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Aaron Finch said that Asela Gunaratne, who led Sri Lanka to a last-ball win in Geelong, was a particularly difficult batsman to defend against due to his ability to strike boundaries to any part of the ground

Brydon Coverdale in Geelong19-Feb-2017Sixteen off the last over would be a daunting enough challenge for any batsman in a Twenty20 chase. Sixteen an over for the final three overs is something else entirely. And yet Australia’s captain, Aaron Finch, said he felt that while Asela Gunaratne remained at the crease, Sri Lanka still had a chance of achieving their goal, an assessment that turned out to be accurate, to the delight of thousands of Sri Lankan fans at Geelong’s Kardinia Oval.Gunaratne took 12 off James Faulkner, then 22 off Moises Henriques, and the 14 that Sri Lanka then needed off the final over from Andrew Tye were completed when Gunaratne crunched the last ball over cover for four. Finch said Gunaratne, who had also scored a half-century in Sri Lanka’s successful chase at the MCG on Friday, was a particularly difficult batsman to defend against due to his ability to strike boundaries to any part of the ground.”The plan was pace off and wide,” Finch said. “If he wanted to go to the short boundary over the leg side, make him really fetch it with no pace on the ball. Geez, he hit some clean, didn’t he? He played a hell of an innings. That’s as good a striking as you’ll see. For a guy to be able to hit over fine leg and over mid-off, they’re pretty rare skills to be able to do both, and he hasn’t mis-hit a ball in two games now.Asela Gunaratne struck with bat and ball against Australia in Geelong•Getty Images

“With the dimensions of the ground, with an in-batter who was hitting them so clean, you know that you still have to execute. I felt all along that we had to get him out to win, or get him off strike a little bit more. We struggled to do that for the last three overs. We couldn’t seem to bowl enough balls at [Nuwan] Kulasekara and then [Lasith] Malinga. But when you’ve got a guy who’s in like that, it’s so hard to defend. The way our bowlers bowled up front and then through the middle was top-drawer.”Nearly 14,000 spectators turned out to the match, which was the first international ever played in Geelong, and a good proportion of those were Sri Lankan supporters. For almost two hours after the match ended, several hundred of those Sri Lankan fans celebrated outside the ground on Moorabool Street, with trumpets blaring as they waited for the Sri Lankan players to emerge on their way to the team bus.Although the result was a disappointing one for Australia, Finch said he was pleased with the way Geelong supported Kardinia Oval’s international debut. Crowd numbers might have been higher if it weren’t for heavy rain earlier in the day, which affected the women’s T20I between Australia and New Zealand that preceded the men’s match.”Being about minus seven degrees doesn’t help,” Finch joked, “and it was bucketing down with rain all day. But the crowd was still fantastic. The surface, after so much of a downpour, was unbelievable, the wicket played really well. No bigger test than the weather that Geelong had over the last couple of days. To be able to produce a world-class venue like that was unbelievable.”

Manchester United’s summer transfer plans won’t be affected by the ongoing takeover saga, Sky Sports report.

What’s the latest Man United news?

The Glazers are still yet to make a concrete decision when it comes to a potential Old Trafford sale, with Sheikh Jassim and Sir Jim Ratcliffe still waiting to see if their bids have been successful.

The Red Devils and Erik ten Hag are also yet to bolster the squad with any new signings, and there has been previous speculation that there are concerns from Old Trafford that the takeover process could derail Ten Hag’s summer plans.

Sky Sports shared an update from Old Trafford regarding the takeover saga, claiming that the Glazers are still considering offers from Jassim and Ratcliffe. However, they have learned that the club’s transfer plans “won’t be affected” as there is “enough cash available” currently to bolster Ten Hag’s squad, within FFP rules, in what is a positive transfer update.

“The Glazer family are still considering bids from Sheikh Jassim and Sir Jim Ratcliffe.

“According to sources close to United, summer recruitment won’t be affected by the results, with enough cash available to enable United boss Erik ten Hag to invest in the team, although Financial Fair Play rules will limit what can be spent.”

Who could Man United sign this summer?

There could be plenty of incomings and outgoings, with up to 13 players reportedly up for sale at United this summer. Should a number of players move on, that could increase the funds available to Ten Hag.

