FIESTA de IPL: INDIANS THUMP AUTHORITY IN DEVIL’S DEN

Delhi Daredevils got a taste of their own medicine as excellent batting display and immaculate bowling performance propelled the Mumbai Indians to the top of the table vanquishing the ever dangerous Delhi by 98 runs.

TEAMS

MUMBAI INDIANS: There was no need for Sachin Tendulkar to make any changes in his squad, but again if you have the costliest player coming in and a player of Dwayne Bravo’s caliber; you are bound to make that change for sure. West Indian Keiron Pollard came in for Ryan Maclaren as Ali Murtaza had to sit out for Bravo, Rayadu and Tiwary were in good knick and a big score was definitely on the cards.

DELHI DAREDEVILS: Punjab and Rajasthan did not pose any serious competition for the Devils, so this was definitely the first litmus test for them in IPL 3.Gambhir, the captain had to show his class in this match, Gambhir fielded an unchanged squad.

Delhi won the toss and elected to bowl first.

GENIUS AT WORK

The mainstay of Delhidardevils, Dirk Nannes did not have the start he would have expected against two legends, starting of with 3 wides on the trot as he over pitched one to Sachin who got it past the cover region with ease for the first boundary. Sachin had started of ominously. Daredevils missed couple of run out chances and the little master went on at his business striking the ball neat and clean, Things worsened for Delhi as captain Gautam Gambhir had to limp back to the dugout due to a pulled hamstring. Substitute Yogesh Nagar though made his presence felt with a stunner of a catch to dismiss the dangerous Jayasurya. Tendulkar though continued nonchalantly picking up the gaps beautifully and timing, exquisite. Aditya Tare seemed to have a gameplan, he just tried to whack every ball, and after failing to connect two pulls, he smashed one over the midwicket boundary of Pradeep Sangwan, Sangwan later got his revenge knocking over Tare. Promising Saurabh Tiwary joined the Little Master as spinners operated from both ends. Tendulkar after delicately placing the ball to third man boundary and dancing down the wicket for a full blooded on drive got holed out at long off, 63 of 32, Tendulkar had done his job.

YOUTHFUL EXUBERENCE

Amabati Rayadu then joined Tiwary as both continued their good form from the first match maintaining the 10 run per over rate. While Tiwary used his feet against the spinners playing them on full, Rayadu decided to utilize the crease shifting his weight to the backfoot clearing the rope with ease on quite a few occasions. By the time Rayadu and Tiwary departed, the later hitting his consecutive 50, the stage was set for Pollard and Bravo to provide the late fireworks. The inning’s final over bowled by Ladda yielded 14 runs and the score was a mammoth 218.

BRISK START

With a batting line up that of the devils, no target was improbable, Dilshan and Sehwag  showed glimpses of that as they amassed 33 of 3 overs, Dilshan scored his first IPL 3 runs smashing Zaheer Khan towards the mid off boundary. Sehwag flicked with vengeance while Dilsan improvised innovatively.

DEVILS COME CRASHING DOWN

The decisive blow was given by Malinga as he foxed his counterpart Dilshan with a slower one; the off stump did a cart wheel. AB De Villiers came in dispatching the very first ball for 4, timing immaculate. In order to up the run rate, Sehwag tried to clear the long off, but with Bravo’s medium pace he failed, Rayadu taking a straight forward catch. Sehwag back in the hood, the same over resulted in the demise of De Villiers. Mahroof and Karthik came in; no signs of Gambhir yet. Delhi were in a spot of bother. Kathik hit three pure cricketing shots for boundaries, he needed to hit a dozen more but when he was brilliantly stumped by Aditya Tare, the spot of bother had turn into a black hole for revival. Mahroof hit some lusty blows to reach 28, the highest for the devils, but the only thing left to see was how big the margin will be. Eventually Harbhajan knocked over Nannes. A 98 runs defeat, Mumbai went on top of the table.

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