A Javed Miandad moment! Full toss on middle and Ambati Rayudu swings it over deep square leg for a six to seal a thriller
A nightmare for Balaji, Mumbai have won and deprived Kolkata of a place in the top two. Gambhir is livid, Whatmore is stunned in the dugout, and add to that about 70,000 odd people here. It was all Kolkata till the end of the 19th over. And then you have three streaky boundaries, a crunchy drive past cover and Rayudu's stunner off the final ball. Ecstatic scenes in the Mumbai camp. We haven't had too many close games this IPL, good to see one to end the league phase. These two teams will meet again in the second play-off, while Chennai and Bangalore face off in the first.
Rayudu: "I was pretty relaxed, and I knew he [Balaji] was under pressure. I was just blank, anywhere he bowls I thought I could hit a boundary. It was unbelievable. We have to carry this momentum forward. We peaked at the right moment. We thought 175 was a huge score but given the batting we have, we could finish it off."
Franklin, a subject of much debate on the feedback forum at the start of this game, made the difference, along with Rayudu to break Mumbai's three-match losing streak. We'll get you the details from the presentation in just a bit. Gather your breath in the meantime.
Venkat: "So, the same teams are going to face each other in the Playoffs again. Who wants revenge?!"
Zahir: "Reminded me of Hussey's inning in World T20 ... he pulled off an amazing inning and scored 20+ against then inform Ajmal"
Gambhir: "It happens in cricket. Bala tried his best, we've got to meet them again in three days time. This is what happens in T20 cricket, it's just one of those bad days. Sometimes you have to bowl to your field, sometimes you have to bowl smartly. Bala will come back strongly"
Tendulkar: "it was a wonderful match. Our team batted well, great finish by Rayudu and Franklin. It was important to regain our momentum. Anything is possible in this game, it's a tricky game, if the bowler doesn't get it right and the batsman is lucky, that's what can happen. Sending Harbhajan one down worked, he made 30 runs and it helped us. KKR will come back hard."
Franklin is the Man of the Match: "We were lucky to get some edges, nd Rayudu finished off superbly. They gave some room in the end and it gave us an opportunity to free up. It was important for us to get some momentum."
That's all we have from here, a thrilling end to the league phase that had otherwise not been so thrilling. See you again for the play-offs in a couple of days. Goodbye.
Rayudu the man to face, a boundary needed off one ball. What drama, it's become a thriller in a space of five deliveries. Gambhir's just had a chat with Balaji. He's running in now. Third man is up
low full toss and it's driven straight to extra cover, just the single
5 off 2 now, one hit will do it
Streaky, streaky, streaky, three such boundaries this over, full toss outside off, its off the outside edge again to the third-man boundary, was targeting extra cover, oh Franklin
9 off 3.
Franklin's turning it on, full toss outside off and he creams that past extra cover to beat the diving fielder in the deep
13 off four now. Goswami will be nervous, how costly will that needless direct hit prove?
four more, this game is very much alive, dropped it short on middle and Franklin went for the pull, went off the top edge and over the keeper's head
boundary first ball, streaky, full toss and Franklin gets an outside edge as he tries to smack that through cover, he'll take it
Balaji to bowl the final over, 21 needed, is it too much?
two more, Rayudu tried to shuffle and flick that over short fine leg, clipped the pads and they stole a leg bye, Gambhir is upset at Goswami as he conceded another run with a direct hit, a needless one, at the striker's end
misfield, bad bounce for the fielder at point, low full toss, played it towards point but the ball spun away from Gambhir there, two more
Rayudu gave him the charge and ended up slicing it over point for a couple of runs, Gambhir throws in a hard one and is holding his shoulder in pain
full outside off again, driven straight to deep extra cover for a single
full on the off, driven wide of Kallis at deep cover for a couple, he fumbles
not a wide though Franklin hoped for one, full outside off and just inside that line, Franklin regrets letting it go
Lee is bowling out here
They're still in it are Mumbai but it'll take some onslaught to clinch this
Rayudu clears the ropes, a timely strike, full outside off and he launches that one over the deep extra cover boundary
full toss down the leg side, called a wide
smacked down towards long-on for a single, was a long-on
slashed past point for a single, a slower one bowled short
Mumbai Indians under serious pressure, that cartwheeling stumps was a sight to watch.
Bowled'im! full on leg stump, he made room to smack it over long-on, missed and out went the leg stump towards the keeper, lovely sight for Balaji
aiming for the yorker, is full on the off, digs it out wide of the bowler to long-on for a single
Franklin finds the boundary, full and wide and he moves away to slice it over point
Balaji to bow now
pitched up but Franklin can only manage a single, drives it hard but on the bounce to deep extra cover, just the one
Eden Gardens, Kolkata | |
Toss | Mumbai Indians, elected to field first |
Series | |
Season | 2011 |
Player Of The Match | |
Hours of play (local time) | 20.00 start, First Session 20.00-21.20, Interval 21.20-21.40, Second Session 21.40-23.00 |
Match days | 22 May 2011 - night (20-over match) |
Umpires | |
TV Umpire | |
Reserve Umpire | |
Match Referee | |
Points | Mumbai Indians 2, Kolkata Knight Riders 0 |
Over 20 • MI 178/5
Mumbai won by 5 wickets (with 0 balls remaining)