Defending 140, the last thing the Mumbai Indians would have expected would have been for their key pace bowler Lasith Malinga to bowl an over-pitched delivery, no-ball and drilled through the covers for four. But that is exactly what happened. And that was followed by Chris Gayle carving a gap through the covers to start off in a manner that Mumbai Indians would have least wanted.
Royal Challengers Bangalore V Mumbai Indians CLT20 2011 Final Live: Harbhajan Claims Gayle
Dilshan and Gayle departed after a quick start to leave the Mumbai Indians still with a chance of making a comeback into the game.
And it gets only worse in the second over, after a decent start from Abu Nechim. Three dot balls followed by a brace and a couple of boundaries to Dilshan as Bangalore race off to 21 without a wicket after the second over chasing 140 for a win.
The Royal Challengers Bangalore seem to have come out with a smart tactic. Dilshan, who would have played Malinga on numerous occasions in the nets back home, has taken most of the strike against him. Of course, it does help if one is in the kind of form that Dilshan is showing he is in.
A better over from Malinga still goes for eight after the wicket-keeper Ambati Rayadu allows a straightforward ball to pass through to the fence, while Nechim gets smacked for a couple of boundaries.
But even as I talk of the smart tactics by Bangalore, Malinga gets one to seep through the Dilshan defence. Nine tournament wickets for Malinga takes him to the top of the pile, while captain Harbhajan Singh celebrates his decision to allow Malinga to bowl that extra over.
Harbhajan, the bowler is even more excellent in his opening over, the sixth of the innings. He starts off with a couple of them that spin so much that Gayle is in a bit of a quandary before sending down a straight one that deceives the batsman. A very obvious run of play but a long time coming from Harbhajan – he will be an excited man and a confident one after getting that early wicket.
Bangalore 42/2 in six overs.
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