May 16, 2008	Friday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 10, 1429

MUMBAI, May 15: Sachin Tendulkar’s return dominated most of the pre-match buzz but it was the eruption from Sanath Jayasuriya that Mumbai Indians toasted at the end of a comfortable nine-wicket win over Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League tie at the Wankhede Stadium on Wednesday (also partly reported in Thursday’s edition).

Chennai appeared to have cobbled together a fighting total, in conditions that assisted swing bowling, but Jayasuriya’s sizzler, the second-fastest IPL hundred that was punctuated with 11 sixes, put an emphatic end to the contest to lead Mumbai to their fourth successive victory.

Mumbai’s bowlers set-up this win with a fine new-ball exhibition that knocked off the top order. Shaun Pollock wasn’t leading Mumbai in this game but his immaculate early spell (4-1-9-1) led an impressive effort that justified their decision to field first.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Subramaniam Badrinath stitched together a 95-run stand for the visitors but 156 was never going to be challenging if even one batsman got going.

It was inevitable. Jayasuriya, who had made a short trip home during Mumbai’s extended break, was yet to explode in the IPL and there was nothing Chennai could do once sixes began to drip off his bat.

Nonchalant short-arm jabs sailed over the midwicket fence and a few powerful slashes soared over third man. The bowlers were rattled and fed Jayasuriya in his favourite areas. The fact that 102 off his 114 runs came in boundaries (11 sixes and nine fours), told a story.

It was an innings reminiscent of the mid-90s, a time when Jayasuriya filled bowlers with a sense of fear. In fact it was at the same ground when he hammered an unforgettable 151 not out for Sri Lanka in the Independence Cup in 1997, an innings that was appreciated in hushed silence.

This, though, was a celebration in power-hitting, with the crowd getting fully behind Jayasuriya in his fiery mission. One can only imagine the possibilities if Tendulkar had decided to bat first, allowing Jayasuriya a full 20 overs.

The manner in which he treated his fellow Sri Lankan bowlers was interesting — he attempted a couple of audacious reverse-paddles against Muttiah Muralitharan before blistering Chamara Kapugedera for 26 runs in five balls.

Jayasuriya rushed to his hundred with two pulled sixes off Kapugedera — celebrating like a schoolboy who reached his maiden ton — and capped it off with one more that landed on the roof of the Wankhede Stadium.

It was an unforgettable innings and Mumbai’s response to what Adam Gilchrist did to them a few weeks back.

Summarised scores:

CHENNAI SUPER KINGS 156-6 in 20 overs (Subramaniam Badrinath 53, Mahendra Singh Dhoni 43 not out, Stephen Fleming 26; Dhawal Kulkarni 3-33, Dwayne Bravo 2-37); MUMBAI INDIANS 158-1 in 13.5 overs (Sanath Jayasuriya 114 not out).—Agencies