Mumbai : It wouldn't be a stretch to say that on paper, at least, the Delhi Daredevils look the most improved side in the Indian Premier League since last season.
Two solid wins have sandwiched below-average display in Bangalore last week, but it is on Monday the Daredevils will face their toughest challenge yet when they take on a Mumbai Indians side that, along with league leaders Pune Warriors India, is looking the most potent in the competition.
A win on Monday will take the Daredevils to the top of the table after four games, given their strong net run rate of + 0.820, while Mumbai too will get past Pune if they win, albeit having played one more game.
Mumbai slipped up once when they couldn’t chase down a paltry run target against Pune but Harbhajan Singh’s team has been force to reckon with, despite the absence of Sachin Tendulkar due to a finger injury for the last three games. The Mukesh Ambani-owned franchise beat defending champions Chennai Super Kings the opening match of the season, and also notched up resounding wins against Deccan Chargers and Rajasthan Royals.
Their main strength have been their bowlers, with Munaf Patel, Lasith Malinga and Kieron Pollard being the top three wicket-takers thus far in the league. The likes of Rohit Sharma and Pollard have stepped their game and played match-winning knocks.
Up against last year’s Champions League Twenty20 winners is a Daredevils side that has finally got batting calibre to match the guns from other teams.
The ever-dangerous skipper Virender Sehwag is joined by the number one Twenty20 batsman in world according to the ICC rankings, Kevin Pietersen, and vice-captain Mahela Jayawardene slots in as the fulcrum around which the batting revolves. Add to mix the availability of the explosive Ross Taylor, and Delhi are full of potential match-winners.
In the bowling department, is South African Morne Morkel who has led the way with seven wickets in three games, while Umesh Yadav has maintained the pressure by not giving too much away.
The fact that Tendulkar knocked the ball around in the nets for a long time on both days preceding the match would have a few hearts aflutter in their dressing room, and it will be up to Delhi’s supporting cast of bowlers - Irfan Pathan and the left-arm spin duo of Roelof van der Merwe and Shahbaz Nadeem — to make sure they provide enough support to their star bowlers.
The Wankhede Stadium pitch is expected to be favourable to batsmen, as are the short boundaries square of the wicket. With the weather forecast ideal, it looks like a mouth-watering runfest could be on the cards for the Mumbai crowd. And they would certainly hope that the Master Blaster will be able to showcase a few of his trademark straight drives, like he did in the nets.
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