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Pathan gives Punjab early success

Last updated on: April 9, 2010 23:50 IST
Shikhar Dhawan is bowled by Irfan Pathan

Mumbai Indians' skipper Sachin Tendulkar won the toss and elected to field first. However, his side failed to nail the advantage and finished with 154 for 9 in the stipulated 20 overs.

Playing their second away match in this edition of the IPL, Mumbai Indians were a shadow of themselves as none of the top-order batsmen made notable contributions and lost wickets at regular intervals.

Brett Lee opened the bowling for Punjab and gave away seven runs off the over.

Pathan opened at the other end and made an immediate impact. He had Shikhar Dhavan bowled off an inside edge off the very first ball of the second over.

Sachin, Rayudu repair innings

Last updated on: April 9, 2010 23:50 IST
Sachin Tendulkar

Ambati Rayudu, who came in at No 3, wasted no time in going about his business. He first clipped Lee for two successive boundaries.

Sachin Tendulkar played a reticent innings and failed to take his big-hitting form into the game. He slapped pacer Love Ablish for a boundary before Rayudu hit the bowler for two consecutive fours.

But it was the introduction of Piyush Chawla that put the breaks on the Mumbai Indians' innings.

Chawla, Pathan keep Mumbai Indians in check

Last updated on: April 9, 2010 23:50 IST
Piyush Chawla

Piyush Chawla (3 for 24) took three wickets to topple the Mumbai Indians' middle-order.

His first over fetched just three runs and then he bowled Rayudu off the last ball of the over.

In his next over, he had the in-form Saurabh Tiwary stumped by Sangakkara for just 4 runs.

Just after the time-out, he got the big wicket of Tendulkar.

Bowling the 10th over, Chawla was hit for a four off the fourth ball, but the Punjab bowler got his revenge when he sent down a wrong one which went through Sachin's defences.

Mumbai Indians were struggling at 74 for 4 at the halfway mark.

Pathan (3 for 29) then found more success in his second spell, picking R Satish and Keiron Pollard.

Duminy, Pollard prop Mumbai

Last updated on: April 9, 2010 23:50 IST
J P Duminy

JP Duminy (35) tried to break the shackles and charged down the wicket to loft Ramesh Powar over long-on for his first six, in the 15th over.

Kieron Pollard was dropped on nine when he hit a full toss from Lee down the ground; Ablish dropped the catch at wide mid-off.

But the bulky West Indian fell in the next over for 18, bowled by a yorker from Pathan, who finished for three for 29 in four overs.

Duminy got his second six when he swept Lee over square leg in the penultimate over of the innings that went for 15 runs. But Ablish kept the total in check by taking two wickets and giving away just four runs.

It was a disappointing batting performance by Mumbai Indians, with 45 runs coming from the last five overs for the loss of four wickets.

Jayawardene, Barath give Punjab explosive start

Last updated on: April 9, 2010 23:50 IST
Adrian Barath

Mahela Jayawardene gave Punjab a flying start as he smashed 31 from 18 deliveries, inclusive of seven boundaries, before he was caught at mid-on.

Jayawardene and Barath scored nine runs off the first over and then hit Zaheer Khan to the boundary off successive deliveries. The same treatment was meated out to Lasith Malinga.

Malinga was also smashed to the boundary in his opening over.

At the other end, Barath (33 from 27 balls) was equally severe on the Mumbai Indians' bowlers.

Sangakkara leads from the front

Last updated on: April 9, 2010 23:50 IST
J P Duminy and Sachin Tendulkar celebrate the wicket of Adrian Barath

Barath was on song and was not overawed by reputations. He proved this by despatching Harbhajan Singh for a huge six in his opening over.

He again hit Bhajji for a four and was looking very good in the company of Jayawardene.

But Jayawardene was caught by Saurabh Tiwry in Malinga's opening over (the next) that fetched five runs and a wicket.

Barath was the next to go, trapped leg before wicket as he missed an attempted sweep shot.

Punjab were reduced to 87-2 in 10 overs.

But captain Kumar Sangakkara led from the front with a brisk innings from 56 from 42 balls as Punjab finished with 158 for four in 19.2 overs to win with four deliveries to spare.

It was just their third victory in 11 matches.