Tuskers trample down Knights !

Kochi Tuskers won both matches when they chased.

But today they are batting first and Mahela said he is confident that his team will put up a decent score.

Let us see what will happen.

Tuskers could only get 132, as the Kolkotta spinners, Pathan and Shakib restricted them to a low total. Pathan reduced Kochi from 45/0 to 65/4, taking six Kochi wickets for 48 runs. But Kochi's spinners struck back - Powar, Murali and Jadeja - and restricted them to 126/9 !

Kochi won by 6 runs and moved to No 3 position of the IPL Table.

The Kochi formidable opening pair scored 26 in the first three overs. In comparison, Kolkota was unimpressive, scoring only 20 runs in the first four overs and losing Kallis and Gambhir in the process. Kallis fell for the hook for the second consecutive time and Gambhir played inside the line and had his stumps uprooted by R P Singh.

In the next over, Jadeja removed the off stump of Bisla. Tiwari and Morgan found the going tough against some accurate spin bowling by Kochi. Murali varied his angle and flight superbly, Jadeja fired the ball in and Powar flighted the ball well to stife Kolkotta !

The climibing asking rate saw Morgan charging down for a single which was not there and Mahela, with a direct hit, threw down the stumps. Tiwary blasted RP for back to back boundaries, but Shakib, while trying to hit a full toss, was bowled comprehensively.

47 runs were removed off five overs and then Mahela, like Dhoni, took a risky decision. He brought in Pawar, the offspinner. Pathan hit him to wide long on for four, but got a top edge to a well flighted ball from Pawar. It was brave on the part of Pawar to flight, but fortune favoured him this time.

All eyes were riveted on Tiwari. He had batted intelligently for 45, but Jadeja had him stumped with a superb ball. Bhatia and Abdullah refused to give up, blasting 12 runs off an RP Singh over, the 19 th over. 14 runs were needed off the ultimate over, but Vinay Kumar stifled them with slow deliveries and game the match to Kochi.

Despite the hype of Kolkotta's formidable batting line up, none of the other batsmen, apart from Tiwari, shone.