A key target in recent weeks has been Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount, with the Red Devils making a number of offers, with a £55m bid still on the table.

Alongside a new midfielder, a new goalkeeper could also be on the cards, with David de Gea’s future still up in the air with his contract set to expire at the end of the month. Inter Milan’s Andre Onana looks to be the key target to potentially come in as first choice for De Gea, with a bid being readied in Manchester.

Should a couple of high-profile additions come in over the next few weeks such as Mount and Onana, it may relieve some stress for Ten Hag with pre-season just around the corner, and by the looks of it, nothing is stopping that from happening, so supporters will be hoping to see some activity over the coming weeks.

India’s captain Virat Kohli has said that Australia crossed the line “that you don’t cross on a cricket field” when it comes to DRS protocols

Melinda Farrell in Bengaluru07-Mar-20171:34

‘If something is going on for three days, that’s not a brain fade’

India’s captain Virat Kohli has said that Australia crossed the line “that you don’t cross on a cricket field” when it comes to DRS protocols. Kohli accused Australia of taking help from the dressing room on at least three occasions before making their mind up on reviews in the Bengaluru Test.Kohli’s remarks after India’s remarkable come-from-behind win were reminiscent of current coach Anil Kumble’s words at the conclusion of the infamous Sydney Test in 2007-08: “Only one team was playing in the spirit of the game.”Minutes before Kohli’s press conference, unaware of the allegations coming his way, Australia’s captain Steven Smith had said that there had been only one instance of their looking up to the dressing room for assistance, and that it was a “brain fade”. Kohli said he had made the umpires aware of it on the earlier two occasions before the third one played out in full view.When Smith was ruled out lbw in a tense chase of 188, he looked towards the dressing room after having chatted with non-striker Peter Handscomb, apparently for clues on whether to review the call or not. Umpire Nigel Llong intervened immediately, and sent him on his way. Llong also prevented a seemingly livid Kohli from getting into that conversation. Kohli later said he had brought this matter to the umpires’ attention earlier too.”I saw that two times happening when I was batting out there,” Kohli said. “I pointed it out to the umpire as well, that it’s happened twice, that I’ve seen their players looking upstairs for confirmation, and that’s why the umpire was at him.”When he turned back the umpire knew exactly what was going on, because we observed that, we told match referee also, and the umpires, that they’ve been doing that for the last three days and this has to stop, because there’s a line that you don’t cross on the cricket field, because sledging and playing against the opponents is different, but… I don’t want to mention the word, but it falls in that bracket. I would never do something like that on the cricket field.”When asked if the word he didn’t want to mention was “cheating”, Kohli replied: “I didn’t say that, you did.”Smith’s version of events was different. “I got hit on the pad and looked down to Petey and he said look up there,” Smith said. “So I turned around and it was a bit of a brain fade on my behalf. I shouldn’t have done that.”I was looking at our boys, so shouldn’t have done that and it was a bit of a brain fade.”Writing on Twitter after the match, Handscomb accepted the blame for the incident. “I referred smudga to look at the box… my fault and was unaware of the rule,” he wrote. “Shouldn’t take anything away from what was an amazing game!” Kohli, though, refused to accept Smith’s explanation. “Honestly, if someone makes a mistake while batting, for me, personally, that’s a brain fade,” Kohli said. “The way I left the ball in Pune, you know, getting hit on the off stump. That was a brain fade. But if something is going on for three days, then that’s not a brain fade, as simple as that.”I don’t want to say more on that, videos are out there for everyone to see. It was getting repetitive, that’s why the umpires also knew that it might happen again. I saw it two times when I was batting, I can vouch for that.”The official BCCI Twitter handle, though, went on to say more. It tweeted the video of Smith’s dismissal, the accompanying tweet wondering if the full form of DRS was “dressing room review system”.Smith denied that his side used help from the dressing room as a DRS tactic. He insisted his dismissal was the first time he looked up to the dressing room. “No, I think that’s probably the first time it’s happened, and it was a brain fade on my behalf,” he said.There were an increasing number of verbal exchanges throughout the Test. Smith admitted to there being a “white line fever”, but he felt the match was played “in good spirit”.”Australia and India playing, there’s always emotions flying around and we get a little bit of white line fever every now and then,” Smith said. “As long as it’s kept on the field it’s all good. There’s always interesting banter between the two teams, and I think it makes it a great contest.”Kohli also hit back at former Australia wicketkeeper, Ian Healy, who had earlier criticised Kohli’s behaviour during Australia’s first innings, particularly when Smith was at the crease.”I’m losing respect for him. He’s not only now continuing his disrespect of the Australian players and umpires, but I think he’s putting pressure on his own players,” Healy told radio station SEN on Monday. “The stuff he did with Steve Smith was unacceptable.”There’s massive cracks showing in [Kohli]. I’ve said in the past he’s the best batsman I’ve ever seen. His feistiness and real aggression towards the opposition has been good [in the past], especially when he wasn’t captain.”Kohli responded by pointing out Healy’s reaction to being wrongly given out in the Centurion Test in 1997 – swearing as he walked off, Healy then threw his bat while climbing the steps to the dressing room.”[I’ll lose respect] in his eyes?” Kohli asked dismissively. “We’ve got 1.2 billion people in India. One person doesn’t make a difference to my life. And also I think you should go and search on YouTube, when he was given out in Centurion, down the leg side. I heard he said something about me not having good behaviour with umpires – I think you all should YouTube that video and I think, yeah, that says it all. Just see that video and next time you ask me the same question.”

