T & T charmed the spectators, while Mumbai again sneaked a thriller

February 27, 2011, Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore, the swinging pendulum stood erect in equilibria with both India & England scoring 338 runs each. Thrilling and mind boggling it was just like yesterdays match between Mumbai Indians and Trinidad & Tobago which was complete opposite of the World Cup 2011 match, but almost identical in terms of the final result, for Ramdin missed the stumps & an obvious run out.

Both the games stopped the beating of heart, but in the former one solace of no result existed, and in the latter one panting relief of winning for the mumbaikars and disappointment for the Islanders with sympathies from the fans of both the clubs. Winning the toss meant that the team would bowl first as the pitch was backed by a strong history of successful chases, but D. Ganga chose a different route and made themselves looked inane when all their eleven players couldn’t sum up more than 98 runs. Jason Mohammed`s 23 & Lendl Simmons 21 were the only reasonable scores of the first innings. With Malinga`s lethal Yorkers and Harbhanjan`s accurate trundling of ball struck 2 & 3 wickets each with Franklin, Pollard & Ahmed chipping one each, islanders willow looked fragile and they laid the best opportunity for Mumbai Indians to take a leap both in points and in net run rate.

Mumbai Indians have a good batting line up, which of late got extended further when Malinga played an excellent cameo of 37 runs of 24 balls against Chennai, which looked spineless and fell off in a blink of an eye like a pack of cards. Rampaul and Sunil Narine who claimed three & two wickets each, did the initial damage, but even when the scoreboard read 55 for 5, 44 runs appeared not very difficult to score with Rayudu on crease with a steady partner Sathish and Harbhajan & Malinga yet to show up. A comfortable catch by Simmons at midwicket showed pavilion to Sathish (14) and sparked the action between the two teams.

Tense as the atmosphere became with MI six down needing another 34 runs of 26 balls, Harbhajan`s six on a full toss by S. Ganga brought a minutes relief bringing the score to 23 required of 21 balls. With creepiness blazing the ground, the climax arrived when in an attempt to take a second run MI skipper failed to escape an accurate throw to damage the stumps before he could make it to the crease. Twenty five of seventeen balls was needed when Malinga came to share the pitch with Rayudu playing on 29. One after another batsmen were dished out full toss balls, which both Malinga & Rayudu directed far enough to ensure that a single is scored. Just after a six from Malinga, Rayadu`s call for an extra run cost MI another wicket as Malinga had to depart as a consequence of mindless running & a clean throw by Ganga. On the very next ball, tensed Rayadu (36) got himself run out, in utter desperation of taking the strike. With one for a super over drama, two for a dramatic win, & three for a run out hatrick needed, Chahal, the man on strike, drifted the ball for a single and tried for a second run victory which he unexpectedly got as Ramdin missed the stumps, leaving the carribbeans lying in utter disappointment, for their effort was worthy of a win.

Felicitations to Mumbai Indians on winning the gnawing cliff-hanger. But an equal applause for the blokes from Trinidad & Tobago, for their performance today showed that it is a team with a stomach for a fight who promises of a winning show in the matches to come. Not to forget, Daren Ganga is the same man who`s ensemble caught everybody`s eye with its dazzling performance in the first edition of champions league when they made it to the finals of the tournament. Inexplicable is the charm of T&T`s captain, yet magnetic for he & his boys play the game with full intensity & emotions that calls for indulgence into the brand of cricket they play.