Smith pulls the rug from under CSK's feet

In true Barbadian style, Mumbai Indians' latest acquisition Dwyane Smith made the Wankhede his own, belting a six, a four and a four again to help his team stun visitors Chennai Super Kings in front of a jam-packed home crowd on Sunday evening.

16 runs were required off the last over with Mumbai Indians chasing 173 for victory. Smith was on strike and took a single to give tailender Lasith Malinga the strike. Chennai's Australian medium pacer Ben Hilfenhaus then removed Malinga, clean bowled.

RP Singh, the next batsman to walk in, took a single again that brought Smith to the batting end.

With 14 required off three deliveries, Smith blasted the first for a six straight over the bowler's head, a four in the same direction and then a four again, slightly towards long-off. It was a thrilling win in the end which Mumbai Indians should've otherwise won with immense ease.

Sachin Tendulkar provided the perfect start to the Mumbai innings after Chennai had wrapped their innings at 173-8.

He struck a half-century (eventually 74 off 44 balls) and constructed a century stand with middle-order batsman Rohit Sharma (60 off 46 balls) as MI were off to an excellent start. However, a flurry of wickets brought Chennai back into the game until Smith finished it in the end.

Earlier, Chennai Super Kings got off to a sturdy start, with opener M Vijay (41) and Number Three batsman Suresh Raina (36) steadying the innings. Later, allrounder Dwayne Bravo and skipper MS Dhoni too over to help CSK reach 173. For Mumbai Indians, pacers RP Singh and Lasith Malinga picked three wickets each.

The match turned out to be an intense battle between two very good teams and in the end it was the Tendulkar-Sharma partnership and of course Smith's innings that eventually decided the winner.

Mumbai Indians now gear up for Royal Challengers Bangalore in their next home game.