IPL 4 Match 49: Mumbai Indians' Rayudu, Rohit and Bowlers Punish Delhi Daredevils

The Mumbai Indians are not the red hot favourites for IPL 4 for nothing. The Delhi Daredevils were blown away by an all round effort by the Mumbai Indians who simply refused to relent.

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It would be fair to say that Aiden Blizard provided the impetus and the Mumbai Indians' dynamic batsmen simply carried forth the efforts. His blaze at the top for thirty-seven runs in a fifty run partnership with Sachin Tendulkar ensured that the Mumbai Indians got off to a tremendous start off only five overs.

Although Tendulkar could not carry on on the day at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, Ambati Rayudu and Rohit Sharma vindicated the faith of their skipper in playing individual innings in a dramatic partnership that left the Delhi Daredevils knowing exactly what they were up against.

Rayudu's fifty-nine from thirty-nine balls was yet another important innings that the wicketkeeper batsmen has been playing in the IPL 4 season, impressing Tendulkar completely. Rohit Sharma was not far behind on forty-nine runs from thirty-two balls to leave the Mumbai Indians dazzling the home crowds with a total of 178 for four.

Delhi soon found themselves in trouble at two down for four with Harbhajan Singh and Lasith Malinga sinking their teeth early. It got progressively worse at four down for seven as Munaf Patel delivered the next best double act. The Delhi Daredevils did not stand a chance at that point, given that their mainstay Virender Sehwag was amongst the first four to drop.

James Hopes though kept the busy act up for the visitors with a half century that defied the situation the Daredevils found themselves in only the the third over. Keeping him company were Venugopal Rao and Irfan Pathan, although the match and the ship has pretty much set sailed by then.

With the fall of Venugopal Rao, the flood gates opened once more and the run out of James Hopes pretty much reflected the problems for the Delhi Daredevils who managed to post 146 runs one ball short of twenty overs, only it would simply not be enough on the day as the Mumbai Indians won handsomely by thirty-two runs.