Arsenal’s interest in Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia is far from a secret, however, news reported this week suggested that the Gunners are leading the pursuit.

Mikel Arteta is flexing his desire to bolster his squad this summer with Kai Havertz, Declan Rice and Jurrien Timber already set to wear the cannon next season, with the transfer window far from over.

As reported by Football Transfers, Arsenal have won the heart of Lavia, who ‘would prefer’ a move to the Emirates over links to Chelsea and Liverpool, putting the club in a 'good position' to sign the Belgian.

Saints are expected to ask for a fee in the region of £50m for the teenager, who only arrived on the south coast from Manchester City’s academy last summer.

Football Transfers added that a deal between Arsenal and the Belgian is moving slowly due to the movements currently going on in north London, with Rice arriving and Thomas Partey reportedly set to depart. That said, talks have been going 'very well' since they began back in April.

How good is Romeo Lavia?

In a dull season for Southampton, Lavia shone as a shining light in midfield for the Saints, sparking rumours that he will not follow the club to the Championship.

The teenager took his first shot at regular first-team football with a firm grasp, making his presence in the middle of the park known, acting as a monstrous figure sitting ahead of the defence.

Hailed as being a “shining star” by journalist Sam Tighe, the Belgian ranked in the top 4% of midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues in terms of blocks, averaging an impressive 1.90 per 90 to further state his dominance.

For Arsenal, a revamp of the midfield looks destined ahead of the new season, with Granit Xhaka departing and Partey also linked with a move away, the way Arteta’s side will look at the start of the campaign is unpredictable at this moment.

The speculated exits bring positive light in the Gunners’ pursuit of Lavia, who could add significant firepower and a jewel of youth in the Spaniard’s midfield.

It’s already expected that Havertz will be deployed in the middle of the park, making an exciting narrative should the Saints star also arrive at the Emirates, with numbers suggesting that the Belgian could get the best out of the former Chelsea sensation.

To operate as an attacking midfielder, it's imperative to have defensive support in order to balance the flow of the midfield.

Lavia could provide the German with significant cover in ways that Granit Xhaka did last season for Martin Odegaard, highlighted through his 1.02 tackles per 90, as well as providing a competent distribution to set play for the Norwegian, averaging 5.89 progressive passes per 90, via FBref.

The Belgian operated to a similar effect for the Saints as per FBref, averaging 4.13 progressive passes per 90 and excelling defensively with an average of 2.43 tackles and 1.34 interceptions per 90 in the Premier League.

The teenager has strengths in his passing ability and acts as an assured presence when dispatching the ball, making 4.09 passes into the final third per 90 on average last term while maintaining a pass completion rate of 86.2%, via FBref.

Havertz shone in the midfield at Bayer Leverkusen before making the switch to play in a more advanced role for Chelsea, registering 18 goal contributions in the 2019/20 in the Bundesliga.

The 23-year-old had the protection of the likes of Kerem Demirbay that term, who averaged 1.4 tackles per game in the bid to protect the midfield which ultimately allowed those ahead of him to flourish.

