Mumbai Indains Bow To The Highveld Lions

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JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA (GaeaTimes.com)- Sachin Tendulkar’s experiments seemed to backfire in the opening clash of the Champions League T20 as the Mumbai Indians crumbled under pressure against the Highveld Lions. The Mumbai Indians were touted as the favorites to win the match but as the story unfolded, the Highveld Lions showed that team work and strategy are the keys to T20 cricket, and not, perhaps, stars.

Starting off well, the Mumbai Indians looked well in control in the early part of the Highveld Lions innings. Reaching their 50 in the 8th over with 2 wickets down, the host team looked set to buckle any moment against the star studded bowling attack of the Mumbai Indians. As the innings dragged on, Sachin Tendulkar was seen using some strange strategies that prevented the team’s most economical bowler, R McLaren from bowling more than one over. Veteran Zaheer Khan was blasted all over the park in his four overs and Kieron Pollard and R Sathish proved too expensive as JD Vandiar and Neil McKenzie helped the Highveld Lions post a competitive target of 187 for victory.

Mumbai Indians started well with Shikhar Dhawan and Sachin Tendulkar giving the team an almost match winning start. Two quick wickets later, the Highveld Lions started to tighten their grasp on the game. Sachin Tendulkar’s 69 off 42 balls was the only highlight of the innings. His dismissal in the 15th over ensured that the pressure was on Kieron Pollard and JP Duminy in the final. The Highveld Lions kept the pressure on and the Mumbai Indians fell 9 runs short and finished with 177/6.