals in the recently concluded Test series between India-Australia joined hands for the second wicket partnership.
Both posted 58 vital runs before Rahane was caught by Nitish Rana in the deep on 60 off 34 balls. His sublime innings included six boundaries and three sixes.
“Ridiculous captaincy from the skipper (Rohit Sharma) there should’ve been a fifth slip in place,” Kevin Pietersen said during second innings while commentating when Ajinkya Rahane edged the ball of Hardik Pandya which went into the lone slip only to find the fence.
Getting into the scene, a Rising Supergiant cheerleader was hit by a powerful stroke from Steven Smith, that whizzed past the padded up boundary to struck her on left thigh.
However, thumbs up from one of her partner around the stage made her burst into laughter when the incident took place in sixth over of second innings.
Earlier, pick of the bowlers for hosts was Imran Tahir, who rolled over his arm to claim three wickets after giving away 28 runs in his four overs.
“Since last two three years I have been doing well in cricket. I’m very happy over my performance as every wicket is so special for me. The ball is coming nicely on the bat and it’s not spinning that much,” Tahir said during the innings break.
Rajat Bhatia chipped in with two wickets also, as Ben Stokes and Adam Zampa bagged a wicket apiece. On the other side, Ashok Dinda was expensive with the ball as he gave away 57 runs in his quota of four overs.
After glittering ceremony enthralled the packed crowd, Pune Supergiant newly appointed skipper Steven Smith earlier won the toss and decided to bowl first against Rohit Sharma-led Mumbai Indians on a good looking surface – to see the visitors posting the total of 184 for eight on board, following the late-order blitz from all-rounder Hardik Pandya, as the last seven balls saw five sixes being hit.
Letting his bat do the talking, Hardik Pandya blasted 35 off 15 balls, which was laced with four sixes and a boundary. Tim Southee and Pandya posted 37 crucial runs for the eighth wicket.
Following the complete carnage and then there was equally a confusion over the run-out decision as Tim Southee (7 off 3 balls), was made to wait for the confirmation on the boundary line. However, the replays suggested Pandya grounded his feet in time.
On the other side, Kieron Pollard, who seemed struggling played the cameo of 17 ball 27 before being brilliantly caught by Mayank Agarwal on the bowling off Ben Stokes at the long-on region when he dived full his front to complete the sensational catch before throwing the ball into the night skies in an excitement.
However, it was English recruit Jos Butler, who gave a rousing start to his side, as he alongside wicket-keeper batsman Parthiv Patil posted 45 runs for the first wicket before leg-spinner Imran Tahir cleaned up Patil round the legs in the fifth over of the game to put breaks on the run-rate.
The testament to his number one ranking in limited-overs’ cricket, the 38-year-old Tahir kept it simple and straight by giving no chance to the batsmen whatsoever.
Gone unsold in the auction, Tahir put on the skating shoes while delivering for the hosts after being picked as injured Mitchell Marsh’s replacement.
The leggie celebrated for his wicket by running in joy as he seemed competing with veteran Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt on the race track.
In seventh over Tahir deceived Rohit Sharma when he dislodged his bails on a peach of a delivery followed by Butler, who smoked three sixes and three boundaries in his knock of 38 off 19 balls.
The replays showed there was clearly bat involved as right-handed batsman Butler was declared leg before wicket (LBW).
Later, Ambati Rayudu was caught and bowled by Rajat Bhatia on 10 off 12, before Krunal Pandya was dismissed cheaply on three off five balls by Bhatia when wicket-keeper MS Dhoni caught the skier.
Nitish Rana, who did well to steady the ship for Mumbai, perished to leg-spinner Adam Zampa while holding out at the cow corner where Rajat Bhatia completed a chest-high catch. The 23-year-old batsman scored 34 off 28 balls.