Mumbai Indians made their way into the CLT20 semi-finals with a commanding six-wicket win over unfancied Perth Scorchers in the final Group A game at the Kotla here on Tuesday.
Needing to chase down the 150-run target in 14.2 overs to leapfrog Otago Volts on the basis of a better run rate, the IPL champions cruised home in 13.2 overs as Ambati Rayudu finished things in style with two sixes.
Skipper Rohit Sharma led from the front for his team with an unbeaten 24-ball 51, including four sixes and three boundaries, after opener Dwayne Smith set them on course with a 25-ball 48.
The chase began on expected lines with Mumbai going all out right from the start as Smith began with a four and six in the first over. But much to the disappointment of the thousands who turned up at the Kotla on Wednesday, the runs yet again eluded Sachin Tendulkar, who fell for a second ball duck.
Glenn Maxwell could only contribute 10 as MI lost their second wicket at 34 in the last ball of the fourth over. But it was Smith who was threatening to carry Mumbai into the semi-finals with some clean hits as they crossed 50-run mark inside the fifth over.
Smith was snapped up with a spectacular airborne effort by Jason Behrendorff off Brad Hogg near the boundary behind square just in the nick of time for Scorchers. But Mumbai, 73/3 after seven overs, had got the start they needed to fashion a backdoor entry into the semi-finals.
Sharma, who played second fiddle to Smith in the third wicket stand, came into his own after Kieron Pollard joined him and put Mumbai firmly in the driver’s seat with 117/3 after 10 overs, needing another 33 off 26 balls to qualify, which they achieved without much trouble. Earlier, the Scorchers failed to cash in on 50-plus partnerships for the first and third wickets after being put in to bat but managed to finish at a competitive 149/6 with Sam Whiteman contributing an unbeaten 51.
SCORECARD
Perth Scorchers: A. Agar b Ojha 35, S. Katich b Ojha 13, H. Cartwright b Coulter-Nile 28, S. Whiteman (not out) 51, A. Turner lbw b Coulter-Nile 0, M. North c Pollard b Coulter-Nile 3, T. Triffitt b Dhawan 1, J. Behrendorff (not out) 1. Extras (b 5, lb 7, w 3, nb 2) 17, Total (for 6 wkts, in 20 overs) 149.
FoW: 1-55, 2-56, 3-114, 4-114, 5-130, 6-143.
Bowling: Harbhajan 4-0-31-0, Coulter-Nile 4-0-19-3, Dhawan 4-0-30-1 (2nb, 1w), Pollard 3-0-26-0 (1w), Maxwell 3-0-14-0, Ojha 2-0-17-2 (1w)
Mumbai Indians: D. Smith c Behrendorff b Hogg 48, S. Tendulkar c Whiteman b Behrendorff 0, G. Maxwell c Hogg b Behrendorff 10, R. Sharma (not out) 51, K. Pollard b Hogg 23, A. Rayudu (not out) 14. Extras (lb 2, w 4) 6, Total (for 4 wkts, in 13.2 overs) 152.
FoW: 1-16, 2-34, 3-72, 4-137.
Bowling: Beer 4-0-34-0, Behrendorff 3-0-31-2 (3w), Paris 2-0-36-0, Hogg 3-0-26-2, Agar 1.2-0-23-0 (1w)