Mumbai Indians continued their winning-run in the Champions League T20 tournament with a nail-biting one-wicket win over spirited Trinidad and Tobago at the Chinnaswamy stadium in Bangalore on Monday.
Electing to bat, Trinidad and Tobago found the going tough and were bowled out for a paltry 98 in just 16.2 overs, courtesy a three-wicket haul from Mumbai Indians skipper Harbhajan Singh.
However, Mumbai Indians floundered during their runchase and were into all sort of trouble with T&T's Ravi Rampaul doing most of the damage, claiming three wickets that had left them tottering at 33 for five in just 8.3 overs at one stage.
Ambati Rayudu (36) then took the onus on himself and stitched 32 runs in 7.2 overs with R Sathish and then added 21
runs with Lasith Malinga to keep them in the hunt.
Needing 11 runs from the last over, Malinga smashed a flat six over long-off in the second delivery. But the Sri Lankan was dismissed in the fourth ball while trying to steal an extra run. Rayudu too was runout in the next delivery with the team
needing two runs to win in the last delivery.
Though tension mounted, last man Yuzvendra Chahal kept his cool and hit the winning runs as Mumbai Indians burst into
celebration.
Earlier skipper Harbhajan Singh produced an impressive spell of three wickets to help Mumbai Indians bundle out Trinidad and Tobago for a paltry 98.
Harbhajan, who went wicketless in their opening match against Chennai Super Kings, was effective right through and claimed the wickets of Denesh Ramdin (0), Darren Bravo (18) and Sherwin Ganga (2) to set up the match for his team.
Sri Lankan pacer Lasith Malinga also chipped in with two wickets for 22 runs, while Abu Nechim, James Franklin and
Kieron Pollard too accounted for one wicket each to help their team's cause.
For the visitors, Jason Mohammad top scored with a 27-ball 23, studded with a four and a six.
Electing to bat, the Caribbean outfit looked set for a blazing start with opener Adrian Barath (11), who was in a punishing mood from the word Go, blasting a couple of fours in the first over off Malinga.
However, the Sri Lankan pacer came back in his second over and uprooted his stumps with a beautiful yorker to deal
the first blow. Lendl Simmons (21) too stared off well, cracking a couple of fours and a six, but he soon run himself out in a
ridiculous manner in the fifth over.
Bravo, who is touted to be the cog in the Trinidad and Tobago's attacking wheel, blasted a couple of sixes to help
them reach their first fifty. But Franklin removed Darren Ganga at the other end with Rajagopal Sathish taking a good catch as the visitors slipped to 57 for 3 in seven overs.
Thereafter it was left for Harbhajan to continue the damage as he struck thrice in his next three overs to reduce
the visitiors to 78 for six in 12 overs. Once the top and middle order collapsed, the Caribbean outfit never really recovered with wickets falling in quick succession.
Mohammed (23) tried his bit and picked up a four and a six but Malinga in his second spell trapped Kevon Cooper in
front of wicket to futher reduce them to 83 for seven. Next Aiden Blizzard's smart fielding sent Ravi Rampaul back to the hut, while Mohammad was dismissed by Kieron Pollard in the 16th over.
Mumbai Indians, who had been brilliant on the field, finally brought the curtains down on TT's innings with Yuzvendra Chahal taking a stunning catch off Nechim to dismiss Sunil Narine.
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