Mumbai Indians show Chennai the exit door

Mumbai Indians outplayed the buoyant Chennai Super Kings with <g data-gr-id="46">outstanding</g> show in the first qualifier of the IPL-8 on Tuesday at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium. Chasing a total of 188 runs, Dhoni’s brigade fell flat before the tight bowling attack of Mumbai Indians which led the Super Kings to lose the match by 25 runs. The biggest shock to the Chennai Super Kings came in <g data-gr-id="44">form</g> of skipper Dhoni’s wicket for a duck and led the team to an embarrassing loss. 

Earlier, Lendl Simmons continued his impressive show by notching up a well-made 65 while Kieron Pollard blasted a quick-fire 41 as Mumbai Indians posted 187 for 6 against Chennai Super Kings.

Simmons, who notched up his fifth <g data-gr-id="40">half century</g> of the competition, struck five sixes and three fours in his 51-ball innings. Along with Parthiv Patel (35), Simmons provided a solid opening stand of 90 runs at nearly 9 runs an over before MI lost quick wickets between the 11th and 16th overs to be in some sort of bother at 139 for 4.

It was then left to fellow Trinidadian Pollard to smash five huge sixes along with a boundary in just 17 balls to take MI closer to the 200-run mark.

For league table <g data-gr-id="41">toppers</g> CSK Dwayne Bravo was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 3 for 40 and was mainly responsible for MI not reaching a bigger score after their splendid beginning. Ashish Nehra was fairly economical with 1 for 28 from four overs.

Opting to bat first, MI were again given a sound start by the right-left combine of Simmons and Patel who first raised 48 by the end of six-over Powerplay.

CSK used off-spinner R Ashwin to open the bowling with left arm seam bowler Ashish Nehra and had things under control in the first four overs.

However, Simmons carted Ashwin in his third over, beyond the straight field and then over the mid-wicket region for two sixes. Simmons, who has been in fine form from the time he came in as <g data-gr-id="39">replacement</g> for the injured Aaron Finch, then struck a third six onto the sight screen  off Nehra in the last over of play.

And when Ravindra Jadeja came to bowl the 8th over, the West Indian smacked him over long on for another six to keep the run-rate hovering around the eight-run mark.

Left-handed Patel, kept quiet at the other end, went after Pawan Negi by lashing a six over long on and then striking two more fours in the 9th over to increase MI’s run-rate.

Simmons completed his 5th half-century of the season off 38 balls studded with three fours and four sixes, in the tenth over at the end of which MI had advanced to 86 for no loss with Simmons on 51 and Patel on 32.

Dhoni summoned his ‘Crisis Man’ Bravo to stem the run flow and the ebullient West Indian <g data-gr-id="35">all rounder</g> clicked by having Patel caught at long on to reach a landmark of 100 IPL victims in his 89th IPL game overall.