Equipping his side with a young player with the capabilities to play a pass and orchestrate the engine room could be a monumental shift in quality for Arteta.

يصارع نادي ريال مدريد أكثر من نادٍ على صفقة دفاعية جديدة للمستقبل من الدوري الفرنسي على رأسهم باريس سان جيرمان وتشيلسي، قبل الميركاتو الصيفي المقبل.

اللاعب هو ليني يورو البالغ من العمر 18 عامًا ومتألق بصفوف ناديه الحالي ليل وذلك بعد عامين تقريبًا من تصعيده إلى الفريق الأول وتمثيله لمنتخب فرنسا الأولمبي.

هذا ما لفت أنظار تلك الأندية الكبيرة لمحاولة التعاقد معه في الصيف المقبل، كانت البداية من باريس سان جيرمان الذي حاول التوقيع مع يورو في يناير الماضي.

اقرأ أيضًا.. إصابة لاعب ريال مدريد في مباراة فرنسا وتشيلي

ولكن المفاوضات مع ليل لم تنجح، ثم دخل تشيلسي في سباق المفاوضات على ضم اللاعب الفرنسي الشاب خاصة وأن هناك أنباء عن رحيل تياجو سيلفا، بنهاية الموسم.

ولكن مع دخول ريال مدريد أصبحت الكفة تميل له، حيث وضع يورو على رأس أولوياته في الميركاتو الصيفي المقبل ولكن هناك عقبة بعيدًا عن المنافسة مع الأندية، بحسب متخصص الانتقالات، فابرزيو رومانو.

وتكمن العقبة في أن ليل يريد 60 مليون يورو من أجل الموافقة على بيع يورو بنهاية الموسم الحالي، لكن عقد اللاعب ينتهي في 30 يونيو 2025 ويرى النادي الإسباني أنه لا ضرورة لدفع هذا المبلغ فقط قبل موسم واحد من نهاية عقد الفرنسي.

Either Shakib Al Hasan or Trent Boult is likely to replace the Australia fast bowler as Kolkata Knight Riders look to reclaim the top spot

The Preview by Sreshth Shah25-Apr-2017Match factsRising Pune Supergiant v Kolkata Knight Riders
Pune, April 26, 2017
Start time 2000 local (1430 GMT)3:56

Hogg: Tahir at his best with old ball

Form guide

Rising Pune Supergiant (fourth): defeated Mumbai Indians by three runs, defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad by six wickets, defeated RCB by 27 runs

Kolkata Knight Riders (second): defeated RCB by 82 runs, lost to Gujarat Lions by four wickets, defeated Delhi Daredevils by four wickets

Head to headOverallKolkata Knight Riders chased 66 (D/L adjusted target) and 161 to win both at home and away against Rising Pune Supergiant in 2016.In the newsKnight Riders will be without Nathan Coulter-Nile, who in their previous game took three wickets to bowl Royal Challengers Bangalore out for 49, which is the lowest total in IPL history. The 29-year old seamer has not travelled with the team to Pune, with captain Gautam Gambhir citing workload management as the reason.Coulter-Nile’s absence means either Shakib Al Hasan or Trent Boult could return to the team. Colin de Grandhomme hasn’t fired with the bat but his three-wicket haul on Sunday has boosted his chances of retaining his place.The likely XIsRising Pune Supergiant 1 Ajinkya Rahane, 2 Rahul Tripathi, 3 Steven Smith (capt), 4 Ben Stokes, 5 MS Dhoni (wk), 6 Manoj Tiwary, 7 Dan Christian, 8 Washington Sundar, 9 Shardul Thakur, 10 Imran Tahir, 11 Jaydev UnadkatKolkata Knight Riders 1 Gautam Gambhir (capt), 2 Sunil Narine, 3 Robin Uthappa (wk), 4 Manish Pandey, 5 Yusuf Pathan 6 Suryakumar Yadav, 7 Colin de Grandhomme, 8 Chris Woakes, 9 Umesh Yadav, 10 Trent Boult/Shakib Al Hasan, 11 Kuldeep YadavStrategy Punt Overall in the IPL, Sunil Narine smashes spin at a strike-rate of 233 but pace at only 126. But this season, with his promotion to opener, he has smashed fast bowlers for 93 runs off 53 deliveries. So perhaps there is a case for Rising Pune to take pace off the ball and use Imran Tahir or Washington Sundar against him.Stats that matter MS Dhoni has struggled against Sunil Narine in T20s. He has managed only 27 runs off 54 balls. Manoj Tiwary has scored 139 runs off 82 balls, at a strike-rate of 167.07. He has been dismissed only three times in his last nine T20 innings, and has been hitting a boundary every four balls. Ajinkya Rahane has smashed Umesh Yadav for 54 runs in 38 balls without ever being dismissed in the IPL. Knight Riders have taken 28 wickets between overs 7 and 15, ten more than their closest rivals Sunrisers Hyderabad. Six KKR bowlers have taken three or more wickets during the middle overs, with Woakes’ tally of six being the highest. KKR’s quicks have been the most productive in the league. They have taken 34 wickets at an average of 19.82. On the other hand, Rising Pune’s seamers have managed only 24 wickets at an average of 32.54. Spinners have been more effective than seamers at MCA stadium this season. They have given away only 6.97 runs per over, taking a wicket every 19.42 runs. Seamers have leaked 9.50 runs an over, taking a wicket every 42.61 runs.

