Mumbai snap losing streak in run-fest

Faced with the prospect of their fifth successive defeat in IPL 2015, Mumbai Indians' top order pulled together to help set up an 18-run win over Royal Challengers Bangalore at Chinnaswamy Stadium. Half-centuries from Lendl Simmons and Unmukt Chand, and 42 off 15 from captain Rohit Sharma, lifted the visitors to 209 for 7.

That did eventually prove to be a match-winning total but Mumbai Indians' defence underlined yet again how heavily dependent they are on Harbhajan Singh and Lasith Malinga. The offspinner choked Royal Challengers' start with tight overs and the wickets of Chris Gayle, Manvinder Bisla and Rilee Rossouw. When a sensational cameo from AB de Villiers and David Wiese's clean hitting threatened to take the game away, Malinga turned up with his accurate yorkers to ensure Mumbai Indians snapped their losing streak.

The adage of well begun half done seemed to bear some truth for Mumbai Indians. After they were asked to bat, Simmons and Parthiv Patel finally stitched together the start the side had missed in its previous four defeats. The West Indies batsman took the lead, particularly against Varun Aaron, whom he struck for three fours in his second over.

Simmons' aggression allowed Unmukt Chand, among four changes for Mumbai Indians, to play his shots and the pair were almost equal contributors in their rapid 72-run stand. And then came Rohit's parry - 15 deliveries, 42 runs, three fours and four sixes. One of those sixes was a stunning demonstration of his timing - a flick played on one knee had enough on it to sail over deep midwicket. Rohit and Chand accumulated 63 runs in only 25 deliveries and despite a flurry of wickets at the end - Wiese took three in the 19th over - Mumbai Indians were helped across the 200-run mark by two sixes from debutant Baroda allrounder Hardik Pandya.

Royal Challengers have chased down a 200-plus target three times at Chinnaswamy Stadium in the past. Add Mumbai Indians' struggling attack and their own line-up of powerful hitters and that target could be considered a par one.

Instead, they found they could barely get the scoreboard moving along at the start. Chris Gayle was given a reprieve on the second ball of the chase and another one in the eighth over but all he could make of it was 10 off 24.

Virat Kohli and Dinesh Karthik flickered briefly before an almost surreal innings from de Villiers posed the first real challenge to Mumbai Indians. He seemed oblivious to the match situation and the wickets falling around him, smacking bowlers down the ground, over the slip region and sending one delivery to the roof of the stadium.

De Villiers' fall for 41 off 11 brought Mumbai Indians momentary relief, which soon turned into a little worry as Wiese and Iqbal Abdulla - among four changes effected by Royal Challengers - began to play with the freedom of those with little to lose. Wiese punished Jasprit Bumrah and Mitchell McClenaghan for any errors in length - between them the two bowlers finished with 2 for 82 - before Malinga held the charge at bay.