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Match Review of Mumbai Indians vs. Kolkata Knight Riders


Indian Premier League - Match review
Date : 22nd May 2011 Match No. : 70
Teams : Mumbai Indians vs. Kolkata Knight Riders
Venue : Eden Gardens, Kolkata.
Umpires : Simon Toffel and S.K. Tarapore Third Umpire: S. Ravi
Toss : Mumbai Indians won the toss and elected to field

Playing XI

Kolkata Knight Riders
  • Jacque Kallis
  • S. Goswami
  • Gautam Gambhir ©
  • Manoj Tiwary
  • Yusuf Pathan
  • R. Ten Doeschate
  • Iqbal Abdullah
  • Bret Lee
  • Rajat Bhatia
  • L.Balaji
  • Shakib Ul Hasan
Mumbai Indians
  • T. Suman
  • Sachin Tendulkar ©
  • Harbhajan Singh
  • Kieron Pollard
  • Rohit Sharma
  • Ambati Rayadu
  • Abu Nechim
  • J. Franklin
  • L. Mallinga
  • R. Satish
  • R. Price
Indeed cricket is a game of uncertainties and this match is a witness of this saying. As expected, when the two giants meet at historic ground of Eden Gardens, amazing cricket is bound to get produced. This is what exactly happened when Knights hosted Indians in the evening at Kolkata. This was one of the most exciting matches being played in this season. Mumbai Indians won the toss and chose to field first as they didn't have any idea about the nature of the pitch at Eden Garden, which tend to get slow later.

Mumbai Indians got their dream start when the dispatched the new opener Goswami in place of Eoin Morgan. They got him run out in the second over itself on the score of just 1 run. Mumbai Indians who are known as the best fielding side with coach Jhonty Rhodes on their side, it was foolish to take that dangerous run. Mumbai Indians played two new stars in the side with Abu Nechim and J. Franklin, it was a gamble though to experiment new players at this stage of the tournament. Franklin came up very impressively and shocker came for knights when skipper Gautam Gambhir got clean bold on the score of just 8 and couldn't play his part. Kallis on other hand was going steady with his selected shots. Manoj Tiwary, who joined the crease after the dismissal of skipper, was in tremendous pressure. But he has been in terrific form and had all the chance to prove his caliber. Both Kallis and Tiwary played a handsome knock with the partnership of 45 runs. They accelerated the score card and score reached 67 in just 8 overs.

It was a unfortunate run out for Manoj Tiwary when Harbhajan hit the stump directly and refrained Tiwary to knock big. He scored 35 in just 22 balls with 5 boundaries and 1 six. Knights were well place and Yusuf Pathan joined hand with Kallis who was all set by that time. Both maintained the momentum and scored rapidly. Kallis completed his half century in just 40 balls with 4 boundaries and 3 sixes. Knights were 124 in 16th over and Pathan tried to hit big one and got out on Franklin's beauty. Doeschate joined the crease with Kallis and scored quickly. Kallis hit consecutive sixes on Franklin's over but got caught on the point on the inside out shot. He played a handsome knock of 59 in 42 balls. Knights were 149 in 18th over Doeschate and Rajat Bhatia played useful knock and reached on good looking total of 175 in 20 overs.

It was a tough task for visitors and needed a different strategy to work on. Sachin Tendulkar and T. Suman opened the batting for Mumbai Indians. As usual pitch of Eden Gardens had gone slow by that time. Gautam read the pitch rightly and in the second over itself the spinner Iqbal Abdullah was introduced. He got T. Suman out on the score of 4 only. As Mumbai Indians had planned a different strategy, Harbhajan Singh was sent up the order to slog in first 6 overs. He exactly did what doctor ordered for them and slogged every possible ball he faced and contributed valuable 30 runs with 5 boundaries. He got out on slower bowled by Rajat Bhatia. Indian had reached on the score of 70 in 8 overs by then. Rohit Sharma who has been in best form joined the crease with skipper. But it wasn't his day though and got out on 10 on a fine catch by wicket keeper Goswami. Pollard was required to stay till slog overs with skipper and show some his trademark shots.

Knights Rider's captain Gautam applied all his cricketing brains and put pressure on Pollard by all his slow bowlers on the job. Sachin Tendulkar who was looking dangerous was caught by Gautam on point when he was trying to hit it over. Indians were in deep trouble with 4 wickets down on 96 in 13 overs and their skipper was also sent back on the bench. Franklin joined the crease with Pollard and wasn't very sure of the conditions there at Kolkata. Pollard couldn't show his shots but both built a very useful partnership of 41 runs.

Pollard tried to hit big in 18th over of Balaji and got clean bold on the Yorker delivery. Mumbai Indians kept Ambati Rayadu down the order as part of the plan, who joined the crease with Franklin. 39 runs were required in 15 balls, which was indeed a big task but not impossible. Bret Lee was called to bowl the 19th over where he conceded too many runs. It looked a easy task for Balaji to bowl the last over as the score looked impossible to chase 22 runs in a over.

It was Franklin's day who hit 4 boundaries on the first 4 balls of the over, 16 runs had already come in that over. On the fifth ball just a single was taken by him. It was a last ball of the match and 4 runs were required to win. Ambati Rayadu, who is known for his big shots, was on the crease to face it and he hit his dream shot on the last ball for six.

The visitors clinched the game from Knights on the sensational last over. The passionate crowd at Eden Garden didn't mind that victory by Sachin Tendulkar

Result: Mumbai Indians won by 5 wickets.

The Awards

Man of the match
J. Franklin for his outstanding knock of 45 in 23 balls.

Maximum Sixes
J. Kallis for hitting 3 huge sixes.

Kingfisher Fair Play Award
Chennai Super Kings tops the chart.

Orange Cap (The leading run scorer)
Chris Gayle- Royal Challengers Bangalore

Purple Cap (The leading wicket taker)
Lasith Mallinga- Mumbai Indians

Question of the day
Was this match most exciting match of IPL season-4?



Last Updated on 24 May 2011





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