Manchester United are in the transfer market to continue to rebuild their squad for success and now a new update has emerged on a potential transfer target.

What's the latest on Man United's interest in Marcos Llorente?

According to reports coming out of Spain, Man United are interested in signing Atletico Madrid midfielder Marcos Llorente this summer.

As per the report, the Red Devils will compete with bitter Premier League rivals Liverpool for the Serie A star's signature ahead of next season and it is claimed that a 60m (£51m) offer would be enough for his club to part ways with their player.

How good is Marcos Llorente?

Erik ten Hag has already started to add quality depth to the midfield personnel ahead of next season with Mason Mount joining the club from Chelsea and now he could add another talent by acquiring the services of Llorente this summer.

The versatile whiz can offer the Red Devils a diverse skill set and experience in a number of positions with Llorente tallying up numerous appearances in the central, defensive and attacking midfield roles, as well as excelling in the right-back role too, which could make him an incredibly valuable asset to Ten Hag next season.

Gavi, Khephren Thuram and Sandro Tonali are all talented midfielders who have been named as the most comparable to Llorente over the last 12 months, demonstrating that the Spaniard has a strong work ethic and ability to influence in both attacking opportunities and defensive situations too.

As per FBref, Llorente – who was dubbed "influential" by former Atletico teammate Luis Suarez – ranks in the top 10% of his positional peers across the top five European leagues for progressive carries, touches and progressive passes received, as well as sitting in the top 25% for shot-creating actions.

There is no doubt that Mount is a major coup for the Red Devils, however, finding his best position on the pitch and harnessing a more disciplined role will be important to ensure he can reach his potential at Old Trafford. As a result the signing of Llorente could be a chance to make the England star even more unplayable.

Despite his greatest strengths being in attack, Llorente outperformed Mount in interceptions per 90 (0.89 v 0.52), clearances per 90 (1.03 v 0.47) and pass completion (81.2% v 76.4%), proving that he could be relied upon more in the deeper role alongside Casemiro – who he used to be the back-up for at Real Madrid.

It is unclear as yet what exact role Mount will be applied to in the centre of the pitch next season, however, having a hard-working teammate who can not only collect the ball to progress play but provide decent attacking opportunities to the England ace would be massively advantageous.

Mount's best season at Chelsea saw him register 29 goal involvements in all competitions throughout 2021/22, so if Llorente can help him reach those levels again, it could be a game-changing proposition for the Red Devils.

With that being said, there is no doubt that Llorente would be a great signing for Man United this summer.

تمكن فريق الكرة الأول بنادي الزمالك، من تحقيق الفوز على نظيره فيوتشر، بهدفين مقابل هدف، خلال المباراة الجارية بينهما حاليًا ضمن منافسات بطولة كأس الكونفدرالية الإفريقية.

والتقى الزمالك مع فيوتشر على أرضية استاد السلام، في إطار مواجهة الذهاب لدور الـ8 (ربع النهائي) من البطولة الإفريقية.

