Tendulkar dropping down the order against Punjab was a masterstroke

Tendulkar spoils Kings XI's plans by opting not to open and staying through the innings with Bravo to help Indians win

Tendulkar dropping down the order against Punjab was a masterstroke

Tendulkar spoils Kings XI's plans by opting not to open and staying through the innings with Bravo to help Indians win

Small chases can sometimes be tricky. Mumbai Indians got a taste of it in their first game against Kings XI Punjab played in Durban on April 29. Ironically, they found themselves facing exactly the same situation in the return-leg game at Centurion yesterday.

Smart alec: Sachin Tendulkar dropped himself down the order and ensured a win for Mumbai Indians with a solid, unbeaten 41. pics/AFP

Kings XI batted first and MI restricted them to 119. In Twenty20, it is expected to be a cakewalk for the side chasing. But, given the Durban result, Kings XI could not be faulted for feeling confident and MI a tad nervous about how things would unfold eventually.

In that game, MI had shockingly floundered trying to get to the meagre total and were left stranded at 116 to lose the game.

But, MI showed they had learnt their lesson well. It was the early loss of their stalwarts Sachin Tendulkar and Sanath Jayasuriya which had proved to be the turning point then. On the eve of the game, Kings XI coach Tom Moody had announced getting the 'Big Two' early would be his team's gameplan.

In a masterstroke, Tendulkar stumped Kings XI's plans by holding himself back, instead opting to open with Dwayne Bravo.

The gameplan worked to the 'T'. Kings XI again got off to a blistering start and got Jayasuriya early but Bravo turned the heat on Yuvraj Singh's boys with some clean hitting. After a cautious start with MI reaching 14 off four overs, Bravo took control by taking 21 off Sreesanth's over. It proved to be the decisive moment of the game. Bravo hit an unbeaten 70 and Tendulkar, who came at No 4, scored an unbeaten 41 as MI cantered home in 16.2 overs and eight wickets to spare.

Kings XI skipper Yuvraj said if his team had to defend the meagre total, it needed early wickets and it did not happen. "Everyday is not a Sunday. This was a better batting wicket than Durban. We needed early wickets and that did not happen. We were never in the game," said Yuvraj.

MI had no complaints though. The win helped them climb to fourth spot in the points table (11 from 11 games).

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