Mumbai Indians Got Their 2nd win
Skipper Shaun Pollock led from the front as Mumbai Indians defended a small total with verge and vigour to stun table-toppers Delhi Daredevils by 29 runs for their second successive win in the Indian Premier League at the D Y Patil Stadium here on Sunday.
After being restricted to a none-too-tall 162 for eight, the home team, at the bottom of the league chart going into the match, bowled with purpose and struck blows at timely intervals to skittle out the Delhi team for 133 in 18.5 overs.
The bowling heroes for the struggling home team, who brought up the rear going into their sixth match, was stand-in captain Pollock (2 for 16) and discarded India pacer Ashish Nehra, who took 3 for 25 which included two off successive balls.
The superb display by the senior bowlers inspired youngster Dhawal Kulkarni to grab the last two wickets and finish with 2 for 18.
But the most telling blow was struck by Dominic Thornely who, after being introduced as the sixth bowler when Delhi skipper Virender Sehwag was on a rampage, dismissed the flamboyant opener with a low full toss.
Sehwag gave the Delhi Daredevils' chase the early momentum with a quick-fire 40 off only 20 balls, inclusive of three sixes and as many fours, in his inimitable fashion after the visitors were put on the back foot at four for two.
He also added a crucial 45 runs with Shoaib Malik for the fourth wicket after A B de Villiers was run out backing too far to a firm drive from Sehwag which got deflected on to the non-striker's end stumps by the bowler.
Sehwag seemed to be on a roll and his dismissal at 82 in the 11th over simply unhinged the Delhi line-up and also brought the Mumbai Indians back into the game.
Malik (24) and Dinesh Karthik (28) kept them in the fight before departing in the space of two overs and the rest simply caved in as Delhi suffered their second defeat in six ties.
Earlier, Mumbai Indians batting failed to prosper yet another time after being asked to take first strike.
The home team's batting sparkled sporadically with no batsman willing to bat till the end, and they finished with what seemed an inadequate total on a good pitch.
Veteran Sanath Jayasuriya (34), newcomer Yogesh Takawale (14), Thornely (30) and Robin Uthappa (22), in the top order, got starts but failed to make them count as the Delhi Daredevils struck at regular intervals to stop their progress.After a opening stand of 46 between their new pair of wicketkeeper Takawale and veteran Jayasuriya - who looked in supreme touch and struck one six and six fours in his 16-ball knock - the innings went into a decline before being propped up by Thornely and Uthappa.
The third wicket pair put on 52 runs in 36 balls but once this stand between Thornely, who hit two fours and as many sixes in his 24-ball essay, and Uthappa was broken, there was a steep slide.
From 102 for two the home team slid to 112 for six and despite the best efforts of Pollock, who top-scored with 33 in 15 balls, with 3 sixes and 2 fours and was leading the team again after Sachin Tendulkar was declared unfit, the final tally did not assume a menacing proportion.
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