Sabkush Headlines: Pollard runs amok as Mumbai storm into final

Sabkush Headlines: Pollard runs amok as Mumbai storm into final Pollard runs amok as Mumbai storm into final

185 proved to be too big a target for the Royal Challengers as the Mumbai Indians did everything right to defend their score. Dravid and Kallis opened for RCB- a sign that they were saving up their best batsmen for the last. The two put on 24 for the first wicket before Kallis nicked one to Ambati Rayudu off Malinga. No.3 Kevin Pietersen stuck around to score 19 before being stumped after an excellent piece of work by Ambati Rayudu. With two batsmen back in the dug out, Robin Uthappa walked in. Uthappa who was traded by the Mumbai Indians in exchange for Zaheer Khan in 2009 worked up a good appetite smashing all his boundaries( two fours, two sixes) off Harbhajan Singh. Just when one thought that RCBs chase was back on track, Uthappa holed out to Shikhar Dhawan at deep square leg to become Kieron Pollards first wicket. Pollard then decided to dive despite a dodgy hamstring too run out Rahul Dravid for 23. With the scoring rate going up a lot was expected from Virat Kohli (9) and Manish Pandey (5) but the duo failed to deliver. With wickets falling at regular intervals, Ross Taylor (31*) could only watch as RCBs defeat looked imminent. Lasith Malinga (2/24) and Dilhara Fernando (1/28) then bowled well in the end as Anil Kumbales boys finished with 149/9. Kieron Pollard was declared the Man-of-the-Match for his all-round contributions of 33 not out with the bat and 3/17 with the ball. Earlier the Mumbai Indians won the toss and elected to bat first. Sachin Tendulkar struck two fours off Dale Steyn before he played a horrible stroke to depart for 9. His opening partner Shikhar Dhawan (12) didnt last too long either. Dhawan asked for a run only to be sent back by partner Abhishek Nayar; the ball hit the stumps and with no fielder around, Nayar called again. But as Dhawan ran to the non-strikers end he fell short of the crease as Virat Kohlis throw found the stumps. Mumbai had lost both their openers with the score on 29.