Mumbai crush Chennai by 23 runs, crowned IPL champions

KOLKATA: Mumbai Indians ended their quest for a maiden IPL title in style, trouncing two-time champions Chennai Super Kings by 23 runs in the dramatic final at the historic Eden Gardens here on Sunday.

Electing to bat, they overcame a top-order failure to compile a challenging total of 148 for nine, thanks to an unbeaten 60 (32 balls, 7x4, 3x6) by Keiron Pollard and useful knocks of 37 and 21 by Ambatti Rayudu and Dinesh Karthik respectively.

In reply, the formidable CSKings batting line-up surrendered meekly as they were restricted to 125 for nine. The match was almost over in the first eight overs with CSK slumping three for three and 39 for six. Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni hit an unbeaten 63 (45b, 3x4, 5x6) but his belligerent knock proved in vain. Four batsmen failed to open their accounts.

Mumbai Indians speedsters Lasith Malinga and Mitchell Johnson devastated the CSK top order, scalping two wickets each, Harbhajan Singh picked up a brace, conceding 14 runs in three overs. Malinga set the stadium on fire, dismissing Michael Hussey, the highest scorer of the tournament and Suresh Raina with superb deliveries in the first over. He castled Hussey with a yorker-length ball and then had Raina caught by Smith with a bouncer for a duck.

Johnson complemented Malinga from the other end, having S Badrinath caught behind by Karthik without scoring. In the sixth over, Dwayne Bravo chipped Rishi Dhawan to mid-on and was caught by Johnson and in the next over, Harbhajan had Ravindra Jadeja caught by Pollard at long-off, playing a poor shot. Opener Murali Vijay departed in the sixth over, top edging Johnson to Sharma at cover, also playing a poor shot.

Earlier, despite a four-wicket haul by Bravo and a brace by Albie Morkel, Mumbai Indians rode on Pollard's responsible half-century to post a challenging total of 148 for 9. Mumbai Indians were in dire straits early in their innings, having elected to bat, losing three wickets for 16 runs in the first four overs.

In the very first over, in-form opener Dwayne Smith hit Mohit Sharma's third ball for a boundary but was trapped lbw in the next. In the first ball of the next over, other opener Tare was castled by Morkel for a duck. The misery continued for Mumbai Indians as captain Rohit Sharma was caught and bowled by Morkel in the second ball of the fourth over.

Karthik and Rayudu steadied the tottering innings partially, stitching together 36 runs in their fourth-wicket partnership. But Mumbai Indians suffered yet another blow when Karthik was played on, trying to drive Chris Morris in the third ball of the 10th over.

Rayudu added 48 runs for the fifth wicket with Pollard before he was clean bowled, trying to hit through the covers. Harbhajan contributed a cameo 14, hitting Bravo three fours, two in consecutive balls in the 18th over. But the bowler had the last laugh as he had caught the turbanator by at deep cover in the fifth ball. This was the most productive over for MI, fetching 17 runs.

In the eventful last over, Bravo had Mitchell Johnson and Lasith Malinga caught behind by Dhoni in the space of three balls. But Pollard finished off the innings in style, smashing two towering sixes in the last two deliveries.