Chennai Super Kings end Mumbai Indians' home run

MUMBAI: They promised to dish out an edge of the seat stuff, and it did live up to the hype as MS Dhoni finished the game in Chennai Super Kings' favour with three balls to spare.
On a Wankhede pitch where the ball didn't really come on to the bat, the men in yellow brought to an end Mumbai Indians' 10-match winning streak at home with a hard-fought win.
Chasing 158 for victory, CSK were cruising at 119 for 3 with Dwayne Smith and Faf du Plessis stitching a brisk 63-run stand for the third wicket.MI needed an inspired spell of bowling from Lasith Malinga to bring them back into the game even as the vociferous crowd egged them on.
Malinga deceived Du Plessis with a slow yorker and then castled Ravindra Jadeja to leave the two-time champs on tenterhooks. CSK needed 11 in the last over and with Dhoni at the crease it was always going to end in a hurry.
The skipper deposited Kieron Pollard to the very corner where he had launched Nuwan Kulasekara in the famous World Cup final and then played a blazing on the up drive through covers to seal it.
The march for the CSK was led by Dwayne Smith, a man MI called their very own until the last season. The opener made 57 (51b, 5x4, 3x6), an innings that wasn't as fluid as his earlier ones but nonetheless one that proved crucial.
Earlier, Mumbai Indians, with just an innings of note from Ambati Rayudu, struggled to reach 157 for 5.
The match was marred by some poor umpiring. Brendon McCullum was given out leg-before to a delivery that was heading down the leg and Malinga was left livid after a toe-crusher he bowled to Jadeja was given not out. On both occasions the umpire was Vineet Kulkarni.
Ashwin was the pick of the bowlers for Chennai as he finished with 3-30.
STORY OF THE MATCH
TURNING POINT
Smith's assault on Pollard: With 98 needed off 11 overs, things were just beginning to get tight for CSK. Harbhajan was bowling well too. Dwayne Smith then marked compatriot Pollard out for special treatment and smashed him for two fours and a six to wrest back the initiative.
300
Anderson's strike-rate: The big-hitting Kiwi all-rounder must have been frustrated sitting in the dug out and watching his colleagues struggle to push the scoring. However, once he got a chance, he didn't waste any opportunity. He was severe on Ishwar Pandey in the final over carting him for two massive sixes.
56
Dots bowled by CSK: Chennai Super Kings were clinical in the way they bowled to the Mumbai Indians. Ishwar Pandey was brilliant in his first spell as was Mohit Sharma. With the ball swinging and off-spinner Ashwin too in the groove, the strangle was on.
TALKING POINT
Four years ago, in the IPL final between MI and CSK, Kieron Pollard inexplicably walked in at No. 9 with 51 needed off 17 balls. On Saturday, it was deja vu. Pollard had to wait for 17.3 overs to walk into bat. Clearly frustrated at the tactic of keeping an inform batsman waiting, he swung at R Ashwin's first ball and was out.