Kieron Pollard,
who once again showed how much damage he can cause if he gets some time
in the middle. On a pitch where both line-ups crumbled, barring both
No. 6 batsmen, Pollard was the difference, although MS Dhoni
almost stole the match from Mumbai Indians' grasp with an ever more
outrageous counter-attack. Fittingly, with Chennai Super Kings needing
12 off six, Pollard intercepted what looked set to be another Dhoni six
on the deep midwicket boundary, sealing the game for his side with an
acrobatic catch.Pollard had breathed life into a stalled Mumbai Indians innings, which
had gone nowhere after Sachin Tendulkar had fallen leg-before to Dirk
Nannes in the opening over for a golden duck. Ricky Ponting and Rohit
Sharma soon followed Tendulkar. Although Dinesh Karthik looked in fine
touch, when he departed for 37, Mumbai Indians were 59 for 4 in the
ninth over and the Super Kings seamers were on top.Pollard batted quite sensibly, willing to go without scoring for several
deliveries, knowing that when he wanted, he could always collect six
with his power and reach. Half of the 38 deliveries he faced were dots,
but he also biffed five sixes. Even when he went for the big strikes, he
wasn't taking risk. He would just lean forward to length or full
deliveries and lift them over long-on.From 83 for 6, to add 65 in eight overs, with Harbhajan Singh for
company, was quite an achievement. Harbhajan's contribution, a run a
ball 21, was crucial. Carefree swiping was put away and the strike was
turned over. When it wasn't, to Pollard's disappointment in the final
over, Harbhajan himself found the boundary. Pollard cracked Dwayne
Bravo's final ball of the innings over long-on to ensure there would at
least be a contest in the game.There almost wasn't one, though, as the Super Kings batsmen played a
series of poor shots to leave their side gasping at 66 for 5. M Vijay
walked too far across to be bowled, Michael Hussey missed a slog to be
bowled, Bravo drove loosely, and S Badrinath went too far back when he
should have been forward.Dhoni walked in, and the match started to turn. An upper cut appeared, a
whiplash drive, a calm pull. Soon the long-on and deep midwicket
boundary was being peppered with monster sixes, even as batsmen kept
arriving and departing at the other end. Pollard took the most
punishment, five of Dhoni's eight boundaries coming off him.Not many sides win a Twenty20 game from 83 for 6 in the first innings. Not many sides have
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