The fortress that is the Wankhede Stadium cannot be breached - at least not in IPL 2013.
The Mumbai Indians finished their season at home unbeaten after a comfortable 14-run win over the Rajasthan Royals to jump back up to the top of the points table.
Needing 167 for a win, after Mumbai ended their innings on 166 for eight, the Royals lost way too many wickets early, leaving the middle order with too much to do and eventually only managing 152 for seven in their 20 overs.
With the win, Mumbai climbed back to first with 22 points from 15 games, above CSK on nett run rate, while the Royals, who along with the top two have qualified for the playoffs, remain third on 20 points from 15 matches.
It was disaster station for the Royals in the run chase at the beginning, with the away side losing their first four wickets for just 28.
Dravid was unlucky to be given out in the first over, with the umpire raising his finger for an edge to the wicketkeeper off a short delivery from Mitchell Johnson. Dravid was extremely unhappy with the decision and he had every reason to be with replays showing it did not touch the bat.
The James Faulkner at No. 3 experiment did not work again, with the all-rounder top edging one off Dhawal Kulkarni for just 12, while Sanju Samson (4) also walked back with Johnson (two for 23) picking up his second wicket of the innings.
Kulkarni also had his second wicket soon after with Ajinkya Rahane finding Lasith Malinga while going for a shot over the top.
The onus was again on Shane Watson and Stuart Binny to pull the Royals out of the mire, but it did not prove to be Watson's day with the Australian holing out to Kieron Pollard - the man he had a few words with in the middle and indeed in the dugout after his dismissal -- at long-on off Pragyan Ojha, leaving the Royals teetering on 58 for five in 9.1 overs.
It was 88 for six soon after, with Dishant Yagnik castled by Harbhajan Singh for a 14-ball 10, as the Royals found it hard to keep with the asking rate, losing wickets in regular intervals.
With Binny (37 not out, 29b, 3x4, 1x6) and Brad Hodge at the crease, there was still a glimmer of hope as the Royals took the equation to 38 from three overs.
Malinga bowled a superb over, conceding just five runs, leaving the Royals needing 33 runs from 12 balls. Kulkarni (two for 21) gave away ten runs in the penultimate over, meaning the Royals were now facing a target of 23 from the last over.
A trademark Malinga Yorker dismissed Hodge (39, 27b, 7x4), with the Royals unable to pull off a miraculous final-over finish.
The first innings was solid for Mumbai Indians yet again, with Aditya Tare lighting things up for the home side.
Sachin Tendulkar was not risked after the wrist injury that forced him to retire hurt in the last game against the Sunrisers, giving Tare an opportunity to shine at the top of the innings.
Dwayne Smith was also missing, with Glenn Maxwell given another opportunity. Tare and Maxwell opened the innings, as the latter took charge in the early overs.
The Australian slammed three sixes in little time as Mumbai looked to capitalize. However, Maxwell's 17-ball 23-run stay (3x6) was cut short with Watson rapping his compatriot on the pads and the umpire raising his finger, after a little thought.
Tare, though, took over the mantle, frequently finding the boundaries and keeping the run rate over the eight-run mark -- the Mumbai Indians' run rate pretty much stayed the same from over one to 20.
Tare and Dinesh Karthik combined for an impressive 76 from 8.3 overs, with the former dominating the partnership, scoring 51 of those runs.
Karthik and Tare, as is generally the case with a big partnership, fell close together in the space of five deliveries. Karthik (21, 21b, 3x4) was the first to go, holing out to Samson at deep mid-wicket off Pravin Tambe.
Kevon Cooper then accounted for Tare (59, 37b, 8x4, 1x6), with a slower bowl doing the batsman in, allowing Watson to complete a good running catch.
Mumbai Indians were on 108 for three from 12.4 overs, and the rest of the batsmen, including the dangerous pair of Rohit Sharma and Pollard failed to capitalize on the good platform, with the home side losing five wickets in the last seven overs, while scoring just 56 runs.
