IPL Final 2015: Mumbai vs. Chennai Score, Result and Reaction | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors
Andrew Mccoy Mumbai Indians (202/5) beat Chennai Super Kings (161/8) by 41 runs
Mumbai Indians were crowned Indian Premier League champions for the second time in three seasons, as they thrashed Chennai Super Kings by 41 runs at Eden Gardens.
A superb batting display from Mumbai left Chennai with too much work to do in this one, as knocks of 68 from Lendl Simmons and a 26-ball 50 from skipper Rohit Sharma pushed the Indians to a first-innings total of 202 for five.
Although the Super Kings possess a stellar batting lineup, it was a total that always looked out of reach. Some canny Mumbai bowling strangled the scoring rate early on, and despite a determined 57 from Dwayne Smith, Chennai crumbled to 161 for eight.
| Mumbai Innings | ||||||
| Lendl Simmons | c MS Dhoni b Dwayne Smith | 68 | 45 | 151.11 | 8 | 3 |
| Parthiv Patel | run out (Francois du Plessis) | 0 | 3 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 |
| Rohit Sharma | c Ravindra Jadeja b Dwayne Bravo | 50 | 26 | 192.30 | 6 | 2 |
| Kieron Pollard | c Suresh Raina b Mohit Sharma | 36 | 18 | 200.00 | 2 | 3 |
| Ambati Rayudu | NOT OUT | 36 | 24 | 150.00 | 0 | 3 |
| Hardik Pandya | c Suresh Raina b Dwayne Bravo | 0 | 2 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 |
| Harbhajan Singh | NOT OUT | 6 | 3 | 200.00 | 0 | 1 |
| EXTRAS | (nb 1, b 1, lb 4) | 6 | ||||
| TOTAL | (5 wickets; 20 overs) | 202 | ||||
| BOWLER | O | R | W | ECON | DOTS | |
| Ashish Nehra | 4 | 41 | 0 | 10.25 | 10 | |
| Mohit Sharma | 4 | 38 | 1 | 9.50 | 9 | |
| Ravichandran Ashwin | 2 | 21 | 0 | 10.50 | 6 | |
| Ravindra Jadeja | 2 | 26 | 0 | 13.00 | 3 | |
| Pawan Negi | 2 | 18 | 0 | 9.00 | 2 | |
| Dwayne Bravo | 4 | 36 | 2 | 9.00 | 8 | |
| Dwayne Smith | 2 | 17 | 1 | 8.50 | 4 | |
| IPLT20.com | ||||||
The Super Kings chose to field after winning the toss, and MS Dhoni’s decision looked vindicated after an early breakthrough. Parthiv Patel was run out off just the fifth ball of the match, giving Chennai an early fillip of momentum.
However, the subsequent 119-run partnership between Simmons and Sharma took the match away from the Super Kings. The West Indies man was more reserved in his play initially, while the skipper had a license to tee off.
As cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle noted, Sharma counterattacked with a swagger after the worst possible start to the Mumbai innings:
Harsha Bhogle @bhogleharsha36 from 16 balls after coming in at 1-1! Brilliant from Rohit Sharma #CSKvsMI. #PepsiIPL
When he departed in the 12th over for 50, Mumbai were brilliantly set on 120 for two, but Simmons played a critical role too. The Caribbean star bludgeoned 68 from just 45 balls, including eight fours and a trio of sixes.
It was the kind of innings that has become increasingly commonplace for Simmons, as noted by Freddie Wilde of ESPN Cricinfo:
Freddie Wilde @fwildecricketLendl Simmons' #IPL average is above 50. No other player who has played ten innings averages above 50. #IPLFinal #MIvCSK #MI #CSK
Although Simmons’ departure just a ball after Sharma’s gave Chennai some hope, a couple of more brilliant cameos kept the Indians on the front foot. Kieron Pollard was at his destructive best in an 18-ball 36, while Ambati Rayudu notched an unbeaten 36 from 24 balls.
