Mumbai soar higher as Bangalore lose big

The Mumbai Indians continued their surge as they drubbed the Royal Challengers Bangalore by 57 runs at the Chinnaswamy stadium on Saturday.
Mumbai posted an impressive 191-4 and then restricted Bangalore to 134-9

Bangalore could have restricted the visitors to a lower score but JP Duminy's sensational 42 not out off just 19 balls set Bangalore a steep target. In their chase, Bangalore were never in the hunt as they kept losing wickets regularly.

After a 30-run opening stand, Kevin Pietersen (22 off 16) and Rahul Dravid (16 off 11) kept Bangalore in the game but only for a brief while as the home side crumbled with the asking rate jumping up.

Virat Kohli (37 off 24) took some rearguard action but it was too late in the day for a fightback.

Earlier, Mumbai got off to a sedate start the Bangalore pacers keeping with McLaren and Sachin Tendulkar in check. When Jacques Kallis sent back Tendulkar (19 off 18), Mumbai were going at less than six-a-over with the powerplay period over.

However, Ambhati Rayadu cashed in on his rich form to up the ante for Mumbai. The very economical Anil Kumble was on the receiving end with Rayadu sending him out of the park off two consecutive balls in one over.

Kallis returned to the attack to send back Rayadu (46 off 27) but that only aggravated Bangalore's woes with the entry of the big Kieron Pollard.

The West Indies all-rounder launched into Pankaj Singh by bludgeoning three towering sixes in one over. But just as Mumbai were looking set for a big score, Kumble snared Pollard (20 off seven).

And then his master move to bring Kevin Pietersen into the attack was rewarded as McLaren's vigil ended. McLaren made a 42-ball 40 after staying in the middle for 16 overs. But Duminy's cameo that wrecked Bangalore at the death proved to be decisive.