IPL: How MI Chased 190 In 88 Balls

In the last league match of IPL 7, Mumbai Indians needed to chase 190 in 87 balls (14.3 overs) at a required rate of 13.2 per over to claim the fourth and final play-offs spot available. Kieron Pollard said during the mid-innings break that the home team would go all for for it, seeing as if they did not get those 190 runs in the required overs their tournament was over and Rajasthan Royals would progress. What happened next was unbelievable, as Corey Anderson slammed an unbeaten 95 off just 44 balls and found support from Ambati Rayudu and Aditya Tare to seal a sensational five-wicket win.

Here, gocricket.com presents the big overs that made for a pulsating chase as MI took an impossible situation and turned it into a most memorable win.

4th over: 19 runs Mumbai were 34 for 1 in three. They needed 156 from 69 balls. Anderson launched Dhawal Kulkarni into the sight screen first ball, then miscued one back to the bowler. A single got on strike Michael Hussey, who flicked six over square leg. A wide, double and triple made made it 19 off the over, leaving MI to score at 13 per over.

9th over: 15 runs Thirty nine balls, 101 runs required. Kevon Cooper, who had dismissed Hussey and Kieron Pollard in his first over to set MI back, was taken for a tap. Anderson got four off the second ball, two off the third and six off the fourth. A big over to keep MI ticking.

10th over: 16 runs Rohit Sharma started the over by putting a full toss from Kulkarni away for four past fine leg, but fell on the second as he lofted to sweeper cover. A wide followed, then a dot ball which saw Kulkarni miss a chance to run out Ambati Rayudu. Anderson reached fifty off 25 balls by depositing the fourth ball over long-off for six. Rayudu smashed the final ball down the ground for four. MI needed 70 off 27 balls.

11th over: 19 runs With 70 needed off 27 balls, Shane Watson gave the ball to James Faulkner, normally his death-overs specialist. First ball, Anderson made room and drilled the ball straight back past the stumps for four. A double, single, wide, single followed. Back on strike for the fifth ball, Anderson swung it over long-on for six. The sixth was a yorker, jammed down to third man for four. Now 51 needed from 21.

12th over: 18 runs Watson, who conceded 15 off his first over, took the ball from Faulkner. It proved a bad move. Rayudu carved the first ball over third man, the second over extra cover, the third past mid-on. Three balls, three fours. A single, boundary and single followed. Now 33 needed from 15.

15th over: 13 runs Mumbai managed 24 off the 13th and 14th over to leave the equation at nine off three balls. Watson entrusted Faulkner the duty. First ball, Anderson edged to third man for one. The second, criminally, was a leg-stump full toss. Rayudu swung it over long leg for six. Now two runs needed off one ball. Rayudu tried to cut a short-of-a-length ball but it lobbed to short extra cover, who underarmed the ball at the nonstriker's end but missed. Rayudu turned back for the second but was run out. He sank to his knees in despair, but within moments the umpires ruled that because the scores were tied, Mumbai could get their NRR over that of Rajasthan's if they hit the next ball for four. Faulkner, after several moments of discussions and strategies with the RR think-tank, sent down a second consecutive full toss outside leg stump. Aditya Tare swung it away for six over square leg to cue ecstatic scenes. The MI dugout was cleared, the fans went berserk, Tare raised his jersey over his head, football style, and ran around the field like a man possessed.