Tendulkar inspired Mumbai marches into semifinals. by CricketArchive Staff Reporter

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Ground:	Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur
Scorecard:	Rajasthan Royals v Mumbai Indians
Player:	SR Tendulkar, SR Watson, Z Khan
Event:	Indian Premier League 2009/10

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DateLine: 11th April 2010

 

Tendulkar won his latest showdown with Shane Warne and inspired Mumbai Indians to a 37-run win over Rajasthan Royals in the DLF IPL 3 match at Sawai Mansingh stadium here on Sunday night.

 

The little master hit a classy unbeaten 89 and mauled Warne as Mumbai Indians became the first team to enter the semifinals in the IPL3. In the hindsight, Dole’s drop when Tendulkar was on 45 proved to be crucial. Tendulkar was getting into his stride when he top-edged Trivedi and Dole at fine leg seemed to have the ball in control but somehow contrived to drop it. Tendulkar, who had taken 41 balls to compile his 45 runs, changed gears and in company of Pollard took the game away from Royals. Adding insult to Trivedi’s injury, Tendulkar smashed the medium pacer for consecutive sixes in the final over and then capped it up with a four as 20 runs came that over. Rajasthan’s chase fizzled out before the end of the power play when it lost three quick wickets. Micheal Lumb, after striking Kulkarni for two boundaries found, Duminy at point when he was offered room to play his favourite cut shot. Zaheer Khan induced an edge from consistent Naman Ohja and more disaster was in store for Royals in that over when Watson couldn’t beat a throw from wicket-keeper Rayudu. By the end of the third over Rajsathan was reduced to 11 for three. Jayasuriya ran out Fazal at the start of the sixth over to reduce the hosts to 34 for four.

 

Warne held back his trump card Pathan and send in Voges instead but Tendulkar wisely kept his pacers away from attack. The slower bowlers especially Harbhajan choked the runs and at the end of the 10th over Rajasthan was 60 for four. Another run out saw Rajasthan plunge further into trouble as Jayasuriya ran out Jhunjunwala who was beginning to find his range of strokes.

 

Pathan was weighed down by expectations and he couldn’t reproduce his old magic and after striking Pollard for a six miscued a shot off the same bowler to be caught at short third man by Harbhajan. A few lusty blows by Dole and Raut reduced the margin of defeat. Mumbai got off to a flyer when Tendulkar struck two boundaries off Pathan’s opening over. But Jayasuriya’s first match after being an MP was a disaster as he pushed Watson straight to Jhunjunwala. Tiwary gloved a catch to wicketkeeper after trying to pull a short ball from Watson. Saurabh Tiwary sparkled for a while but was prised out by another short ball from Watson. Duminy joined Tendulkar and duo repaired the damage. Tendulkar eschewed his aggression and opened out only in the 12th over when he waded into Warne and struck him for three consecutive boundaries, Trivedi came back to dismiss Duminy after the fourth wicket pair had added 61 runs. Dole dropped a dolly off Tendulkar in Trivedi’s third over and the match turned on its head.

 

Pollard struck Dole for a six and a four as Mumbai turned on the heat in the slog overs. Tendulkar struck Watson for five boundaries to steal 25 runs from the medium pacers two overs at death and Trivedi’s final over went for 20 as Mumbai added 68 runs in the last five overs.