High-scoring Mumbai Indians demolish Delhi Daredevils

High-scoring Mumbai Indians demolish Delhi Daredevils

Match Report: Match-9: Mumbai Indians v Delhi Daredevils at Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium, 17th March, 2010

New Delhi, March 17: Skipper Sachin Tendulkar (32-ball 62, 11x4) was on a roll as he led his Mumbai Indians from the front to a huge 98-run win over table toppers Delhi Daredevils in Match 9 of the IPL 2010 at the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium here tonight.

Firing on all cylinders, the Mumbai Indians posted a massive 218/7 in 20 overs, which incidentally is their highest score in the IPL thus far. It was also the Mumbai Indians second successive 200 plus score in IPL 2010. Delhi Daredevils, in reply, were never in the hunt as they were dismissed for 120 in 16.3 overs. In their defense Delhi Daredevils, did suffer a huge setback when their skipper Gautam Gambhir pulled a hamstring and did not bat. This incidentally was the first first defeat for the Delhi Daredevils in three outings in IPL 2010, while Mumbai Indians recorded their second consecutive win to be placed at the top of the leader board.

Delhi Daredevils batting fell apart once T Dilshan and Virender Sehwag were back in the pavilion in the seventh over. Dilshan was done in by a slower one by Lasith Malinga to be bowled. Then the dangerous Sehwag, after hitting a typical 16-ball 26, was caught in the deep off medium pacer Dwayne Bravo. The tricky Bravo scalped his second wicket in the same over by bowling AB de Villiers, which pretty much took the wind out of Delhi’s sails. Bravo and Kieron Pollard, who did not get enough opportunity with the bat, made their presence felt with the ball

Earlier, Tendulkar was in full flow. He cracked 11 dazzling fours to give the Mumbai Indians just the sort of start they needed. He drove and pulled on his way to a blazing 50 which came off only 23 deliveries, which saw the Mumbai Indians gallop to 50 in just 4.3 overs. Tendulkar’s innings came to an end when substitute fielder Yogesh Nagar, who came in place of the injured Gamhir, held a low catch off leg spinner Amit Mishra. Nagar had earlier pulled off a spectacular catch at mid-off to dismiss the Matara mauler and left-handed Mumbai Indian opener Sanath Jayasuriya, leaping high in the air to take a spectacular one-handed catch.

After Tendulkar’s departure, the tall Saurabh Tiwary and the impressive Ambati Rayudu were involved in some lusty hitting. The fourth wicket pair stitched 71 runs in 34 deliveries before Rayudu was superbly snapped at long-on by Dilshan. However, the left-handed Tiwary completed his second successive 50, which came off only 31 deliveries.

The dismissal of Rayudu (34, 21 balls, 1x4, 3x6) brought in the IPL’s costliest player Kieron Pollard to the crease for his IPL debut. The hard-hitting West Indian batsman was greeted by a dangerous beamer from left-arm Delhi Daredevils seamer Dirk Nannes and the next ball Pollard had a narrow escape when Mishra failed to hold a low catch at long on. Tiwary was run out in the 19th over for 37-ball 61 (4x4, 3x6).

Leg spinner Sarabjit Ladda brought some cheers to Delhi Daredevils by dismissing the two West Indians Dwayne Bravo and Keiron Pollard in the last over. Farveez Maharoof, Pradeep Sangwan, Ladda and Mishra went for more than 40 runs. Dirk Nannes, the Aussie though was the best bowler for the Delhi Daredevils, conceding only 35 runs.

The Mumbai Indians now take on the Royal Challengers Bangalore back home in Mumbai on March 20th, which should make for a mouth watering prospect, given the form of both the teams.