Dehli could not recover from Kartik onslaught

MUMBAI: No one would have imagined Mumbai will go past the 200-run mark after they lost Ricky Ponting (0) and Sachin Tendulkar (1) in the first couple of overs. The former was caught and the latter run-out — both by Mahela Jayawardene before Dinesh Karthik (86 runs, 48 balls, 14×4, 2×6) and Rohit Sharma (74 runs, 50 balls, 4×4, 5×6) went on a rampage.

Karthik brought up his fifty in just 29 balls as Rohit settled at the other end. Even after Karthik was out, Mumbai continued their onslaught with Kieron Pollard and Ambati Rayadu hitting big. Rayadu played just eight balls and managed to score 24 runs (2×4, 2×6) while Rohit saved his best for the last — scoring three huge sixes in the last over for a grand-stand finish.

Ponting may have failed with the bat, but he made sure he’ll be somewhere in the headlines after taking a phenomenal one-handed catch at short mid-off to dismiss Unmukt Chand in the very first over. Chand’s saw leading edge off Harbhajan Singh‘s delivery loop towards Ponting, before the Aussie pulled of a stunning catch — stretching to his right. It was almost in slow motion and Punter didn’t drop the ball even after impact with the ground — and he went off to leap into Harbhajan’s arms.

Despite Jayawardene falling soon after, David Warner and Manprit Juneja were not giving up. Warner (61 runs, 37 balls, 5×4, 4×6) was threatening to take the match to the wire but fell in the 11th over, when Delhi were cruising at 95-2. Ajantha Mendis, Irfan Pathan and Kedar Jadhav didn’t put up much of a fight and Mumbai coasted to victory by 44 runs.