As noted by Broken Cricket, Pollard is a man who seems to relish the big moments:
Broken Cricket @BrokenCricketNehra vs Kieron Pollard 6 0 4 6 6 Remember He took AB and Kohli wicket in Last Game... #MIvsCSK
His late flourish helped Mumbai post an imposing total of 202 for five from their 20 overs, and although Chennai boast a batting lineup containing some of the world’s most dynamic players, chasing it down in an IPL final would have represented an astounding achievement.
| Chennai Innings | ||||||
| Dwayne Smith | lbw Harbhajan Singh | 57 | 48 | 118.75 | 9 | 1 |
| Michael Hussey | c Jagadeesha Suchith b Mitchell McClenaghan | 4 | 9 | 44.44 | 1 | 0 |
| Suresh Raina | st Parthiv Patel b Harbhajan Singh | 28 | 19 | 147.36 | 3 | 1 |
| MS Dhoni | b Lasith Malinga | 18 | 13 | 138.46 | 1 | 1 |
| Dwayne Bravo | c Lendl Simmons b Mitchell McClenaghan | 9 | 6 | 150.00 | 0 | 1 |
| Pawan Negi | c Hardik Pandya b Lasith Malinga | 3 | 5 | 60.00 | 0 | 0 |
| Francois du Plessis | c Rohit Sharma b Vinay Kumar | 1 | 3 | 33.33 | 0 | 0 |
| Ravindra Jadeja | NOT OUT | 11 | 8 | 137.50 | 1 | 0 |
| Ravichandran Ashwin | c Jagadeesha Suchith b Mitchell McClenaghan | 2 | 4 | 50.00 | 0 | 0 |
| Mohit Sharma | NOT OUT | 21 | 7 | 300.00 | 1 | 2 |
| EXTRAS | (nb 2, w 3, lb 2) | 7 | ||||
| TOTAL | (8 wickets; 20 overs) | 161 | ||||
| BOWLER | O | R | W | ECON | DOTS | |
| Lasith Malinga | 4 | 25 | 2 | 6.25 | 11 | |
| Mitchell McClenaghan | 4 | 25 | 3 | 6.25 | 15 | |
| Vinay Kumar | 4 | 39 | 1 | 9.75 | 10 | |
| Hardik Pandya | 4 | 36 | 0 | 9.00 | 9 | |
| Harbhajan Singh | 4 | 34 | 2 | 8.50 | 7 | |
| IPLT20.com | ||||||
They really struggled for impetus in the opening exchanges. Although Mumbai weren’t prolific in their wicket-taking, economical bowling from Lasith Malinga kept the scoring under wraps, and when chasing a target of 203 from just 120 balls, it doesn’t take long for the rate to accelerate to stratospheric levels when the runs dry up.
With a successful run chase looking unlikely at the 10-over mark, with the Super Kings on a meagre 67 for one, former India player Aakash Chopra was lamenting Dhoni’s decision to bowl first:
Aakash Chopra @cricketaakashBack of good length is working for #MI Hindsight is perfect vision...but #CSK's decision to bowl first backfiring big time.
Things really took a turn for the worse when Smith—who played well for his 57—was pinned in front by Harbhajan Singh. The veteran spinner then had Suresh Raina stumped for 28, and in the next over the dangerous Dwayne Bravo holed out for just nine off the bowling of Mitchell McClenaghan.
At 108 for four in the 15th over and a required rate of circa 18 runs an over, it was a massive ask for Chennai; Malinga bowling Dhoni for 18 was the final nail in the Super Kings' coffin. Chennai unravelled from that point, stuttering to 161 for eight and giving Mumbai a comfortable 41-run win in the tournament finale.
As Wilde noted, it was a marvelous showing from the new champions:
Freddie Wilde @fwildecricket#MI are charging towards the title. This has been a near-perfect performance. #IPL #IPLFinal #MIvCSK #CSK
This squad of Mumbai players have gelled superbly in the weeks leading up to the final, and the luxury of having some extra rest ahead of this match certainly showed in a sharp display. Having players like Sachin Tendulkar and Ricky Ponting as part of the coaching staff will have surely contributed to the Indians' noticeable big match temperament too.
By comparison, Chennai looked a little fatigued in all facets of their game. Losing Brendon McCullum late in the tournament represented a major blow to their chances, and although this is a group used to winning this competition, the Super Kings supporters can be proud of the overall effort their men put in throughout the tournament.
