New Delhi: Virender Sehwag, Mahela Jayawardene and Kevin Pietersen (50 not out) continued their dream run with the bat while Umesh Yadav, Irfan Pathan and Shahbaz Nadeem picked up two scalps each as Delhi Daredevils brushed aside Mumbai Indians by 37 runs in an Indian Premier League match at Feroz Shah Kotla here on Friday. The hosts continued their domination at the top to reach 12 points from eight games, while Mumbai Indians stayed seventh with 8 points from as many games.
Chasing a massive 208-run target, Mumbai lost wickets at regular intervals. Left-arm medium pacer Pathan gave Delhi an early breakthrough when he dismissed the Mumbai opener Aiden Blizzard on the third ball of the first over without any run on the board. Rohit Sharma then joined Sachin Tendulkar in the middle, but soon Mumbai lost Tendulkar (7) as well in the third over. He was dismissed by Morne Morkel, giving an easy catch to mid-off.
Rohit (12) was out in the next over and Mumbai were left struggling at 19 for 3 in 3.1 overs. Although Ambati Rayudu (62 off 39) and Dinesh Karthik (40 off 28 balls) tried their best with a 95-run fourth-wicket partnership, Delhi pacer Ajit Agarkar struck just in time for Delhi when he bowled Karthik to put an end to the dangerous looking partnership. And once Nadeem (2 for 35) removed Rayudu and Kieron Pollard (16) in the 16th over, the match was over as a contest.
Earlier, Sehwag scored a whirlwind knock of 73 off just 39 balls as Delhi Daredevils posted a mammoth score of 207 for 5. Sehwag blasted 135 runs with Mahela Jayawardene (55 off 42 balls) as the Mumbai Indian bowlers were smashed all over the ground.
Sehwag, with four towering sixes, was at his brutal best, while the classy Jayawardene matched Sehwag shot for shot, hitting eight boundaries. They racked up their runs at ten per over, with their 100-run partnership rattling up in just 64 balls. Sehwag took just 30 balls to reach his fifty, while the Sri Lankan skipper took 39.
When they parted, Delhi had a bit of a wobble. Jayawardene was the first to go, snaffled by Robin Peterson, before the South African spinner repeated the dose for Sehwag in his next over. Peterson made it three in no time at all as he had the dangerous Irfan Pathan caught off the first ball, and suddenly Delhi's scorecard read 154 for 3 from 135 for no loss.
But Kevin Pietersen smashed an unbeaten 50 with six fours and three sixes to provide the finishing touch to Delhi innings. He added 41 runs in only 2.4 overs with Ross Taylor (15) as Daredevils crossed the 200-run mark. Even though Lasith Malinga effected a double blow picking up Taylor and Yogesh Nayar in successive deliveries off the 19th over, Pietersen ensured that Delhi crossed 200 in the last over.
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