Dubai: A brilliant captain’s unbeaten knock from Steven Smith (84n.o) and opener Ajinkya Rahane’s belligerent 60 ensured Rising Pune Supergiant a seven-wicket win with one ball to spare in the second match of the Indian Premier League at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune.
Smith’s 84 off 57 balls had seven boundaries and three sixes. Through a breezy unbeaten knock of Hardik Pandya, Mumbai Indians who were only 145 for 6 at the end of the 18th over had posted a challenging 184 for 8. Imran Tahir of Pune, who went unsold in the auction, showed his class taking three wickets for 28 runs to push Mumbai Indians on the back foot after a good start before Pandya scored 30 runs off the last over. Pandya hit three consecutive sixes off the first three balls of the last over. After slashing the fourth ball for a boundary Pandya hit the fifth ball for another six.
Chasing the score, Pune lost an early wicket when Mitchell McClenaghan remove opener Mayan Agarwal for six by having him caught by skipper Rohit Sharma at mid-off. Skipper Smith and Rahane stroked brilliantly to maintain a good run rate. Rahane reached his half century in 27 balls.
The pair put on 58 runs off seven overs when Rahane who hit 60 off just 34 balls with six fours and three sixes was brilliantly caught by a diving Nitish Rana at deep square leg off Tim Southee.
Smith maintained the run flow and reached his half century in 37 balls. In the last five overs, Pune needed 46 runs when Pandya had Ben Stokes out for 21. Stokes too added 50 runs off 5.1 overs with Smith. Mahendra Singh Dhoni walked in with 41 runs needed from 27 balls and Dhoni unbeaten on 12 and steered the team to the target. Smith hit the fourth and fifth ball of the last over from Kieron Pollard for two sixes to reach the target.
Pune won the toss and elected to field first. Parthiv Patel and Jos Buttler opened the innings. The first over produced 11 runs with Buttler getting five runs through an overthrow from Deepak Chahar and Patel hitting a boundary to fine leg. The first ball from Chahar who bowled the second over was brilliantly pulled by Patel to midwicket for another boundary. The third over was an interesting battle between England team colleagues, Buttler and Ben Stokes. Buttler hit Stokes third delivery over long on for a six and then scooped the next ball over the wicketkeeper for another six.
The breakthrough was provided by South Africa’s leg break bowler Imran Tahir with his second delivery. He bowled Patel who attempted to sweep and missed for 19. The opening pair put on 45 runs in 4.2 overs. Skipper Rohit Sharma joined Buttler but he lasted only three balls before Tahir bowling from the wide of the crease beat Sharma to hit the stump. Tahir struck in the same over having Butler leg before. Though replays showed Buttler did get a thick inside edge umpire S Ravi declared him out.
Ambati Rayudu and Nitish Rana began the reconstruction. Rana pulled leg spinner Adam Zampa for a six to midwicket. At the half way mark, Pune were 82 for 3 needing another strong partnership. Pune lost their fourth wicket too in the 12th over with Rayudu getting caught and bowled by medium pacer Rajat Bhatia for 10.
Rana hit his second six by pulling Stokes over deep square leg. Bhatia struck again in the next over removing Krunal Pandya who lasted just five balls to score three runs. This brought in Kieron Pollard to the crease but in the 16th over Rana who was stroking beautifully fell for 34 off 28 balls hitting Zampa to Bhatia at deep midwicket. In the 17th over, Pollard hit Tahir for a powerful six over long on. Wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni dropped Pollard on 22 off Dinda. Pollard could add another five runs more only before Stokes had him brilliantly caught by Mayank Agarwal at long on for 27.
Tim Southee lifted Stokes for a six into the sight screen to take the Mumbai total past the 150 run mark.
Brief scores: Rising Pune Supergiant bt Mumbai Indians by seven wkts. Mumbai Indians 184 for 8 in 20 overs (Jos Buttler 38, Nitish Rana 34, Hardik Pandya 35n.o, Kieron Pollard 27, Imran Tahir 3 for 28, Rajat Bhatia 2 for 14) Rising Pune Supergiant 187 for 3 in 19.5 overs (Ajinkya Rahane 60, Steven Smith 84n.o, Ben Stokes 21).
