NEW DELHI: Before their match against the Mumbai Indians, Delhi Daredevils captain Jean-Paul Duminy spoke of improving his team's bowling and setting their dismal record at Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium straight. And on Thursday, the captain would been pleased to see his team implementing this to great effect in their first win at home from ten attempts.
After opening batsman Shreyas Iyer (83 off 56 balls; 7x4, 5x6) and Duminy (78 not out off 50 balls; 3x4, 6x6) had recorded the highest partnership of this IPL -- adding 154 in the second wicket -- to take the home side's total to the 190 mark, their bowlers disposed off Mumbai batsmen at opportune moments to wrap up a 37 run victory on a satisfying night of cricket for the Daredevils.
Delhi return to the top four in the points table with their third win while for Mumbai though, a fifth defeat in six games will cast considerable doubts over a season in which they have started very poorly and shows no signs of improving.
Delhi went into the match with an extra spinner in Shahbaz Nadeem, but it was Dominic Muthuswami who started the proceedings by dismissing Lendl Simmons with the score at 35. Amit Mishra accounted for both Unmukt Chand and Keiron Pollard as Mumbai were forced into the defensive.
But it was another leg spinner Imran Tahir who was the pick of the bowlers speeding up the opposition's collapse by picking three wickets in the 17th over. The South African now has 13 scalps from six games and leads the chart for wicket poachers.
However, if there was a star of the game, it was 20-year-old Iyer who with Duminy helped post enough score on board for the bowlers to defend. After losing opener Mayank Agarwal early on, Iyer proved he might be the next big thing in Indian cricket with a brilliant display.
Duminy who chose to drop the anchor at the onset also joined the song halfway through the innings hitting the ball six times over the ropes in his unbeaten innings. It was once again a bad day for the Mumbai bowlers with Harbhajan Singh, Pollard and Mitchell McClanaghan all going for expensive overs.
Angello Mathews who replaced Iyer in the middle also played a few boundaries towards the end helping Delhi to their second 180 plus score of the season at the end of 20 overs.
Mumbai will now travel back home to face Sunrisers Hyderabad there on Friday while Delhi will take on Royal Challengers Bangalore in their penultimate home match at the Feroz Shah Kotla.