Mumbai Indians humble Royal Challengers Bangalore at Wankhede

MUMBAI: With Chris Gayle firing on all cylinders, and Virat Kohli looking in glorious touch, it seemed that Royal Challengers Bangalore would canter past the hefty target of 188 set by Mumbai Indians in their IPL 7 tie at the Wankhede on Tuesday night.
However, Gayle (38, 24 balls, 3x4, 3x6) was castled by the wily Harbhajan Singh as he tried a wild slog over midwicket to give the hosts a toehold in the match.Mumbai soon managed to strike another major blow when young JJ Bumrah hit AB de Villiers' stumps as the latter tried a typical hoick over fine leg.
The match was evenly poised now but the hosts took a stranglehold on it when Kohli fell for 35, failing to clear Corey Anderson at long-off. The bowler was Pawan Suyal.
With Yuvraj Singh out of touch, it became an arduous task for the lower order RCB batsmen to maintain the run rate which kept increasing. RCB ultimately finished at 168 for 8 to lose by 19 runs, giving Mumbai their second successive win after five straight losses this season. Bumrah was the pick of the bowlers for Mumbai with 2/22 from his four overs.
Earlier, Skipper Rohit Sharma (59 n.o., 35b, 3x4, 4x6) and inform all-rounder Kieron Pollard (43, 31b, 6x4) fought back brilliantly through a 97-run partnership off 60 balls to propel Mumbai to a healthy 187 for five.
Rohit helped his team reach a substantial total with a late assault on pacer Varun Aaron who was hit for 24 runs in the 19th over of the innings. Rohit cracked three sixes and a four in the over.
Things weren't looking bright for MI when Rohit and Pollard began the rescue act. The defending champions, in desperate search of their second win, had slipped to 84 for four after opener CM Gautam had promised much during his 28-ball 30, which included three sixes and a couple of boundaries.
MI had suffered a big blow even before the first ball was bowled, when Rohit revealed at the toss that Zaheer Khan had been ruled out of the rest of the IPL due to a side strain.
STORY OF THE MATCH
TURNING POINT
RCB were looking to make a mockery of the chase with Chris Gayle at the crease. The strapping Jamaican had clubbed three sixes and three fours and he looked simply unstoppable. But wily old fox Harbhajan Singh turned things Mumbai Indians' way when he clean bowled the dangerous batsman. Bhajji had earlier broken the opening stand between Parthiv Patel and Gayle.
168.57
Rohit's Strike Rate: The young Mumbai Indians skipper started off sedately and then did well enough to cover up towards the end of the Mumbai Indians innings. He took on Varun Aaron in the 19th over, slamming 24 that secured the game for MI.
12.66
Dinda's Economy Rate: Ashoke Dinda had a forgettable day in the field after he was hammered for 38 runs and to make things worse for him, he took a bad tumble in the field and was left with a bruised shoulder.
TALKING POINT
Kieron Pollard losing his cool to Mitchell Starc's antics during MI's innings something probably IPL 7 needed to boost its TRPS. It's surely what the doctor ordered, as Ravi Shastri would put it.