Mohali:
David Miller and Mandeep Singh`s blazing unbeaten half centuries set
the platform for Kings XI Punjab to claim a seven-wicket win over Pune
Warriors in a edge-of-the-seat thriller Pepsi Indian Premier League
match, here on Sunday.
Scorecard» I Highlights» As it happened...»
POINTS TABLE» I SCHEDULE»Miller
played a scintillating 41-ball 80 knock laced with five fours and an
equal number of sixes while Mandeep hit 58-ball 77, decorated with seven
fours, to help their team secure victory with just one ball to spare.Needing
29 off last two overs, Miller hit two consecutive fours off Dinda in
the 19th over to ease down the pressure. Kings XI managed to get 13 runs
off the over.With 16 required off the last over, Miller hit two huge sixes off Wright to hand the hosts their third win from six matches.Pune
rode on skipper Aaron Finch`s strokeful half-century and significant
contributions from Yuvraj Singh and Luke Wright to post an imposing 185
for four.Finch scored an attractive 42-ball 65 with the help of
eight fours and two sixes while Yuvraj hit an impressive 24-ball 34,
laced with two fours and three sixes. Wright helped the visitors finish
with flourish, courtesy his breezy 34 off 10, during which he found the
fence six times.In fact, 17th over from Azhar Mahmood yielded 17 runs as Wright hit him for four consecutive boundaries.Opener
Robin Uthappa also scored a useful 37 off 33 deliveries with the help
of four fours and added 83 runs for the opening wicket stand with Finch.Chasing
the target, Kings XI got off to a disastrous start as they were two
down with just five runs on board. While Bhuvneshwar Kumar dismissed
Gilchrist in the first over, Ajantha Mendis struck in the second over to
send back Azhar Mahmood putting Punjab on back foot.Gilchrist
scored just a boundary before getting caught behind by Robin Uthappa.
Mahmood failed to get off the mark and was trapped leg before.
Mandeep and Manan Vohra then joined
hands in the middle and started the repair job in pursuit of a
challenging target. Both scored at brisk rate as they took Punjab past
50 in the sixth over.However, Yuvraj struck in the seventh over
to end the 53-run stand for the third wicket between the two. Vohra was
castled by Yuvraj while going for the sweep for 22 to put Punjab in more
trouble.Miller walked out in the middle and destroyed the
confidence of the Pune bowlers with a flurry of fours and sixes to put
his side back in contention.Miller launched a sensational
counter-attack in the company of Mandeep and cut, drove and pulled to
keep the mounting run-rate under check.He first smacked Yuvraj
for beyond the long on boundary and then came down hard on Sri Lanka's
mystery opener Ajantha Mendis, hitting him for one four and a six.In
the process, Mandeep reached his half-century with a four off Rahul
Sharma in the 14th over to bring about the first 50-plus score for a
Kings XI Punjab player in this edition of the IPL.Soon after,
Miller also reached his double-digit figure after hitting Wright for a
huge six over deep extra cover. This was Miller's first-ever 50 in the
IPL which came off just 29 deliveries.Both added an unconquered
128 runs in just 79 deliveries for the fourth wicket partnership to
script an impressive victory for the Punjab team.Earlier, Finch led from the front after being dropped by Gilchrist off Mahmood in the second over of the innings.Both
Finch and Uthappa gave the visitors a flying start as they took the
side to 77 in first ten overs. The hosts' bowlers appeared clueless as
the duo helped Pune cross 50-mark in just six overs.Parvinder
Awana gave Punjab their first breakthrough by dismissing Uthappa, who
was caught by Gilchrist behind the wickets in the 11th over.Next
man-in, Yuvraj made his intentions clear from the outset as he smashed
leg-spinner Piyush Chawla for a six and a four in the 14th over.Finch
raced away to his 50 in just 33 deliveries and was looking good for a
big total just when pacer Manpreet Gony got rid of him. He was caught by
Manan Vohra at sweeper cover.Yuvraj was unperturbed by the
dismissal and went about his business in style hitting two sixes off
Awana before being caught at extra cover by Gurkeerat Singh off Mahmood.Wright, who walked in after the dismissal of Yuvraj, was in ominous form as he clobbered Mahmood for four successive fours.He
came down hard on an otherwise economical Praveen Kumar in the next
over and smashed him for two fours and six to accumulate 20 runs off his
over.He was dismissed in the last over of the innings, caught by David Hussey at long on off Mahmood.PTI
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