Mumbai Indians punish listless Pune in IPL

Thursday, 21 April 2011 00:22 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

MUMBAI (AFP) - Mumbai Indians rode on a clinical effort by their bowlers to hand a seven-wicket thrashing to Pune Warriors in the Indian Premier League on Wednesday.

Munaf Patel grabbed three wickets for eight runs while Ali Murtaza and Abu Nechim took two apiece to bowl out Pune for a paltry 118 in 17.2 overs before Mumbai overhauled the target off the last ball at the Wankhede Stadium.

Skipper Sachin Tendulkar scored a fine 35 off 39 balls and shared 74 runs for the second wicket with Ambati Rayudu (37) to set the platform for the chase.

Australian all-rounder Andre Symonds (16 not out) hit two fours in the 18th over and Rohit Sharma (20 not out) brought off the winning runs with a six to give Mumbai their third victory in four matches.

Pune suffered their second defeat from the same number of games.

IPL debutants Pune failed to last their 20 overs despite a 45-run knock by middle-order batsman Robin Uthappa.

Pune were rocked by early dismissals after skipper Yuvraj Singh won the toss and elected to bat, losing four wickets in eight balls with just 17 runs on board.

Nechim had opener Jesse Ryder of New Zealand caught by Tendulkar for 12 before Mithun Manhas edged one behind the wicket to Rayudu in the same over.

Patel picked two wickets in three balls in the next over, clipping the off-stump of Australian Tim Paine and inducing a fine edge off India’s World Cup hero Yuvraj before he could even open his account.

Left-arm spinner Murtaza removed Mohnish Mishra as he tried to play a reckless shot over the long-on fence, Pune slumping to 52-5 in the ninth over.

Uthappa perished to a blinder of a catch by burly West Indian Kieron Pollard, who swooped down to pluck the ball from the air inches above the ground.

Brief scores:

Pune Warriors 118 all out in 17.2 overs (R. Uthappa 45; M. Patel 3-8, Abu Nechim 2-13, Ali Murtaza 2-18, L. Malinga 2-28) lost to Mumbai Indians 124-3 in 20 overs (A. Rayudu 37, S. Tendulkar 35) by seven wickets.