Imran Tahir runs through MI to end DD’s Kotla jinx
Leg Spinner Imran Tahir returned a three-wicket haul after skipper Jean-Paul Duminy and Shreyas Iyer’s batting exploits as Delhi Daredevils ended a nine-match losing streak at home with a 37-run win over Mumbai Indians in their Indian Premier League match, in New Delhi on Thursday.
Chasing 191 for a win, Mumbai faltered against Delhi’s smart catching and great spin force, ably led by Tahir (3-22), to manage only 153 for nine in 20 overs.
Earlier, big fifties from Duminy (78 not out) and Shreyas Iyer (83) helped DD set an imposing target of 190 for four.
Mumbai Opener Lendl Simmons (15) let go of a quick start to mis-hit a Domnic Muthuswami delivery as Duminy pulled off a sensational running catch.
Delhi captain pedalled back from mid on to take a behind-the-wicket catch as he ran, tumbled, dived and recovered to take a well-judged skier in the end.
The Delhi catching continued to impress the home crowd as Tahir then took a brilliant outfield catch to send Parthiv Patel (28) back in the dug-out off Angelo Mathews.
Patel, who had hit 4 fours and a six in his 19-ball blitz, pulled the ball over mid-wicket only to see Tahir cover good ground and take a sharp catch at deep square leg.
DD bowlers kept chipping in with wickets as leg-spinner Amit Mishra (2-32) got Delhi boy Unmukt Chand (14) stumped to make the MI task difficult.
Mishra was at it once again as he got Kieron Pollard (10) mistimed a slice to Shahbaz Nadeem at mid-on.
Captain Rohit Sharma (30) and Ambati Rayudu (30) then tried to get the chase on track, stitching a 49-run fifth wicket partnership.
Wicketkeeper Kedhar Jadhav though did miss a stumping off Mishra to give Rayudu a life in the 13th over. Rayudu was on 5.
But the DD fielders continued to take their catches as Nadeem took another neat skier at sweeper cover off Nathan Coulter-Nile to send dangerman Rohit back in the hut.
Hardik Pandya (0) could hardly blink as Tahir got him caught at long-off. On song in the 17th over, Tahir struck again to get Rayudu caught at long-off once again.
Mitchell McClenaghan (0) was next, caught behind, as Tahir was on a hat-trick and the tournament’s top-wicket taker (13 wickets in 6 games) celebrated by taking the customary run in the park.
Lasith Malinga played out the hat-trick ball but Tahir firmly got the purple cap on his head.
The rest was a mere formality as DD enjoyed their third win in six games while MI suffered their fifth loss in as many matches.
Put into bat, DD overcame an early blow to see big fifties from Iyer (83) and Duminy (78 not out) help the home team post 190 for four in 20 overs.
New Zealand left-arm pacer Mitchell McClenaghan (2/38) struck in the very first over to send Mayank Agarwal back.
The opener pulled a shortish delivery only to be holed out at short mid-wicket, where Ambati Rayudu took the catch.
But after that it was an all DD show with Iyer and Duminy entertaining a good weekday crowd in a bid to end the team’s 9-match losing streak at home.
Mumbai-born Iyer, who hit 7 fours and 5 sixes in his 56-ball stay, and Duminy, whose 50-ball knock was laced with 3 fours and 6 sixes, mixed with the right dose of caution and aggression, to take the attack to the opposition.
Iyer, who hit his second fifty of the season, was severe on medium-pacer Jasprit Bumrah (1-55), hitting the medium-pacer for a six and two fours to help DD get 16 runs off the 11th over.
Seeing his partner in top form, Duminy also changed gears as the South African hit Kieron Pollard for a four and 2 sixes in the very next over to fetch his team 20 runs.
The duo continued its onslaught after the second time out post the 13th over as the 20-year-old Iyer smashed Harbhajan Singh (0-34) for two sixes and Duminy also brought up his second fifty of the season in the off-spinners final over that went for 18 runs.
Getting a little over-ambitious, Iyer was finally cleaned up by Lasith Malinga (1-23), in the 17th over, as the right-hander shuffled across to attempt a lap-scoop and the Yorker just sneaked in.
New-man Angelo Mathews (17) never allowed the run-rate to slip as the Sri Lankan kept hitting the boundaries – 3 in his 8-ball cameo. But attempting a pull against McClenaghan, Mathews got a thin edge and the gentleman cricketer walked back without a fuss.
Guilty of giving away too many runs in his quota of overs, Bumrah did get a consolation wicket of Yuvraj Singh (2) in the final over of the innings. The final six deliveries fetched only 10 runs for the home team as Duminy carried his bat through.