وجاء هدف فيوتشر الأول عن طريق اللاعب علي ياسر من تسديدة من داخل منطقة الجزاء سكنت شباك محمد عواد في الدقيقة 35 من عمر الشوط الأول للمباراة.

طالع أيضاً.. طبيب الزمالك يُعلن تفاصيل إصابة يوسف أوباما أمام فيوتشر

وسجل حمزة المثلوثي هدف التعادل للزمالك في الدقيقة 45+4، بعد ركلة ركنية أرسلها أحمد سيد زيزو بعرضية إلى داخل منطقة الجزاء استقبلها المثلوثي برأسية سكنت شباك فيوتشر.

وأحرز أحمد سيد زيزو الهدف الثاني في الدقيقة 87 من عمر الشوط الثاني، من ركلة جزاء تم احتسابها بعد عرقلة من محمد ربيعة للاعب الزمالك سيف الدين الجزيري.

ومن المقرر أن تقام مباراة إياب ربع نهائي الكونفدرالية بين الزمالك وفيوتشر يوم الأحد الموافق 7 من إبريل المقبل، على أرضية استاد القاهرة الدولي. أهداف مباراة الزمالك وفيوتشر في كأس الكونفدرالية

West Brom could try and sort out a move for Kortney Hause this summer despite his injury issues, according to reliable journalist Darren Witcoop.

How many games has Kortney Hause played?

The 28-year-old has struggled in recent campaigns through injury and it's meant that gametime has been hard to come by for the defender. Having previously impressed for current club Aston Villa, he has spent the last three seasons largely absent and out of the first-team squad.

In 2022/23, he was sent out on a loan to Watford to try and get him some much needed minutes under his belt. However, he could manage only three Championship games during his time there – two of which were starts – and was then sidelined once more.

In fact, he managed just seven showings in the Premier League for the Villans in both campaigns before that. It means that in the last three years, he has only 17 league appearances in total.

It's a shame for Hause when you consider he caught the eye when he was a regular first-team member, with 18 showings for Villa as they avoided the drop in 2019/20 and several solid outings for Wolves during his time at Molineux. He's also played throughout the EFL, having begun his career with Wycombe in League Two at just 17-years-old.

Are West Brom signing Kortney Hause?

The 28-year-old could now be given a lifeline this summer. That's because the central defender is now on the radar of a number of Championship clubs according to reliable journalist Darren Witcoop, one of who is West Brom. The reporter states that the defender is on Carlos Corberan's wanted list this transfer window and that they are keeping an eye on the Englishman.

However, the player's injury struggles will no doubt affect things, with a deal to send him away from Villa Park this summer perhaps hinging on the medical rather than any financial matters between the clubs – and it could be a good chance for him to rejuvenate his career.

Hause's most consistent action came earlier on in his playing life, when he spent five seasons with Wolves. He was with the Black Country side when they were promoted back up to the Premier League, albeit he made just one league appearance, but had racked up 67 league outings by the time he departed the club.

It's been an up and down few years for Hause since then and the defender will no doubt be desperate to get back onto the field and playing regularly if he can. The most important thing is to ensure there is not a repeat of the 2022/23 season, when his loan spell in the second tier was hampered due to injury. If he can get himself fit and firing and prove it to potential suitors, then the Championship could come calling again for the Englishman, and a fit Hause could certainly be hugely beneficial to a Baggies outfit who want to try and bag promotion this time around.

Mohit Sharma put three ordinary overs behind him to deliver a clinical final over, off which he defended 15, as Kings XI lived to fight another day

The Report by Deivarayan Muthu11-May-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details4:46

