Starved Mumbai's team effort ensures facile win (IPL 16th Match Kolkata KR v Mumbai Inds - Kolkata Batting)

Mumbai finally produced a spirited team effort that helped end their drought in the Indian Premier League (IPL) at the Eden Gardens here on Tuesday. A seven-wicket win over Kolkata came after a four-match losing streak that had buried Mumbai at the bottom of the points table.


Dwayne Bravo, Robin Uthappa, Sanath Jayasuriya and Shaun Pollock all played their parts to aptness as Mumbai put behind a forgettable phase that included their stand-in skipper, Harbhajan Singh, being barred from participation in the tournament after their third match.


Chasing a target of 138 too had not looked easy for Mumbai as they lost three quick wickets, but a 113-run unbroken partnership between Bravo (64) and Uthappa (37) ensured that a fine bowling performance led by Jayasuriya and Pollock did not go waste.


Bravo generally offered a straight bat and excelled playing the lofted drive during his 53-ball knock in which he slammed eight fours and a six. On the other hand, Uthappa was not averse to playing square of the wicket despite being dropped early on at point, smashing five fours during his run-a-ball knock.


The duo struck in tandem after Ajit Agarkar, Ishant Sharma and Ashoke Dinda picked up a wicket each to reduce Mumbai to 25-3 in the fifth over.


Earlier, veteran all-rounders Jayasuriya and Pollock put their experience to good use as they restricted Kolkata to 137-8. Jayasuriya returned the best figures of the tournament (3-14) after Pollock had done the initial damage (2-27).


Jayasuriya, who was named ‘man of the match’, had David Hussey and Ajit Agarkar caught by Ashish Nehra at long-on in identical fashion. Between those two dismissals, he also removed Mohammad Hafeez while Ponting was run out as Kolkata slipped from 74-3 in the 12th over to 77-6 in the 14th and then to 90-7 by the 16th over.


Laxmi Rattan Shukla then produced a brisk knock of 40 from 22 deliveries, sending the ball to all parts of the ground much to the delight of the home crowd. The former India all-rounder, who had scored a similar 42 against Chennai, struck four fours and two sixes during his crucial knock and made batting look easy on a slow but bouncy pitch.


Earlier, Pollock, leading the team since Harbhajan Singh’s ouster from the tournament because of a ban, produced an inspired first over in which he dismissed openers Brendon McCullum and Sourav Ganguly.


Pollock had Ganguly caught by Jayasuriya at slip immediately after the left-hander had dispatched a delivery from the South African to the mid-wicket boundary with a short-arm pull. Pollock then trapped McCullum leg-before as he shuffled across.


Debabrata Das was the third batsman to be dismissed, his flurry of shots on the leg side getting him 29 off 19, but a slash outside off giving Dwayne Bravo a wicket in his first over. Robin Uthappa, fielding at point, accepted the catch gleefully and followed it with a trademark bow.


Going into the match, Mumbai had yet to earn a point after four outings while Kolkata were third on the points table with two wins from three matches.


Mumbai have had to do without skipper Sachin Tendulkar thus far but Pollock did a fine job in marshalling his resources.


Teams:


Mumbai: Sanath Jayasuriya, Robin Uthappa, Shaun Pollock (capt), Abhishek Nayar, Dwayne Bravo, Pinal Shah (wk), Manish Pandey, Ashish Nehra, Dhaval Kulkarni, Dilhara Fernando.


Kolkata: Sourav Ganguly (capt), Brendon McCullum (wk), Ricky Ponting, Debabrata Das (wk), David Hussey, Mohammad Hafeez, Laxmi Rattan Shukla, Ajit Agarkar, Murali Kartik, Ishant Sharma, Ashok Dinda.