Mumbai routes Kolkata!

Mumbai literally trounced the King Khan’s team last evening. The glorious effort by Pollock led the Mumbai team to a magnificent victory over Kolkata. Mumbai routed Kolkata for the lowest ever score in the League. Mumbai got an easy eight-wicket victory.

This was Mumbai’s fifth victory in a row. Kolkata batting order failed miserably and could not make a good score. The poor target of 68 was easily achieved by Mumbai in just 5.3 overs!

Pollock grabbed 3 wickets for just 12 runs in his four devastating overs. This effort was more than sufficient to virtually flatten the visiting team. This was a bowlers’ day as Kolkata was all out at a pathetic 67 runs in 15.2 overs.

On the other hand Kolkata bowlers like Akhtar and Sharma tried to put in their best overs but without a solid score to defend, their bowling spells could not do much for their team.

Kolkata team first came for batting and created an unmatchable fiasco on the pitch! The opener Butt was sent back to the pavilion at 13 on a ball by Pollock when the master blaster took a good catch.

Chopra was run out at 1. Much was expected from the captain Gangly who is in good form, but it was not his day. He was out at 15 on a fine delivery from Thornley.

Then it was turn of Hussey to return at 2 runs. His wicket was again taken by Pollock. Hafeez became Pollock’s third victim at a score of 5. Saha went back at 1 on a ball by Bravo. Shukla was out at a duck.

Unexpectedly Agarkar added 15 runs to the score board and was out at a ball by Bravo. The Rawalpindi express came in to meet the same fate as he was out at 2 runs on a ball by Raje.

Ishant Sharma was out at 4 when Thornley bowled and took the catch as well. Dinda was 1 not out. Thus came forward the miserable target of 68!

The match was already half won even before the Mumbai side started the batting. The whole bundle of pressure had already come on the shoulders of Kolkata team. Sanath Jayasuriya again shone like a star with his blistering stroke play. He was 48 not out in just 17 balls. He rattled the rival bowling side by his regular sixes and boundaries.

This tremendous batting led to an easy eight wickets victory at the Wankhede Stadium. Departure of Sachin at Akhtar’s ball at duck did not influence the match. Second wicket to fall was Uthappa who was out at 9 runs on a ball by Ishant Sharma but these two wickets could not stop the winning streak of Mumbai.

Thus Mumbai reached the Kolkata’s 67 — the lowest score in the league so far, in just 5.3 overs. Tendulkar put in his contribution with four catches. Pollock was rightly named man-of-the-match. This way Mumbai has made its come back in a great fashion.