MUMBAI: If Rajasthan Royals have been the sly foxes of the sixth edition of the Indian Premier League 2013, Mumbai Indians have been the elephant in the jungle. Mumbai might be a touch predictable at times, and work to a set plan, but when it does come off, they end up trampling whoever is in their path.
Yesterday, Rajasthan fought hard to keep them down to 166 on a belter of a batting surface, but the rub of the green did not go their way as they slumped to a 14-run loss.
Faced with a reasonably stiff target, Rajasthan, who had chosen to chase when Rahul Dravid won the toss, needed to get off to a good start. What they got was anything but. Dravid, who opened the batting, was sent back in the very first over, with umpire Sudhir Asnani detecting a faint edge where there was none. Dravid, late on the pull against Mitchell Johnson, stood his ground momentarily, uncharacteristically venting his ire at the umpire’s decision.
With the captain gone before the chase had really gotten under way, there was more trouble as James Faulkner, sent in to pinch-hit at No. 3, sliced Dhawal Kulkarni up in the air to be easily caught. Sanju Samson mishit a pull and when Ajinkya Rahane holed out, Rajasthan were 28 for 4.
It has been Rajasthan’s strategy to hold back their big guns based on the situation. When Shane Watson walked out at No. 5, he was welcomed by a chirpy Kieron Pollard. The two have barely gotten along since Australia’s last tour of the West Indies, and even as the umpires stepped in to calm things down, Watson got to work.
Lasith Malinga, not quite at his fittest and down on pace, chose the wrong man to try and bounce, and was flat-batted into the crowd over fine leg. The next ball got the same result. Perhaps buoyed by those strokes, Watson took on Pragyan Ojha, but failed to connect cleanly, leaving a gleeful Pollard to take the catch.
Furious with himself, Watson trudged back to the dugout, only to find that Pollard had finished his exuberant celebration and landed up there, prompting a further exchange of words.
Stuart Binny and Brad Hodge added 56 for the seventh wicket, keeping hopes alive. When Hodge (39) was nailed in front of the stumps by a Malinga yorker with an unlikely 23 runs needed off the final over, the game was up and Binny was left unconquered on a 29-ball 37.
Aditya Tare, playing his first game of this season, set up the first 20 overs. Tare, who filled the spot left vacant by a tendon niggle that Sachin Tendulkar suffered in Mumbai’s last match, smacked a 39-ball 57 at the top of the order. With no other batsman reaching 25, and yet several playing useful cameos, Mumbai got to 166 for 8. It was enough to take them to the top of the table.
Mumbai Indians beat battling Rajasthan Royals
Mumbai Indians beat battling Rajasthan Royals
Real Sociedad end Barca winning streak to tighten Liga title race
- The Catalan giants, who hit the woodwork four times and had two goals disallowed, now only lead rivals Real Madrid by a single point at the top of the table
SAN SEBASTIAN, Spain: Real Sociedad damaged Barcelona’s title defense ambitions as Goncalo Guedes gave them a surprise 2-1 La Liga victory on Sunday as Hansi Flick’s side fell to a first defeat in 12 matches.
The Catalan giants, who hit the woodwork four times and had two goals disallowed, now only lead rivals Real Madrid by a single point at the top of the table after Alvaro Arbeloa’s side beat Levante on Saturday.
Hosts Real Sociedad, now unbeaten in four games under new American coach Pellegrino Matarazzo, had Carlos Soler sent off late on but managed to hold on to triumph and climb up to eighth.
“I think we deserved to win today, we had a lot of chances, but in the end you have to put them away,” Barca midfielder Frenkie de Jong told DAZN.
“We played well but we didn’t win... their goalkeeper had a very good game.”
Sociedad shot-stopper Alex Remiro made several crucial saves.
“Three great points and a great game,” said Remiro.
“We’ve started this year in great form... this is the energy we have, how we’ve changed (recently).”
In a frantic start to a compelling game at the rainy Reale Arena, both teams had goals ruled out.
La Real had the ball in the net inside 30 seconds when Mikel Oyarzabal headed home Guedes’s cross, but had strayed offside.
At the other end, Barcelona’s Fermin Lopez drilled home from range but Dani Olmo had committed a foul in the build-up and it was ruled out.
With teenage winger Lamine Yamal keen to take on defenders, Barca got in often down the right flank. The 18-year-old teed up Olmo who fired high over the bar when he might have sent the Catalans ahead.
Yamal found the net himself but the goal was ruled out for an extremely tight offside, before Real Sociedad took the lead against the run of play.
Oyarzabal lashed home Guedes’s cross with a blistering volley inside Joan Garcia’s near post.
Yamal was felled just inside the area before half-time but although the referee pointed to the spot, a VAR review showed that the youngster was offside again and it was canceled out.
Remiro heroics
Barcelona turned up the pressure in the second half and Real Sociedad were left depending on Remiro and the frame of the goal to keep the Catalans at bay.
Olmo crashed a shot against the post from Lopez’s cross and then Remiro denied the Barca midfielder with a fine near-post save.
Remiro then tipped substitute Robert Lewandowski’s header against the crossbar with the save of the night.
Another Barca substitute, Marcus Rashford, eventually pulled the champions level, heading Yamal’s cross home after 70 minutes.
However, the hosts immediately regained their advantage after Barca goalkeeper Garcia initially saved Carlos Soler’s shot. The midfielder was able to gather the rebound and cross for Guedes, who fired La Real ahead again.
They should have got a third when Garcia, out of his goal, had no chance of saving Oyarzabal’s effort but Pau Cubarsi headed the ball off the line.
Barcelona came within centimeters of an equalizer when Joao Cancelo, on his second debut for the club, crossed for Jules Kounde, who headed against the crossbar.
Soler was dismissed for an ugly foul on Pedri before nine minutes of stoppage time were added on.
Rashford hit the post directly from a corner kick as Barca pushed until the end but could not find a way through.
