Navi Mumbai: After restricting the opposition for 148, Pune Warriors India had some anxious moment before overcoming Kochi Tuskers Kerala by four wickets in their Indian Premier League Twenty20 match.
Pune's top-order failed to back their bowlers but the unbeaten Mohnish Mishra (37) tore into Muttiah Muralitharan's 19th over - hitting two six and a four to guide his team home with seven balls remaining. The young batsman from Bhopal was thrilled at taking the experienced spinner apart, and celebrated the second six by punching the air.
Tuskers would have reasons to be pleased with their performance. Their disciplined bowlers did not allow Pune batsmen to have an easy chase. Pune kept losing wickets but Tuskers turned out to be about 20 runs short.
Kochi dismissed Graeme Smith, Mithun Manhas and Yuvraj Singh in quick succession, causing some tension in the Pune camp. But Robin Uthappa biffed two sixes and three fours in a 13-ball 31 to take Pune closer. The rollercoaster ride continued when Muralitharan got rid of Uthappa, bowled trying to repeat a reverse-sweep.
The home team lost hard-hitting opener Jesse Ryder for 17 runs when the left-hander smacked one straight back to Vinay Kumar, who showed amazing reflexes to take a catch off his own bowling. Smith batted with a runner (Alfonso Thomas) after a tumble with Rahul Sharma earlier in the day, and never looked confident during his brief stay for 24 runs.
Earlier, Ravindra Jadeja (47) and Brad Hodge (39) helped Kochi Tuskers overcome a mid-innings wobble as they made 148-8. Kochi were struggling at 24-4 after some tight bowling and fielding by Pune, but Jadeja and Hodge played responsibly to drag their team to a challenging total.
They put on 88 runs for the fifth wicket to pull Kochi out of early trouble. Between them, the duo belted five fours and five sixes before a brilliant catch by Murali Kartik in the deep cut short Hodge's stay in the middle. Jadeja soon followed going for a slog against Ryder.
Yuvraj Singh, warming into his captaincy, shrewdly rotated his bowlers yielding dividends. Wayne Parnell took 3-35 while six other bowlers were used by Pune.
Pacemen Parnell struck twice in the third over removing VVS Laxman and Mahela Jayawardena to reduce Kochi to 13-3 in the third over. Openers Brendon McCullum and Laxman, who put on 80 runs for the first wicket against Bangalore in their opening match, both scored ducks.
Raiphi Gomez, whose 20-run over in the game with Bangalore had cost Kochi the match, redeemed himself today with a quick 26 to finish the innings.
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