Mumbai on top

Rayudu Sets Up Mumbai Indians' 63-run Win Over Deccan Chargers

Match Report: Match-33: Mumbai Indians vs Deccan Chargers at Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai, 3rd April, 2010

Mumbai, April 3: Table-toppers Mumbai Indians ambushed Deccan Chargers Hyderabad by 63 runs in the Match 33 of the IPL-2010 at Brabourne Stadium here on Saturday night.

This was Mumbai Indians seventh win out of eight matches to earn two more points. They are heading the pack with 14 points. This was their fifth win at Brabourne Stadium. For the 2009 champions Deccan Chargers Hyderabad, it was their fifth defeat. They stay at the seventh position with six points.

Ambati Rayudu’s 28-ball 55 (6x4, 2x6) and his 51-run stand in 20 deliveries with Kieron Pollard (21 off 10 balls, 3x4) gave Mumbai Indians a good competitive total of 178 for 5 in 20 overs. Deccan Chargers Hyderabad, in reply, were bowled out for 115 in 18.2 overs.

Tendulkar looked in tremendous form. He got off to a grand start, hitting boundaries of Ryan Harris in style. But left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha broke the opening pair by having left-hander Shikhar Dhawan (14) stumped in his first over. But Mumbai Indians had a huge setback in the eighth over. The tall leg spinner Rahul Sharma silenced the Mumbai crowd by trapping Tendulkar in front with his second ball. Tendulkar had made 35 off 25 balls (5x4). Deccan Chargers Hyderabad were on top as Ojha scalped his second wicket. He bowled West Indian all-rounder Dwayne Bravo and Mumbai Indians were 62/3 in 9 overs. Ojha had a splendid first spell of 2-0-7-2.

Left-hander Saurabh Tiwary was let off twice in Rahul Sharma’s third over. Herschelle Gibbs failed to hold a skier at long on and it sailed over six. Then Monish Mishra grassed a sitter at point. Tiwary went on to hit 35-ball 44 (1x4, 3x6). But Ojha, who came back for his third spell, scalped his third wicket by having Tiwary at deep square-leg. Tiwary and Rayudu added 65 runs in 7.4 overs.

Rayudu batted with a lot of confidence. He was, however, involved in a collision with wicketkeeper Gilchrist while going for a second run. He had to seek a runner but that did not stop him from reaching his second half century of the tournament with a six over long off. Pollard showed the slog-over aggression by striking three fours in ten balls. Ojha, who was struck for four sixes by Sourav Ganguly in the previous match, came back strongly to finish with three wickets in this match.

Zaheer Khan, introduced in the fifth over, struck with his second ball. Herschelle Gibbs top edged and Tendulkar made no mistake with the skier. A terrible mix up between Harris, who came as a runner for Gilchrist, and Laxman saw the latter get run out. Zaheer Khan then removed Gilchrist (bowled) in the next over to apply brakes on Deccan Chargers Hyderabad. They slipped further when Pollard took a superb return catch to dismiss the Mumbai Ranji batsman Rohit Sharma. Ryan McLaren had the big wicket of Andrew Symonds, bowled through the gate. The writing was on the wall. Deccan Chargers Hyderabad were all out for 115.

Deccan Chargers included Australian fast bowler Ryan Harris, who flew into India two days ago after the New Zealand series. He was included in place of West Indies fast bowler Kemar Roach. VVS Laxman replaced Venugopal Rao while leg spinner Rahul Sharma came in place of medium pacer Harmeet Singh. Mumbai Indians retained the same team.