Jacques Kallis and Robin Uthappa smashed unbeaten half-centuries to lead Bangalore Royal Challengers to a thumping nine-wicket victory over Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League match in Johannesburg on Sunday night.
Kallis got off to a solid start and then settled down well to finish unbeaten on 69 from 59 deliveries (5 boundaries, 2 sixes) while Uthappa provided the late thrust in a blazing knock of 66 from 42 deliveries, inclusive of eight boundaries and two sixes.
The two batsmen were involved in an unbroken stand of 126 runs in 15.1 overs for the second wicket as the Bangalore side, led by Anil Kumle, registered their third win on the trot and second under the former India captain.
Debutant South African pacer Dillon du Preez was Bangalore's star performer with the ball, claiming three for 32 in his four overs. He bagged the wickets of Sachin Tendulkar (11), Ajinkya Rahane (0) and JP Duminy (1) in the space of two overs to cripple Mumbai early on.
Sanath Jayasuriya scored 52 from 43 deliveries, and Dwayne Bravo 50 from 40, as Mumbai posted 149 for four in their 20 overs, which, in the end, proved inadequate.
Mumbai innings:
Mumbai Indians, who elected to bat, made a couple of changes, bringing in Dwayne Bravo and Shikhar Dhawan. Bangalore opted to play four South Africans in their line-up, with Preez making his debut, while Wasim Jaffer played his first match in the ongoing edition of the IPL.
Praveen Kumar bowled an excellent maiden over to start with, keeping Jayasuriya rooted at his end. But Sachin Tendulkar made up for that with two boundaries in Kumar's next over as Mumbai raced to 21 after three overs.
Then Du Preez announced himself immediately. The debutant fast bowler rocked Mumbai with two wickets in his first over. First Tendulkar, on 11 (11 deliveries), was forced to have a go at a wide out-swinging delivery that took the edge straight to Rahul Dravid in the slips cordon. (21-1, 3.3)
Ajinkya Rahane fell for a golden duck to the next delivery when he edged another Du Preez out-swinger straight to slips. (21-2, 3.4)
Surprise package Du Preez then made it a debut to remember with the big wicket of J P Duminy for 1. The left-hander slashed at a wide outgoing delivery resulting in yet another edge which was gobbled up by another South African, wicketkeeper Mark Boucher. (23-3, 5.2)
Jayasuriya then broke the shackles somewhat when he smashed Preez for a boundary and six off consecutive deliveries to take Mumbai to 42 for three after eight overs.
He then hit two more boundaries in two overs as Mumbai reached 53 for three in 10 overs.
After the strategic time-out, Jayasuriya took a fancy to Kumble and carted him for two boundaries in the 13th over. The second boundary, lofted over mid-off, brought up his half-century off just 39 deliveries, which included six boundaries and a six.
It was the day of South Africans, as Roloef Van der Merwe then struck, claiming the big wicket of Jayasuriya with his first delivery of the match. Jayasuriya tried a big hoick across the line but was taken by Vinay Kumar, running in at the deep midwicket boundary.
Jayasuriya fell for 52 from 43 deliveries, inclusive of six boundaries and a six, adding 60 runs for the fourth wicket with Dwayne Bravo to help Mumbai recover after the loss of those early wickets. (83-4, 14.1)
Bravo played with purpose, looking to score runs at a fair pace with the minimum of risks. He, however, went all out in the 19th over, smashing two successive sixes off van der Merwe.
Abhishek Nayar followed it up with consecutive boundaries off Du Preez in the final over to help Mumbai end up on a respectable 149 for four in their 20 overs.
Bravo finished unbeaten on a magnificent knock of 50, hitting a boundary and two sixes in his 40-ball knock. At the other end, Nayar scored 29 not out from 20 deliveries, inclusive of four boundaries, the two batsmen involved in an unbroken stand of 66 runs in 5.5 overs.
Mumbai made sure of a grandstand finish that propped their total, hammering 66 runs from the last five overs.
Du Preez was sensational on debut, claiming three for 32 in four overs, while Kumar went for 15 runs in three and shockingly given a fourth over.
Bangalore innings:
Jacques Kallis went after the bowlers from the start, hitting Zaheer Khan for two boundaries in the opening over.
But opener Wasim Jaffer, a shock replacement for the impressive Sreevats Goswami, failed to make most of opportunity. He scored seven from eight deliveries before flicking Zaheer straight to Nayar at square leg. (24-1, 3)
However, there was no stopping Kallis, who went after Lasith Malinga in his first over. The first ball of the third over was despatched over square leg for a six; that was followed by another maximum over the off-side.
Robin Uthappa then creamed the last ball of the over through midwicket for a boundary as Bangalore raced to 41 for one after four overs.
Kallis then smashed Nayar for a boundary through the off-side and was lucky to get another off an inside edge as his score raced to 37 from 20 deliveries, inclusive of five boundaries and two sixes.
Uthappa took time to settle down, but was very sensible with his shot selection. He cut a short delivery from Harbhajan Singh through the point region for his third boundary as Bangalore reached a comfortable 74 for one at the halfway stage.
Bangalore kept things under control with quick singles and twos even though boundaries were not flowing for a few overs after the strategic time out. Uthappa then opened up with three boundaries off Tendulkar in the 14th over to bring the equation down to 43 runs needed from last six overs.
Uthappa had changed gears and suddenly Bangalore looked like sprinting towards the victory target. He slammed a slower delivery from Bravo high over the midwicket fence for a six and then hit the last ball of the over for a boundary to bring up his half-century off just 36 deliveries, including seven boundaries and a six.
That boundary also brought up the 100-run partnership in 12.1 overs for the second wicket between the two batsmen.
Uthappa's power hitting had turned the match Bangalore's way in the space of just two overs -- 14th and the 15th -- which fetched 30 runs. Every trick and bowler Mumbai tried out didn't seem to work as Bangalore were cruising towards an easy victory, with 23 needed from the last four overs.
Uthappa then made sure of victory with a boundary and six through midwicket off Jayasuriya to level scores after the 18th over.
Kallis ended Mumbai's agony and brought up Bangalore's third victory in a row when he hit Malinga for a single through the off-side.
Bangalore reached 150 for one in 18.1 overs and won the match by a convincing nine-wicket margin, with 11 deliveries to spare.
Uthappa sizzled with a cracking knock of 66 from 42 deliveries, with eight boundaries and two sixes.
Kallis started off with a bang but then settled down well to finish on 69 from 59 deliveries, inclusive of five boundaries and two sixes.
The two batsmen were involved in an unbroken stand of 126 runs in 15.1 overs as Bangalore never faced any problems in their run chase despite the early dismissal of Jaffer.
Malinga's poor display with the ball along with Zaheer's absence because of an injury after just two overs may have affected Mumbai.
Bangalore, who struggled after the first few matches, suddenly look like a force to reckon with it after jumping to fourth in the standings with eight points from as many games.
Mumbai's patchy display in the tournament continues and they drop two places to sixth in the standings with seven points from seven matches.
