IPL-9: Gujarat Lions beat Mumbai Indians by 3 wickets

IPL debutants Gujarat Lions defeated Mumbai Indians by three wickets in their Indian Premier League match at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on SaturdayGujarat Lions Aaron Finch L watched by Mumbai Indians wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel plays a shot during the 2016 Indian Premier LeagueIPL Twenty20 cricket match between Gujarat Lions and Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai AFP PhotoBatting first Mumbai scored 1438 in 20 overs with Parthiv Patel 34 the top scorer for the hostsIn reply Aaron Finch scored an unbeaten 67 as Lions chased down the target comfortably posting 1477 in 20 overs to grab their third straight win of the seasonEarlier Mumbai Indians batting failed to click for the second time in as many home games as they were restricted to 143 for 8Only two toporder batsmen opener Parthiv Patel 34 in 29 balls and Ambati Rayudu 20 in 19 balls managed to cross 20run mark as the strong batting lineup caved in meekly against both pace and spin after being put into bat on a seaming Wankhede Stadium track offering good pace and bounceThe 42run stand for the eighth wicket between debutant Krunal Pandya 18 not out off 10 balls and Tim Southee who used the long handle to hit two sixes and one four in a 11ball 25 was the highest of the inningsAt the same ground on April 9 MI had been kept down to 121 for 8 by the other IPL debutants Rising Pune Supergiants before losing the tournament openerThe main wreckers of the Mumbai innings were two citybred bowlers seamer Dhawal Kulkarni 2 for 19 and legspinner Pravin Tambe 2 for 12MI slumped into trouble straightaway by losing the wickets of captain Rohit Sharma and onedown Hardik Pandya in the second and fourth overs respectivelyBoth were dismissed by Mumbai Ranji Trophy pacer Kulkarni who got a chance to play at his home ground since allrounder Ravindra Jadeja did not accompany the team to the game as hes getting married tomorrow at RajkotBoth were planned dismissals with fielder Shadab Jakati stationed at square leg to pouch the flick by Rohit and the pull off a short ball by Pandya to leave the home team at a tricky 19 for 2At the end of six overs MI had moved to 31 for 2 with Parthiv looking good at one end after having struck Kumar for two boundaries in the bowlers second over and lofted Jakati for his first six over long onBut two wickets in the space of seven balls that saw the backs of Buttler 16 and the bighitting Kieron Pollard 1 put MI on the backfoot again at 59 for 4 just past the halfway stage of the inningsButtler who hit three fours was stumped on leg side by wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik off a ball declared wide from left arm spinner Jakati soon after MI reached 50 in ninth overAnd then Pollard departed to a skier off the first ball he faced from legspinner Pravin Tambe with fellow West Indian Dwayne Bravo bringing off a welljudged catch just inside the rope and then doing the Champion jig that he had made popular during the Windies victory in World T20When Patel departed while attempting to hit a third six over mid wicket off Tambes long hop MI were in deep troubleHarbhjan Singh who had made a counterpunching 45 against Pune could not repeat that show and with Rayudu too falling in trying to up the tempo MI were 99 for 7 before adding 42 runs in the last three overs