Kings finally rock at Mohali

Mohali: The Kings XI Punjab finally gave their home fans something to cheer about with a 6-wicket win over table toppers Mumbai Indians at Mohali. Kumar Sangakkara’s calm and composed knock of 56 made certain a victory the Kings richly deserved after dominating right from the start of the game

A solid start from the Kings, thanks to newbie, Adrian Barath (33) and Sri Lankan veteran Mahela Jayawardene (31), got the home side off on the right foot. Jayawardene was the first to go, with Saurabh Tiwary holding on to the ball long enough to get Malinga his first wicket of the night. And despite losing Barath in the 11th over, the Kings managed to finish off the game with four balls to spare.

Earlier Sachin Tendulkar won the toss and elected to bat first, but the start wasn’t what the MI skipper was hoping for. Irfan Pathan got Shikhar Dhawan bowled off his very first delivery. With the batting collapse against CSK at the back of his mind, Tendulkar looked more circumspect than his usual flamboyant self. Ambati Rayudu’s cameo (33) gave Mumbai some much needed impetus.

But even he didn’t last long as Piyush Chawla got the better of the talented right-hander. Chawla was slowly coming into his own and the highlight of his evening came when he got Tendulkar out, cleaning up the master’s off stump. The Mumbai skipper cut a forlorn figure, knowing a timid middle order could spell disaster for his side. His worries were well justified after Saurabh Tiwary failed with the bat once again.

But a ray of hope arose in the form of JP Duminy. Playing his first game this season, he brought in what the Mumbai Indians were missing - some steel.

The South African put up a fine, gritty display, scoring 35 runs. Along with R Sathish (20), he put the table toppers in a position of relative security. West Indian import Kieron Pollard (18) once again flattered to deceive, as Mumbai were left lacking a power finish which limited them to a modest score of 154/9.

Progress is impossible without change and the Kings XI Punjab used this adage to their advantage by changing almost half their side, reaping rich dividends.