THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
MUMBAI, India — Rohit Sharma struck a last-ball six to lead Mumbai Indians to a seven-wicket victory over Pune Warriors in the IPL on Wednesday after teammate Munaf Patel had taken three wickets.
Patel finished with 3-8 as Mumbai dismissed Pune for 118 in 17.2 overs with Robin Uthappa top-scoring on 45.
Pune then stretched Mumbai’s reply to the last delivery with some tight bowling and fielding, before Sharma cleared the cover boundary with only one run needed for his team’s third win in four matches.
Sharma (20) and Andrew Symonds (16) steered the team home after Ambati Rayudu (37) and Sachin Tendulkar (35) had put on a 74-run stand for the second wicket.
"The wicket wasn’t as easy as we thought as it was holding up a bit," Rayudu said. "Maybe we could have finished it an over or two before."
Mumbai had looked in control for most part of the chase, but the flow of runs slowed as Rayudu and Tendulkar fell in quick succession by the 15th over.
Murali Kartik bowled a fine last over when only five runs were needed for the win. The left-arm spinner restricted Sharma and Symonds to four singles off the first five deliveries, which included two close run out chances.
Earlier, Pune was reduced to 17-4 in the fifth over as pace bowlers Abu Nechim and Patel picked up two wickets each.
New Zealand left-hander Jesse Ryder was the first to go, pulling a delivery on 12 that Tendulkar took in a well-judged catch at mid-wicket with the total on 16. Mithun Manhas fell two deliveries later, ceding to wicketkeeper Rayudu.
Patel also struck twice in the space of three deliveries. He found the top of off stump with a good-length delivery to remove Tim Paine and induced an edge from captain Yuvraj Singh to be caught behind.
Pune was 60-5 after 10 overs before Uthappa’s 37-ball innings gave the total some respectability.
Uthappa, who survived an early run out chance and was also once caught off a no-ball, struck one six and six fours before being dismissed by a superb diving catch from Kieron Pollard to give left-arm spinner Ali Murtaza his second wicket.
Patel came back to remove Rahul Sharma, while Sri Lanka paceman Lasith Malinga also picked two wickets as Pune folded with 16 deliveries left.
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Scores:
Mumbai Indians 124-3 in 20 overs (Ambati Rayudu 37, Sachin Tendulkar 35), def. Pune Warriors 118 all out in 17.2 overs (Robin Uthappa 45, Munaf Patel 3-8, Abu Nechim 2-13, Ali Murtaza 2-18, Lasith Malinga 2-28).