Rohit Sharma steals victory for Mumbai

VISAKHAPATNAM: Rohit Sharma's tryst with his mother's hometown continued as he steered Mumbai Indians to an exciting five-wicket victory over Deccan Chargers in a nail-biting finish at ACAVDCA Stadium on Monday.

Requiring 18 runs in the 20th and last over, Sharma struck two sixes, first in the fourth ball and the second in the sixth and final ball, to signal win for MI.

He also survived a run out attempt off the fifth ball. For Deccan Chargers, it was another defeat at home.

Sharma's brilliance with the bat overshadowed Dale Steyn's effort with the ball. In a wonderful exhibition of fast and furious bowling, Steyn nearly gave Deccan Chargers a win but MI had the last laugh in the end.

For the record, Chargers made 138/9 in 20 overs and MI reached the target with Sharma walking away with the man of the match award for his 50-ball 76 (4x4, 5x6). Incidentally, the last-ball win in IPL happened for the ninth time.

Steyn brought cheers to Chargers with two quick wickets. The South African pace bowler caught and bowled T Suman and yorked the dangerous Richard Levi. Steyn strangled the MI batsmen.

Ambati Rayudu, like Ojha and Suman, had a poor outing. He made a sedate 25- ball 19 before pulling leg spinner Amit Mishra into squareleg fielder's hands.

The fourth wicket pair of Sharma and Kieron Pollard took the score from 58 to 95 with the later being the dominant partner. Pollard hammered three sixes in his 18- ball 24.

Christian brought an end to Pollard's innings, caught by Shikhar Dhawan in the deep off a skier. However, Sharma kept the MI hopes alive with two sixes in the 18th over off Mishra and then launched a savage assault in Christian's fourth over. The Australian pacer leaked 21 runs to spell doom for Chargers.

Sharma has always been successful at this venue.

There were three changes in Chargers with skipper Kumar Sangakkara, Mishra and medium-pacer Anand Rajan coming into the side for Daniel Harris, Manpreet Gony and TP Sudhindra. But there was not much relief for the 'home' team.

Electing to bat, Chargers could not capitalise on a 34-ball 41 by left-handed opener Dhawan and finished at a modest total.

Chargers had a poor start. Left-hander Parthiv Patel and Bharat Chipli were back in the pavilion early in the innings with the aggressive Munaf Patel doing the damage. But Dhawan was an in attacking mood. He struck four sixes, one each off Lasith Malinga and Patel. The Delhi opener greeted Pragyan Ojha with two sixes and one four.

The left-arm spinner went for 18 runs in his first over.

Mumbai finally saw the back of Dhawan, whose top-edge skier off Malinga went to Pollard at extra-cover. Patel bowled a good line and length.

After the departure of Dhawan, it was left to Christian to resurrect the innings. The Australian all-rounder clouted two sixes and one four in his 36-ball 39 before falling to Patel. The MI pacer ended up with fine figures of 4 for 20. Cameron White's 22-ball unbeaten 30 helped Chargers put up a respectable total.