Bowlers restrict Mumbai Indians to 163 despite James Franklin onslaught

Mumbai: Apr 22, 2012

 

James Franklin got back to form with a 51-ball-79 to power Mumbai Indians (MI) to a competitive 163 for 6 against Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) in an Indian Premier League match at Mumbai on Sunday.

 

The lanky left-hander opened the innings with Sachin Tendulkar (23 in 23 balls) who was playing only his second game of the tournament after being ruled out to due to finger injury.

 

They put on a half-century stand for the first wicket and then added a quick-fire 75 runs in just 36 balls with Dinesh Karthik (35 in 20 balls) to pave the way for a fighting score.

 

Franklin, in his 13th game for MI, bettered his previous highest score of 45 not out scored against the Kolkata Knight Riders last season, struck four huge sixes and six fours after a nervous start.

 

The home team, seeking their fourth win in six games after having lost the earlier one at this venue comprehensively to the Delhi Daredevils, added only 34 runs in the last five overs after having added 71 between overs 11 and 15 when Frankling and Karthik went after the bowling.

 

MI got off to a sedate start before stepping up the pace in the rest the power play period of six overs to make 39 for no loss.

 

The first over from Praveen Kumar was a maiden to James Franklin, promoted in the order to accompany Sachin Tendulkar after the flop show by the other combinations tried out in the previous four games. Kumar also beat the tall left-handed batsman five times in six balls.

 

Left-arm spinner Bhargav Bhatt also kept the batsman under wraps before Tendulkar flicked Kumar in the third over for the first boundary.

 

Franklin, who had done precious little in the chances he got earlier, looked a bit nervous before he struck Bhatt for successive fours in the square leg region in the third over.

 

Taking the cue, Tendulkar ? who survived a close leg before appeal from Kumar in the third over ? hit Azhar Mahmood for fours in successive balls of the latter's opening over to help MI's cause ? a lofted shot over the bowler?s head and a fine glide doing the trick.

 

At the end of five overs, MI were 28 without loss and they added 11 more in the last power play over bowled by Azhar.

 

The partnership between the openers was also the second-best for the wicket in IPL-V after the Tendulkar-Richard Levi stand of 69 on April 4 at Chennai against the Super Kings.

 

When things looked good for MI, Tendulkar,  who struck three fours - was run-out while going for a difficult second run after guiding the ball towards deep square leg.

 

A fine throw from David Miller to glovesman Nitin Saini just beat the maestro's desperate attempt to reach home.

 

Worse followed when Rohit Sharma played an atrocious cross-batted waft and edged to 'keeper Saini to give medium pacer Parwinder Awana, who had grabbed four wickets in Kings XI victory over Royal Challengers Bangalore two night ago at Mohali, his first wicket of the game.

 

At the half-way stage of the innings, MI had advanced to 58 for two before Franklin and new batsman Dinesh karthik increased the scoring tempo.

 

Franklin smashed Bhargav Bhatt for two sixes off the first two balls of the 12th over, over long on and then over mid-wicket, before Karthik struck the slow bowler for another four as 19 runs came off it.

 

Karthik then struck rival stand-in skipper David Hussey for two boundaries in successive balls.

 

Franklin reached his half century in 38 balls that contained four hits to the fence and two over it, before MI raced past the 100 in the 13th over.

 

The New Zealander slammed Kumar for two huge sixes and a four off successive balls as they got 21 runs from the 15th over. However, poor understanding in running between the wickets resulted in Karthik, who was also looking good for a big score, being run out off a throw from the boundary line by Shaun Marsh when the batsman attempted a second run. His 35 included five hits to the fence.

 

Karthik's wicket slowed down the scoring rate and MI also lost the big-hitting Kieron Pollard to a catch on the boundary line in a further blow to their hopes of making 170-plus.

 

Franklin and skipper Harbhajan Singh were dismissed off successive balls by Kumar, the former getting out to a full toss in the penultimate over, to arrest MI's progress further.

 

Kumar picked up 2 for 36, while Awana, who got the wickets of Rohit and Pollard, had impressive figures of 2 for 23. (PTI)

 

Brief Score: MI 163 for 6 in 20 overs (James Frnaklin 79, Dinesh Karthik 35; Parvinder Awana 2 for 23, Praveen Kumar 2 for 36) vs KXIP

 

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