Rohit rocks Chargers in IPL thriller

Rohit Sharma scored an unbeaten 73 off just 50 balls to help Mumbai Indians pull off a thrilling 5-wicket win over Deccan Chargers in the ninth IPL clash on Monday. With 11 required in last three deliveries, Sharma smashed Daniel Christian for a six and then followed it by a couple before hitting the match winning sixer to script a fabulous win for Mumbai Indians.  Sharma’s knock was studded with five dazzling sixes and four boundaries.  After Deccan Chargers set a modest 139, pacer Dale Steyn dealt early blows on the visitors by removing both Mumbai openers Richard Levi and Thiru Suman early. Steyn first took an outstanding return catch to dismiss Suman and then bowled out Levi to reduce the visitors to 10/2 in four overs Sharma and Ambati Rayudu then steadied Mumbai innings. However, Amit Mishra Amit Mishra added to Mumbai Indians woes as he sent back Ambati Rayudu (19) after his struggling show. Rayudu shared 48-run stand with Rohit Sharma for the third wicket. Earlier, Mumbai pacer Munaf Patel inflicted maximum damage on Deccan Chargers as he finished with 4/20 to restrict the hosts to 138/9. Lasith Malinga claimed three wickets while Kieron Pollard dismissed two Chargers batsmen. Shikhar Dhawan remained the top scorer for Deccan Chargers as he made 41 off just 24 deliveries. Daniel Christian and Cameron White too made decent contribution with their willows. The match was, however, marred by controversy with Mumbai captain Harbhajan Singh having a heated and prolonged argument with the field umpires who committed a mistake in not giving Deccan skipper Kumar Sangakkara out.  The incident happened in the 13th over of Deccan Chargers innings with Sangakkara clearly out off the bowling of Munaf though the field umpires A K Chowdhury of India and JD Cloete of South Africa thought it otherwise initially. Sangakkara dragged the ball onto the off-stump with the bails dislodged and the ball hit wickets for the second time after ricocheting from Mumbai wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik.