Gambhir guides Kolkata to win overs Punjab at Cuttack

Former champions Kolkata rode on captain Gautam Gambhir’s unbeaten 63 and two sizeable partnerships to register a morale-boosting nine-wicket win over table toppers Punjab in the 34th IPL match at Barabati Stadium here today. Chasing 150 for victory, Kolkata romped home with two overs to spare.
This was the fourth win for Kolkata, who moved up to the fourth position in the league table with eight points from in nine matches. In the process, Gambhir and his team-mates avenged the 23-run defeat they had suffered at the hands of Punjab earlier in first-leg. However, irrespective of the defeat, Punjab stayed as joint leaders with 14 points, the same as two-time champions Chennai Super Kings.
Man of the match Gambhir’s opening partner Robin Uthappa and Manish Pandey also made notable contributions in the imposing win, hitting 46 (28b, 8x4, 1x6) and 36 not out (35b, 3x4) respectively. Gambhir led from the front to register his third half-century in a row. His 45-ball responsible knock was embellished with seven boundaries.
Initially Gambhir played second fiddle to in-form Uthappa, who hammered Sandeep Sharma for three fours in the third over to indicate that he was in a punishing mood. In the next over, Uthappa blasted Mitchell Johnson for a top-edged six over third man and followed it with three fours in a row.
Uthappa compiled 68 runs for the opening wicket with Gambhir but missed what would have been his third half-century of the season. He got out flicking Parvinder Awana uppishly to mid-wicket, where Akshar Patel took a beautiful catch.
After the exit of Uthappa, Gambhir took charge of the chase and his unfinished 82-run association with Pandey helped Kolkata overhaul the target comfortably. Of course, Gambhir got a life when he was dropped on 57 by his opposite number at mid-wicket, but that did not matter much as Kolkata were at the door step of victory.
Earlier, senior pro Virender Sehwag’s sizzling half-century helped Punjab muster a respectable total of 149 for eight. Put into bat, Pujab, however, failed to capitalize on a flying start given by Sehwag, who anchored the innings with a 50 ball 72 (11x4, 1x6).
Barring medium-pacer Jacquest Kallis, who leaked 38 runs in three overs, Kolkata bowlers did a good job in restricting the marauding Punjab batsmen, especially at the death. Leg-spinner Piyush Chawla was most successful among them, bagging three wickets for 19 runs, while speedster Morkel picked up a brace for 20 runs.
Sehwag was in an aggressive mood from the word go as he hit Kallis for four boundaries in in the opening over, which fetched 17 runs. But his young opening partner Mandeep Singh’s poor run continued as he was caught behind off Morkel for a duck in the scond over.
Wicket-keeper Wriddhiman Saha, who was promoted in the batting order, looked in good touch, hitting Umesh Yadav for two fours in the fifth over. But he failed to cash in on the good start as he was played on, edging an incoming delivery off Morkel in the next over for 15. Morkel was economic, bowled on the right areas and got the rewards he deserved.
Kolkata’s lack-lustre fielding also cost them dear initially. Sehwag was dropped by Uthappa off Morkel on 23. The batsman capitalized on the life as he hit the first six of the match, lofting Kallis over long-off in the seventh over, while Punjab’s 50 came off 6.1 over.
Punjab suffered a major jolt as their trump card Maxwell got out for 14, his lowest score in nine innings, slog-sweeping Chawla straight to Morkel at deep square-leg. The dismissal came as a heart-break for a 30,000 strong crowd, which was eager to see a century from the Aussie all-rounder’s bat.
After surpassing his previous IPL-7 highest score of 37, which he had also notched against Punjab, Sehwag looked set for a century, hitting Morkel for two successive boundaries in the 14th over. But sudden rush of blood denied him the glory as he was castled by Chawla while charging down the track for a big hit.
Kolkata tasted another success in the next over when Umesh Yadav clean bowled David Miller for 13. Chawla brought Kolkata back into the game taking another wicket in the 17th over. This time he foxed Rishi Dhawan, who was clean bowled for four. Kolkata bowlers performed well at the death, conceding 32 runs against four wickets in the last five overs.

BRIEF SCORE: Punjab 149/8 in 20 overs (V Sehwag 72; P Chawla 3/19, M Morkel 2/10) lost to Kolkata 150/1 in 18 overs (G Gambhir 63 n.o, R Uthappa 46, M Pandey 36 n.o) by 9 wkts. PoW: G Gambhir.