Hogg: Mohit was brilliant under pressure

A 453-run slugfest – the second-highest aggregate in IPL history – was decided in the final over with Mohit Sharma defending 15 to deny a rampaging Kieron Pollard as Kings XI Punjab lived to fight another day.The odds were stacked against Mohit, especially after he had leaked 49 off his first three overs. Mumbai Indians were within touching distance of achieving the highest successful chase in the IPL. Kings XI let the pressure get to them; Glenn Maxwell, one of their best fielders, palmed the ball over the long-off boundary to reprieve Karn Sharma on 5. They had to contend with dew as well. Sandeep Sharma then pulled things back by conceding just seven off the penultimate over. Maxwell could have chosen either Ishant Sharma or Mohit for the last over. He went with his tried-and-tested end-overs specialist, and Mohit delivered.The first ball – full on off stump – was belted to long-on, and Pollard hared across for the second, but replays indicated that he did not slide his bat inside the crease at the non-striker’s end. It was called one short, but Pollard still had the strike. Mohit then unfurled the slower knuckle ball and watched it disappear into the boundary behind midwicket. It was down to nine off four balls. Mohit nailed three pinpoint yorkers and a dipping knuckle ball, which Pollard did not pick, to seal the deal.The opening salvo
No Hashim Amla? No problem. Manan Vohra has been successful at the top for Kings XI this season, but the management took a punt by sending Wriddhiman Saha to open with Martin Guptill. Before today, Saha had opened in only six out of 163 T20s for 126 runs. He might not have all the shots, but has the smarts. Remember his hundred in the 2014 IPL final?Saha used the pace of Mumbai’s seamers to his advantage and picked his areas to hit four fours in his first seven balls. Guptill provided a fine counterpoint to Saha’s finesse by forcing the ball through the line. This meant Kings XI zoomed to fifty in 3.4 overs – the second fastest this season behind Kolkata Knight Riders, who got there in 3.3 overs against Royal Challengers Bangalore.The ebbs and flows of a 453-run slugfest•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

The middle-overs salvo
If Mumbai had thought Karn’s dismissal of Guptill in the last over of the Powerplay would slow Kings XI down, they were wrong. Maxwell, promoted to No. 3, and Saha pillaged 50 off the next three overs. The highlights included Saha’s dexterous paddle sweep off Mitchell McClenaghan for four and Maxwell’s monstrous clubs over the leg-side boundary off Harbhajan Singh.Diffusing the end-overs salvo
Desperate for the wicket, Rohit turned to Lasith Malinga and Jasprit Bumrah. It was Bumrah who bowled Maxwell for 47 off 21 balls with a skiddy delivery. On a night when he colleagues went for over 10 runs an over, Bumrah stood out with figures of 1 for 24 in his four overs. In all, Saha managed just 10 off 13 balls against Bumrah.Saha, though, stepped out of his comfort zone and started carting the ball. A Malinga slower ball was launched over his head, a McClenaghan slower ball was swatted over midwicket. Shaun Marsh and Axar Patel, though, could not find the boundary as regularly. Kings XI, ultimately, scored only 40 off the last four. It was, however, enough to put up the highest total in IPL 2017. Fighting fire with fire
Given the enormity of the task, Mumbai’s openers showed intent from the first ball. Lendl Simmons, preferred again over Jos Buttler, led the charge smashing 44 of the 68 runs Mumbai hit in the first six overs. Kings XI’s seamers fed his strengths by bowling too straight, and Simmons duly picked them off. He also played some fluent strokes on the off side by staying leg side of the ball. Soon after the Powerplay, he brought up his second fifty in three matches, off 27 balls.At the other end, Parthiv Patel had found his groove with a brace of cover-driven fours off Matt Henry. Parthiv then got stuck into Mohit, spanking a hat-trick of fours. But when he attempted a fourth, Mohit bounced him out.Turning the game
In the next over, Simmons swung hard at a full-toss that was destined to sail over the long-on boundary…until Guptill took flight and pulled off an incredible one-handed catch. Rahul Tewatia then struck in his first over to remove Rohit Sharma and leave Mumbai at 119 for 3 by the 12th over. It was the sixth time this season that Rohit had perished to legspin. Mumbai only added two runs before Axar Patel had Nitish Rana holing out with a 102kph dart.Sharma+Sharma >Pollard+Pandya
When Pollard and Hardik Pandya got together, Mumbai needed 110 off 44 balls. What followed in the next three overs was carnage: 52 runs. With 56 needed off 24 balls, Maxwell recalled Sandeep. The seamer found Hardik’s outside edge with Saha flying to his right and claiming a low catch. However, Pollard, aided by Karn, kept peppering the arc between midwicket and long-on with clean strikes.After being taken for hat-trick by boundaries in the 18th by Karn – one of which was palmed over by Maxwell – Mohit hit back to bowl him with a slower offcutter. Sandeep then executed a barrage of yorkers in the 19th before Mohit followed suit and coolly applied the finishing touches.