Mumbai Indians inch closer to semis, beat Chargers by 25 runs

HYDERABAD: Mumbai Indians notched up their sixth win on the trot to continue to be in hunt for a semifinal place after pipping Deccan Chargers by 25 runs in their Indian Premier League encounter here on Sunday.
    
The Mumbai team first scored a competitive 178 for seven, thanks to some sensible batting by Abishek Nayar and Dwayne Bravo, and then restricted hosts to 153 for seven in 20 overs.
    
The win was a sweet revenge for the visitors as they had lost by comprehensive 10-wickets margin against Chargers at the home-tie.
    
Bravo, who was playing his last match in the tournament, ended the tournament on a high note as he first collected 30 crucial runs and then took three wickets, playing a vital role in his team's victory.
    
Y Venugopal Rao top scored for the Hyderabad team with a sparkling 57-run knock before walking back to hut.
    
It was third half-century for Rao in the tournament and it came off just 38-balls with the help of four boundaries and three sixes.
    
Rao also shared a 86-run stand with D Ravi Teja (37), castled by Bravo (3/24), for the fifth wicket.
    
Mumbai Indians pacers -- Ashish Nehra and Bravo -- gave their team a good start by bowling a tight spell and also creating opportunities for their fielders.
    
However, Rohan Raje dropped Adam Gilchrist (13) when he failed to hold on to a catch when the rival skipper chipped one high in the air. He was on four at that time.
    
Shahid Afridi (0) tried to extract maximum runs from the very first ball he faced and swung his arms to slice an off-stump ball bowled by Barvo, resulting in going miles in the sky and eventually landing in safe hands of Dominic Thronely.
    
Nehra and Bravo gave away just 20 runs in the first four overs, putting the rival batsmen under pressure.
    
Sri Lankan paceman Dilhara Fernando then dealt severe double blow to the hosts by dismissing Gilchrist and Rohit Sharma (6) on consecutive deliveries in his very first over, fifth of the innings.
    
This left the hosts stuttering 20 for three and leaving a big task for Y Venugopal Rao and Chamara Silva.
    
The duo put on 36-runs, doing the repair work, but could not stretch their effort as Silva (17) was undone by a misjudgment by umpire Billy Doctrove when he raised finger on a Nayar caught behind appeal.
    
Earlier, Nayar-Bravo combination put up important 53-run partnership for the fifth wicket when their team was struggling at 97 for 4 at one stage, after sent in to bat.
    
RP Singh (3/35), who was most successful bowler for the hosts, dismissed both of them in the 18th over, dashing the visitors hope of setting a big target.
    
However, the duo ensured the Mumbai team get enough runs on the board to make a fight out of it.
    
Nayar, the top-scorer for the Mumbai team, hit three fours and two sixes in his knock while Bravo hit two boundaries and as many sixes in his innings.
    
Jayasuriya (36) looked unstoppable from the word go as he began the proceedings with a fine-leg boundary off P Vijaykumar and then hit him for a six on the fifth ball.
    
The Sri Lankan then hit compatriot Nuwan Zoysa for three boundaries and one six in his first over to give a rollicking start to the visitors.
    
This forced Adam Gilchrist to introduce Y Venugopal Rao, who did not disappoint his skipper and sent packing Jayasuriya, bringing relief for the hosts.
    
After hitting Rao (2/25) for a couple of boundaries, the Sri Lankan swept the spinner for a big shot but could manage to find RP Singh in the deep.
    
The left-handed opener took just 15-balls to score 39 and hit six fours and two sixes in his cameo.
    
Dominic Thronely then joined his captain Sachin Tendulkar and the duo put together 33-runs for the second wicket. However the run-rate suffered as hosts bowlers bowled well.
    
Then Shahid Afridi (2/23) dealt twin blow to the Mumbai team dismissing Tendulkar and Thornely in his second over to put his team in the driver's seat.
    
Tendulkar lofted a Afridi delivery, trying to accelerate the run-rate but could not execute the shot and gave away a simple catch to Chamara Silva, who ran from covers to mid-off.
    
This brought huge relief for Gilchrist as he had missed a stumping chance off Pragyan Ojha when Tendulkar came out of the crease attempting inside out by making room for himself.
    
Afridi then trapped Thornely two balls later sending shock waves in the opponent's dressing room.
    
The Mumbai team never recovered from these shocks and struggled to maintain a high run-rate after that.