And Mumbai Indians were always in with an outside chance for as long as Rohit Sharma was there in the middle. Even the 21 off the last over was on the cards. But then a really sad collision mix-up robbed Rohit, who had already despatched a huge six off the first ball he faced that over, of three crucial deliveries. Zaheer Khan and Chris Morris bowled very well towards the end. Amit Mishra was formidable with his ripping googlies and flight, along with Imran Tahir. Krunal Pandya's power hitting in the middle overs kept them in the chase even though Delhi's spinners were choking the run-rate.
Delhi Daredevils captain Zaheer Khan says the youth in the team is really refreshing. Guess he's definitely looking at Sanju Samson and Quinton de Kock. Says the key was to have around 3-4 overs from the leg-spinners for Pollard and Buttler. Well, that plan certainly worked out.
And DD coach Rahul Dravid is a man with a red face and veins. Who. Are. You. And. What. Have. You. Done. With. The. Wall
After seeing this. I am feeling happy for the Loss. It's Okay to loss the game honouring THE WALL. >#DDvMI>pic.twitter.com/A9udyYg4DV
— Rohit Sharma (@imRo45_) >April 23, 2016
MI 154/7 after 20 overs (lose by 10 runs)
Morris bowls the final over. Rohit absolutely muscles a length ball on middle stump over cow-corner for six .
And a real mix-up now. Rohit and non-striker Hardik collide front-on at full pelt. Rohit (65 from 48) has the wind knocked out of him, and falls to the ground mid-pitch. Meanwhile, Morris has unseated the bails at the non-strikers' end. Chris Morris and de Kock took off the bails at both ends to ensure Rohit was the man out. Then Harbhajan (0 from 1) goes very next ball, falling over to an scorching LBW. And that final over does it.
MI 144/5 after 19 overs (need 21 from 6)
Zaheer bowling in unhittable spots. How do you hit a ball that arrives from the right-hander's blind spot, and then goes through the tiny gap betweem bat and toes? Now, Pollard just converts a yorker into a low full-toss over cow-corner for six . But Zaheer comes right back and gets Pollard (19 from 18) caught at Deep Cover.
MI 133/4 after 18 overs (need 32 from 12)
Morris wants to give no width, and targets a middle-and-leg line. But the first one goes down way down Pollard's legside. A couple of yorkers follow to Pollard and Rohit. Now, Pollard is nonplussed at a legside wide not being given; umpire probably reckons it clipped his pyjama on the way? And Mumbai finally break the shackles as Rohit drills a much-needed four down Long-on.
MI 123/4 after 17 overs (need 42 from 18)
Rohit now brings up his fifty off 41 balls. Mishra now has Pollard in a spot of bother, as the big man plays and misses, but manages to get his toe down on the ground inside the crease. Good over from Mishra, and the brakes have been put on the scoring for the nonce. Leaves Mumbai needing 14 runs an over off the last three.
MI 118/4 after 16 overs (need 47 from 24)
Whoa. Now, Tahir too coming in with googlies. Hits Pollard's pads beaten, but his line isn't as effective as Mishra's.
MI 114/4 after 15 overs (need 51 from 30)
Now, Mishra with another ripping googly, and Jos Buttler is utterly bamboozled, going for a weird square-cut/chop at the last minute. Pollard is in now.
Rohit Sharma is now just three short of his fifty. Game still Mumbai's for the taking.
MI 109/3 after 14 overs (need 56 from 36)
Morris bowls a tight over for just 5 runs.
MI 104/3 after 13 overs (need 61 from 42)
And Krunal Pandya is gone for 36 off 17 balls. Run-out courtesy Zaheer Khan's strong arm.
MI 98/2 after 12 overs (need 67 from 48)
Now, Krunal is striking it in the air. With impunity. Tahir goes for a six and a four towards Long-on. Great over for Mumbai Indians, 14 runs come off it.
MI 84/2 after 11 overs (need 81 from 54)
Krunal plays Shami for a beautiful low ramp for four through Third-man. Mumbai Indians looks comfortable now.
MI 78/2 after 10 overs (need 87 from 60)
The batsmen are chopping and nudging Tahir behind square here. Waiting on the back foot and letting the ball do its thing is a good way to play these googly-mongers. Krunal gets four through Third-man in the bargain.
MI 70/2 after 9 overs (need 95 from 66)
Mishra gets a breakthrough with an immense googly. Rayudu drives all over the ball, which slips under his bat and breaks his stumps. But Krunal Pandya ends the over with a powerful shot for six over cow-corner.
MI 60/1 after 8 overs
Now, it's Imran Tahir (who's come in for Carlos Brathwaite). into the attack. Bowls another quiet over for just 3 runs.
MI 57/1 after 7 overs
Amit Mishra is bowling with nice flight. Keeps it down to 5 runs. Required run-rate is now climbing from the quiet last few overs
MI 52/1 after 6 overs
Zaheer has kept this over really tight and around off-stump. Beat Rayudu's bat once and confined Rayudu to the Third-man region by shortening his length and forcing him to stay on the back foot.
MI 47/1 after 5 overs
Chris Morris bowls a great over for MI, for just 2 runs and almost had Rayudu caught at slip off a nippy delivery.
MI 45/1 after 4 overs
Rohit continues to drive with panache through Mid-off for four . And now Rayudu joins in to knock Mohammad Shami for two four s on the on-side off the last two balls.
MI 32/1 after 3 overs
But Rohit Sharma is on fire (from all the heat?). He smashes Pawan Negi for a 19-run over in which four four s were struck off yorkers, short balls, full balls and wide balls alike.
MI 13/1 after 2 overs
Parthiv Patel (1 from 4) goes early, in the second over. Attempted a pull shot that Shreyas Iyer swooped down on, whipped back to 'keeper de Kock and Parthiv was short of the crease.
MI 8/0 after 1 over
Rohit Sharma is off the blocks straight away. Four off the first and last balls of Zaheer Khan's over. But in between, Zaheer ruled Rohit with subtle pace changes and movement.
Sanju Samson played a masterful knock for 60 off 48 balls — close to a third of Delhi's runs — accompanied by JP Duminy in a 71-run partnership. The Daredevils lost Quinton de Kock early, courtesy Mitch McClenaghan and Hardik Pandya. McClenaghan ended up with figures of 2/31, and used a liberal dose of short balls up front to domineer the Delhi openers. Will 164 be enough on this pitch after the lights come on?
----------------------------
Mumbai Indians elected to field on a dry Ferozeshah Kotla wicket. Isn't it kind of a hot afternoon to want to field?
Delhi Daredevils 1 Quinton de Kock (wk), 2 Shreyas Iyer, 3 Sanju Samson, 4 JP Duminy, 5 Karun Nair, 6 Pawan Negi, 7 Chris Morris, 8 Mohammad Shami, 9 Imran Tahir, 10 Zaheer Khan (capt), 11 Amit Mishra
Mumbai Indians 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Parthiv Patel (wk), 3 Ambati Rayudu, 4 Jos Buttler, 5 Kieron Pollard, 6 Hardik Pandya, 7 Krunal Pandya, 8 Harbhajan Singh, 9 Tim Southee, 10 Mitchell McClenaghan, 11 Jasprit Bumrah
