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Bravo inspires Mumbai to dramatic win

Bravo rescued the Mumbai Indians from a seemingly hopelessly position and inspired them to a dramatic two-run win over the Royal Challengers in a Champions League Twenty20.

Dwayne Bravo hit 29 off 17 balls and took two for 23 as Mumbai defeated their fellow Indian Premier League rivals to finish their Group B round robin programme with two wins from four matches.

But the victory is unlikely to earn Mumbai a place in the semi-finals because they have an inferior run rate to the Highveld Lions, who have also had two wins, and Bangalore, who have won once.

The Lions meet Bangalore in Johannesburg on Tuesday in a match which is likely to decide which team joins the South Australian Redbacks from Group B in the last four.

Bangalore appeared to have taken control of Sunday’s match when they reduced Mumbai to 84 for five after 13 overs. Fast bowler Dale Steyn seemed to have given his team the edge after dismissing top-scorer Shikhar Dhawan for 41 and danger man Kieron Pollard for a duck.

But Bravo and Saurabh Tiwary (38 not out) enabled Mumbai to reach 165 for seven. Bangalore could only manage 163 for five in reply despite a sound 71 not out by Rahul Dravid and an explosive 47 off 24 balls by Virat Kohli.

Kohli hit three fours off the penultimate over from Lasith Malinga, which yielded 15 runs, leaving Bangalore needing 13 off the last over, bowled by Zaheer Khan. A boundary by Kohli off the fifth ball meant three were needed off the last delivery but Kohli mistimed a full toss and the ball sailed high in the air. Wicketkeeper Ambati Rayudu held his nerve and took the catch.

“It was a wonderful game,” said Mumbai captain Sachin Tendulkar. “The first half was not so great but Dwayne Bravo pulled us through.” Tendulkar admitted that run rate could scupper his team’s chances of advancing. “It’s beyond our control,” he said.

Bangalore captain Anil Kumble said: “I thought we bowled brilliantly until Bravo and Tiwary took the game away from us.”