Mumbai Indians' new recruits Pragyan Ojha and Richard Levi guide their team to a convincing 8-wicket win over defending champions Chennai Super Kings.
The fifth edition of the Indian Premier League started with an upset as Mumbai Indians cruised to a convincing 8-wicket win over defending champions Chennai Super Kings at the MA Chidambaram stadium in Chennai on Wednesday.
Chasing 113 to win, the visitorsu00a0managed to extract revenge for their loss to the Super Kings in last u00a0year's final by getting the target with 19 balls to spare.
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The heroes of the night were Mumbai's new recruits -- Pragyan Ojha and Richard Levi.
South African Levi opening the batting with Sachin Tendulkar got off to a great start as he scored a quick-fire 35-ball 50.
But it was Ojha who had set up the win for the Mumbai Indians when he claimed two wickets in his first two overs to completely stop Super Kings at atime when they were threatening to go on the rampage.
Mumbai Indians' Kieron Pollard (right) and Lasith Malinga (left) celebrate the dismissal of the Chennai Super Kings batsman Suresh Raina. Pic/AFP
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Earlier, MI skipper Harbhajan Singh's decision to bowl first seemed to be spot on as Mumbai Indians bowled out defending champions Chennai Super Kings 112.
The newly-laid 22-yard strip which had some patches of grass turned out to be a nightmare for strokeplayers as most of the home team batsmen failed to check their shots as they were shot out for 19.4 overs.
While MI bowlers stuck to their task, CSK batsmen helped their cause as three of them including skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni were run-out. Lasith Malinga (2/16), Pragyan Ojha (2/17) and Kieron Pollard (2/15) all got vital breakthroughs.
Mumbai Indians got the breakthrough in the very first over when Faf du Plessis (3) failed to beat Ambati Rayudu's direct throw after Murali Vijay tapped the ball to extra-cover for a quick single.
Vijay, who has had an indifferent first-class season was not in his element as he failed to clear the field. As he was getting bogged down, left-arm seamer James Franklin's clever change of pace did the trick.
The Tamil Nadu opener couldn't connect what has been a trademark flicked six over deep mid-wicket over the years.
Instead, rival skipper Harbhajan standing at the 30-yard circle gobbled of an easy catch. Vijay could muster only 10 runs off 17 balls.
Suresh Raina -- one of the biggest star in this format started well. Raina effortlessly lifted pacer Abu Nechim Ahmed over long-off for a six. He also hit a couple of boundaries on his way to 36 before Ojha sent him back into the dug-out.
As strokemaking looked difficult, Raina tried to give Ojha the charge but couldn't get the elevation and was holed out in the sweeper-cover region where Lasith Malinga was stationed.
At 75 for three, one expected Dwayne Bravo (3) to stem the rot but he also misjudged the track as he couldn't reach to the pitch of an Ojha delivery as he went for a lofted shot. Kieron Pollard took a well-judged running from long-on.
Pollard then made it 85 for five when he dug one short into Albie Morkel's (3) ribs and his 'Nataraja shot' went straight to Ojha at deep square-leg boundary.
Skipper Dhoni (4) who is one of the best judge of single was caught a foot short as he responded to S Badrinath's call for a single and gone were CSK's hopes of putting up a decent total.u00a0
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