Delhi disappointed; Ponting-led MI triumph

MI made a couple of changes to their playing (Pat)eleven – Dwayne Smith and Munaf made way for Rishi Dhawan and Lasith Malinga.

DD made three changes to their playing (Mork)eleven – Andre Russell, Johan Botha, and Naman Ojha made way for Jeevan Mendis, Kedar Jadhav, and Morne.

On winning the toss, Ricky Ponting, MI’s skipper, chose to bat.

The first Powerplay of MI’s innings – which was the mandatory Powerplay – was between the first and the sixth over. They scored 38, and lost a couple of wickets.

Ponting, who faced an over, didn’t open his account. (Path)An over into the match, he was caught by Mahela Jayawardene, DD’s skipper, off the bowling of Irfan.

The second-wicket pair put on a run. Sachin Tendulkar, who faced a ball, scored a run. Three balls later, Jayawardene ran him out.

MI scored 50 off seven overs (43 balls). The number of extras they had conceded at that point gave DD no reason to be in seventh heaven.

It was at that point that there was a milestone – Rohit Sharma scored his 2,000^th IPL run.

The third-wicket pair put on 50 off 34 balls. While the contribution of Dinesh Karthik, the player of the match, to the partnership was 34, Rohit’s contribution to it was nine. Extras’ contribution to the partnership gave MI no reason to be in seventh heaven.

Dinesh’s half-century – which included eight boundaries and a six – came off 29 balls.

MI scored 100 off a dozen overs (73 balls). DD had conceded eight extras at that point.

The third-wicket pair put on 100 off 65 balls. While Dinesh’s contribution to the partnership was 72, Rohit’s contribution to it was 25. Extras’ contribution to the partnership was eight.

Dinesh, whose 48-ball innings included 14 boundaries and a couple of sixes, eventually scored 86. Seventy-nine balls after Tendulkar’s (Men)dismissal, he was caught by the Sri Lankan. Morne broke the 132-run partnership.

MI scored 150 off 16.1 overs (98 balls). DD had conceded 10 extras at that point. That was, incidentally, the number of extras they eventually conceded.

Rohit’s half-century – which included four boundaries and a couple of sixes – came off 42 balls.

He eventually scored 74 off 50 balls, which included the aforementioned number of boundaries, in addition to five sixes. He was unbeaten.

Although his innings included a boundary and a six, Kieron Pollard had no reason to be in seventh heaven – he scored 13. Seventeen balls after Dinesh’s dismissal, he was caught by Shahbaz Nadeem. Ashish Nehra broke the 30-run stand.

Ambati Rayudu, whose eight-ball innings included a couple of boundaries and as many sixes, scored 24. Ten balls later, he was caught by Nehra, who broke the 26-run stand.

Harbhajan Singh, who faced a ball, scored a run. He was unbeaten.

MI scored 200 off 19.3 overs (118 balls).

They scored 209 for the loss of five wickets off 20 overs.

Mendis bowled two overs, conceding 20. He was wicketless, as were Umesh Yadav and Nadeem, who bowled three wickets apiece. While the former conceded 28, the latter conceded 26.

Morne and Irfan bowled four overs each, picking up a wicket apiece. While the former conceded 43, the latter, whose spell included a maiden, conceded 37.

Nehra bowled four overs, conceding 49. He picked up a couple of scalps.

The first Powerplay of DD’s innings – which was the mandatory Powerplay – was between the first and the sixth over. They scored 46, and lost a couple of wickets.

DD’s openers didn’t get off the mark. Unmukt Chand, who faced a ball, didn’t open his account. A ball into the chase, he was caught by Ponting off the bowling of Harbhajan.

Jayawardene, who faced half-a-dozen balls, scored three. Fifteen balls later, he was caught by Dinesh. Johnson broke the 13-run stand.

DD scored 50 off 6.3 overs (39 balls). MI had conceded a couple of extras at that point.

The third-wicket pair put on 50 off 35 balls. While David Warner’s contribution to the partnership was 29, Manprit Juneja’s contribution to it was 20. Extras’ contribution to the partnership was a run.

Warner’s half-century – which included four boundaries and three sixes – came off 34 balls.

He eventually scored 61 off 37 balls, which included five boundaries and four sixes. Forty-eight balls after Jayawardene’s dismissal, he was caught by Rayudu. Johnson broke the 82-run partnership.

Mendis, who faced a ball, didn’t get off the mark. Three balls later, he was caught by Pollard, who broke the two-run stand.

DD scored 100 off 11.5 overs (71 balls). MI had conceded three extras at that point.

Irfan, who faced a dozen balls, scored 10. Eighteen balls after the Sri Lankan’s (Men)dismissal, he was caught by Johnson. Pragyan Ojha broke the 21-run stand.

Jadhav, who faced a couple of balls, scored a run. Seven balls later, he was caught by Malinga, who broke the nine-run stand.

Nadeem, who faced three balls, scored a couple. Seven balls later, he was caught by Rishi. Pragyan broke the run-a-ball stand.

The eighth-wicket pair put on half-a-dozen. Juneja, whose 40-ball innings included half-a-dozen boundaries, scored 49. Seven balls later, Rishi ran him out.

Morne, whose nine-ball innings included three boundaries, scored 23. He was unbeaten.

DD scored 150 off 18.3 overs (111 balls). MI had conceded 10 extras at that point. That was, incidentally, the number of extras they eventually conceded.

Nehra, who faced five balls, scored a run. Nine balls after Juneja’s dismissal, he was caught by Pragyan. Pollard broke the 14-run stand.

Umesh, whose four-ball innings included a boundary, scored five. He was unbeaten.

DD, who scored 165 for the loss of nine wickets off 20 overs, lost by 44 runs.

Each of the five bowlers bowled four overs apiece.

Harbhajan and Malinga picked up a wicket apiece. While the former conceded 25, the latter conceded 20.

Johnson, Pollard and Pragyan picked up a couple of scalps apiece. They conceded 49, 35, and 34, respectively.