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IPL: Mumbai breach fortress Chennai to record fifth straight win

May 08, 2015 23:50 IST

Hardik Pandya of the Mumbai Indians celebrates their win over Chennai Super Kings at Chepauk. Photograph: BCCI

Mumbai Indians beat Chennai Super Kings by six wickets in an Indian Premier League match at the MA Chidambaram stadium.

- Scorecard

This was Mumbai's fifth win in five games, and sixth in the last seven, taking them up to fourth in the table.

Chennai, on the other other hand lost their unbeaten record. The two-time champions had not lost a game at home for the last two years.

Needing 30 runs off the last 12 balls, man-of-the-match Hardik Pandya (21 not out of eight balls) and Ambati Rayudu (34 off 19) smashed
left-arm spinner Pawan Negi for 25 runs in the penultimate over to tilt the high-pressure game in Mumbai's favour.

Pawan Negi and MS Dhoni of the Chennai Super Kings. Photograph: BCCI

Earlier, Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Pawan Negi gave a late surge to Chennai innings that ended at 158 for five.

Dhoni (39 not out off 32 balls) and Negi (36 off 17) shared a 54-run stand and smashed 53 off the last five overs to push Super Kings to a fighting total after the hosts struggled for runs in major part of the innings. 

The home team a had a rather a quiet start by the standard of their explosive openers as they reached 44 for one in the first six overs.

Brendon McCullum (23 off 11) was given a life early on with Harbhajan Singh dropping a simple catch at backward square leg off left-arm spinner J Suchith. 

His opening partner Smith too was holed out at deep-midwicket, as well as Suresh Raina, who was sent back with a brilliant running catch by Hardik Pandya, leaving Super Kings at 67-3 in 10 overs.

Faf du Plessis (17) and Dhoni then gathered 39 runs for the fourth wicket before Negi smashed four fours and a six.

Mumbai Indians openers Parthiv Patel (right) and Lendl Simmons. Photograph: BCCI

Chasing a competitive total, Mumbai got off to the best possible start.

Parthiv Patel (45) and Lendl Simmons (38) added 84 for the opening wicket.

Parthiv's 32-ball innings was inclusive of six boundaries while Simmons hit three boundaries and a couple of sixes.

However, both of them perished in the speace of four balls, in the 11th over bowled by R Ashwin (4-0-17-2).

Hardik Pandya and Ambati Rayudu of the Mumbai Indians. Photograph: BCCI

Soon it became 86 for three as Dwayne Bravo had his West Indies teammate run out Kieron Pollard (1) with a spectacular direct hit. Super Kings were right back into the game out of nowhere.

Mumbai, needing 58 runs off the last 30 balls, were now relying heavily on skipper Rohit Sharma (18) and Rayudu. The seasoned pair took the team closer the to target by hammering Nehra for 17 runs in the 17th over, their team still needing 34 off 18 balls.

While Rohit got out, Rayudu and Pandya led their team to a thrilling win.

Pandya was the star of the night as he backed his effort on the field (three catches) by hitting three sixes in the 19th over, proving to be the difference in the end.