MI makes a mockery of 199-run target, wins by eight wickets

Hashim Amla's maiden IPL ton — an unbeaten 104 — went in vain as Mumbai Indians chased down 199 runs in 15.3 overs to beat Kings XI Punjab by eight wickets in the Indian Premier League.

Jos Buttler was all brute and brawn in the match against Kings XI Punjab.

Hashim Amla's maiden IPL ton — an unbeaten 104 — went in vain as Mumbai Indians beat Kings XI Punjab by eight wickets in the Indian Premier League here.

Chasing 199, Mumbai openers Jos Buttler and Parthiv Patel knocked off 81 runs off 35 balls to signal that the deal was on.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Buttler was all brute and brawn — in stark contrast to Amla — as if trampling ahead in a fit of temper. By the time he departed, with 77 off 37 balls, he had left his team 33 to get off 42 balls.

Buttler was amply supported by the in-form Nitish Rana who hit an unbeaten 62 off 34 balls.

Earlier, with Manan Vohra unwell and out, Kings XI had made four changes from its last match. Shaun Marsh was slotted in and he made it seem it worked, initially.

He charmed and harmed with his cut shot. Charmed the viewers, for he gives off a sense that he owns it — as if it's something he just intuitively knew how to do right all his life. The precision of it evokes a cellist angling his fiddle. And he harmed the opposition, for he mines even the slightest of width offered and the smallest of gaps in the field. And four out of the five times, he found the ropes.

Then, Maxwell dared to hit at will. In the 15 over, he hit McClenaghan for two fours, and three sixes — one straight up, and one each over long-on and deep square leg. He shifted swift and slick at the crease to play all these shots. The way he played them was as if he meant this: “Hey, what's the big deal? You see ball, you hit ball.” That sure would've pleased his coach (Virender) Sehwag — though earlier, he looked fairly pleased when a video footage of Adam Gilchrist dancing a clumsy "Gangnam style" in his last IPL match played on the big screen.

As if stimulated by a dose of caffeine, Amla soared from Maxwell's flight. In the next over — the 16th — he amassed 22 runs with two fours and two sixes off Malinga and went on to smoothly freewheel till the end. Maxwell was all in-your-face punchline, Amla was his typical understated elegance. He was there from start till the end, neither too bedazzling, nor all too dormant, yet effecting a ton to try affect Mumbai's chances.