Indian Premier League 2016 - 9th Match
(Mumbai Indians vs Gujarat Lions at Mumbai)
Hobbling Finch wins Lions a thriller
| MI | vs | GL |
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| 143/8 (20) | 147/7 (20) | |
| GL won by 8 wickets | ||
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| Photo © BCCI |
It took one week for IPL 2016 to finally deliver a blockbuster. Gujarat Lions controlled the game for a better part of 35 overs, before slipping in the next four to bring the equation down to 11 off the final over. Aaron Finch, who overcame bouts of cramps and a twitch to his hamstring, was running on empty by then. Fortunately for them, Dhawal Kulkarni, who returned to the venue he has grown up playing on, channelised his batting potential to smack Jasprit Bumrah over extra cover for four, before Finch biffed a boundary when they needed one off the final ball, and Lions sneaked home by three wickets to consolidate their position at the top of the standings.
Kulkarni and Pravin Tambe, who know what it takes to bowl on the Wankhede track having plied their wares for Mumbai in the domestic circuit, were central to Lions' bowling plans. The pair returned combined figures of 6-1-31-4 to rip the heart out of Mumbai Indians' celebrated batting line-up. Finch then showed different shades of his batting in a composed unbeaten 67 in a 144-chase to help Lions extend their unbeaten streak to three matches.
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| Photo © BCCI |
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