Published: Apr 17, 2016, 12:38 AM (IST)
Edited: Apr 17, 2016, 12:41 AM (IST)
The match was a nail biter as it came right down to the last ball of the innings to decide the winner. Gujarat Lions maintain their winning streak by beating Mumbai Indians by 3 wickets. They have now won three consecutive matches in IPL 2016 and a similar performance from Australian opener Aaron Finch scoring his third half century of the tournament and bagging his third Man of the Match Award in this tournament. This match was so far the best match in this edition of IPL keeping everyone on the edge of their seats. Mumbai were able to manage a modest total of 143 for eight wickets in two overs which Gujarat Lions chased down, thanks to the heroics of Aaron Finch. LIVE CRICKET SCORECARD: Mumbai Indians vs Gujarat Lions, Match 9, IPL 2016
Skipper goes early: Rohit Sharma, the danger man’s innings was short lived as Dhawal Kulkarni put a full stop on him early on. Rohit Sharma went back to the pavilion after scoring just 7 off 9 balls.
Hardik Pandya’s failure continues: Hardik Pandya’s bad run in the tournament continues as he goes down cheaply for the third time. He also fell prey to Dhawal Kulkarni scoring 2 off 6 deliveries.
Parthiv Patel’s damage control: Parthiv Patel holds on to one end and scored a fighting 34 before getting caught on the boundary by Shadab Jakati. He was the only batsman managing to score at a decent rate.
Another Batting Collapse: The pressure got the better off the Mumbai Indians middle order as the big guns failed to score again. Jos Butler never looked himself struggling to find rhythm and managing to score 16, taking up 21 deliveries. Kieron Pollard, the big man failed again getting out cheaply. Ambati Rayudu and Harbhajan Singh too gave in to the pressure leaving the team in big trouble.
Lower Order fights back: At one point it looked like even 120 is off the cards with 7 wickets falling on 99. But a brave hearted comeback was yet to happen as debutant Krunal Pandya and Tim Southee pounded on 55 off last four overs to give Mumbai a fighting chance.
Gujarat Lions’ innings-
Bumrah strikes early: Brendon McCullum was sent back to the dugout by Jasprit Bumrah as Hardik Pandya took a stunning catch at point. He struck a massive six on mid-wicket to Southee in first over.
Finch-Raina’s damage control: Both the batsman managed to give Gujarat Lions a steady start sharing a 53 run stand.before Suresh Raina fell victim of another short ball from Mitchell McClenaghan.
Wickets falling from other end: Wickets kept falling from other end as Aaron Finch held on to his end playing with patience. He kept falling short of partners as Dwayne Bravo, Akashdeep Nath, James Faulkner, Praveen Kumar went back cheaply.
McClenaghan’s magic penultimate over: Mitchell McClenaghan came to the rescue as the danger man Aaron Finch kept on firing from other end. He picked up the wicket of James Faulkner and Praveen Kumar and gave just 2 runs to bring Mumbai Indians back in the game. At the end of the spell, his bowling figure read 21 for 4 in 4 overs.
Man of the Match Aaron Finch: Aaron Finch went onto score his 3rd consecutive half century, smashing the last ball for four in the last over drama. His worries were taken care of by Dhawal Kulkarni’s boundary to long off to make the win possible. Finch got his third man of the match in a row sustaining his good form.
Arun Rawal, a reporter with CricketCountry, is a daydreamer, movie buff, and cricket fanatic. He could not play cricket, so did the next best thing, writing for it. He loves to play the flick shot over square leg, and believes Sachin Tendulkar is God. His twitter handle is @ArunRawal93
