Pune record thrilling win vs Mumbai

Wood handed England recall

MUMBAI, India, April 25, (Agencies): Rising Pune Supergiant halted Mumbai Indians’ six-match winning streak with a thrilling three-run victory in the Indian Premier League on Monday.

Mumbai captain Rohit Sharma hit 58 off 39 balls, but his effort went fruitless as the home team finished at 157-8 after Pune scored 160-6.

Pune’s Jaydev Unadkat conceded two sixes in the last over, but Mumbai also lost three wickets with 17 runs required off the last six balls.

Unadkat had Hardhik Pandya caught in the deep off the first ball, managed to hold a skier off Sharma on the second attempt, and ran out Mitchell McClenaghan.

Ben Stokes, 2-21, brought Pune back into the match when he gave away only seven runs in the 19th over to ensure the last over was extra difficult for Mumbai.

“Stokesy in the second half was excellent and Unadkat got us over the line,” Pune captain Steven Smith said. “It was not a traditional Wankhede wicket. 160 was probably around par and tonight we were able to take wickets in the middle and keep the pressure on.”

Earlier, Mumbai offspinner Harbhajan Singh didn’t concede a boundary in his four overs and also took a wicket to reach 200 in Twenty20s.

Rahul Tripathi top-scored with 45 and gave Pune a confident start of 76 runs off 57 balls with Ajinkya Rahane, 38.

Smith was dropped by Harbhajan on 8 at deep midwicket but the offspinner returned in the next over to clean bowl him for 17.

Wood has returned to fitness after being sidelined for several months following a third ankle operation.

The Durham seamer has done enough in the opening weeks of the season to persuade the England selectors he is ready for the tournament, which will be held in England and Wales in June.

England regard the eight-team event as a chance to land a first global 50-over trophy and Wood is a potentially key performer.