Kolkata beat Pune by 46 runs for first away win

Result: Kolkata Knight Riders beat Pune Warriors by 46 runs.

Toss: KKR won the toss and chose to bat first.

Click here for the scorecard.

KKR 152-6 in 20 overs (Gambhir 50, Doeschate 31. Bhuvneshwar 3/25):  Skipper Gambhir got his 20th IPL fifty (50 runs, 44b, 6x4) to give KKR a fine start before most of their middle order failed to produce much. Jacques Kallis (2), Eoin Morgan (15) and Yusuf Pathan (3) disappointed as Gambhir stuck at the other end. But after his wicket, Ryan ten Doeschate started hitting the big shots — to dispel the mid-innings collapse and take his team to a respectable total.

Doeschate ended with 31 (21b, 3x4, 1x6) and Manoj Tiwary added a quick 15 (10b, 2x4) before Rajat Bhatia’s last over four and six. KKR scored 56 runs in the last five overs despite Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s fine figures of 3/25 and Parvez Rasool’s debut haul of 1/23.

Pune 106 all out in 19.3 overs (Mathews 40. Balaji 3/19, Narine 2/12): Angelo Mathews’ 40 from 28 balls (4x6) and Robin Uthappa’s vain 31 (35b, 2x4) are worth mentioning, but it was Jacques Kallis’ glare at the umpire which was the biggest highlight of the innings. The South African claimed he got a boot at Uthappa’s straight drive to catch Aaron Finch (non-striker) out of the crease. The umpire didn’t think there was any contact between the ball and Kallis’ foot, to which the all-rounder said: “Am I a cheat?”

It wasn’t over there. Two deliveries later, Kallis bowled Finch and celebrated with a stare towards the umpire that we’re sure the man in red must not have enjoyed.

Apart from Uthappa and Mathews, there wasn’t any fight from the Pune batsmen. Balaji dismissing Yuvraj Singh was reminiscent of a Test wicket — the ball seaming away from him, forcing an edge before being taken by the keeper. Pune’s batters completely failed against a disciplined KKR attack, succumbing under the pressure to play the shots after a sorry start to their run-chase. At the halfway stage, they were only 49-3 and it was evident this was going to be a struggle.

Turning point: Doeschate’s innings turned the tables. Until then, it looked like this would be a low-scorer, but his quickfire innings provided KKR with the buffer their bowlers needed.

Man of the match: Balaji, with 3/19, was just fantastic — taking the wickets of Yuvraj Singh, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Parvez Rasool.