IPL 2013: Pune Warriors v Mumbai Indians, Where to Watch Live and Preview
Rock-bottom Pune Warriors host neighbours and play-off hopefuls Mumbai Indians in the first of two Indian Premier League (IPL) games on Saturday, with both sides looking for victory in the Maharashtra derby.
Where to Watch Live
The match starts at 11.30am BST, with ITV 4 and ITV 4 HD providing live coverage in the UK. Follow the game live, via text commentary, on ESPN Cricinfo. You can watch the highlights of the match here.
Overview
The Warriors are at the bottom of the league table, as usual, with just two wins from their 13 matches so far. Pune, who lost nine matches on the trot last year, suffered their eighth consecutive loss this season against Kolkata Knight Riders in their previous match on Thursday.
Chasing a modest total of 152 at home, Allan Donald's side were bowled out for just 106, losing the game by 46 runs. Bhuvneshwar Kumar (3/25) and Mitchell Marsh (2/7) impressed with the ball, while the batting collapsed once again. Robin Uthappa (31) and Angelo Mathews (40) were the only batsmen who got double figures in the chase.
Mumbai, on the other hand, sit third in the table, with eight wins from their 12 matches. A win in the derby today will help John Wright's men move to the crucial second spot, with the IPL play-off rules offering a "life" to the top two teams in the knockout phase.
The Indians beat Kolkata by 65 runs at home in their last outing on Tuesday. Sachin Tendulkar (48), Dwayne Smith (47) and Dinesh Karthik (34 not out) helped Mumbain reach a formidable total of 170. Meanwhile, Harbhajan Singh (3-27), Mitchell Johnson (2-13) and Pragyan Ojha (2-23) all contributed with the ball to restrict the defending champions to 105.
History favours Mumbai in this fixture as they have won four of the last five meetings against Pune. The reverse fixture at the Wankhede last month saw the Indians triumphing by a comprehensive 41 runs after posting 183, thanks to a half-century from captain Rohit Sharma.
Form Guide
Pune Warriors
- Last Five Games (all competitions, most recent first): L L L L L
- Last Match: Kolkata Knight Riders beat Pune Warriors by 46 runs
Mumbai Indians
- Last Five Games (all competitions, most recent first): W W L W W
- Last Match: Mumbai Indians beat Kolkata Knight Riders by 65 runs
Team News
Pune Warriors: Australian all-rounder Steve Smith was recently ruled out of the rest of the IPL, due to a lower-back complaint. His compatriot and franchise captain Michael Clarke was already out of the tournament due to recurring lower back and hamstring injuries. New Zealand batsman Ross Taylor has returned home to prepare for the tour of England. Donald will also be without West Indian all-rounder Marlon Samuels and Bangladesh opener Tamim Iqbal for this game.
Mumbai Indians: Wright, on the other hand, has no injury or fitness concerns and is likely to field the same side that beat the Knight Riders.
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