DD vs MI: Malinga gives Mumbai Indians a yorking start

NEW DELHI: In Twenty20 cricket, very few matches follow a script but the Delhi Daredevils-Mumbai Indians encounter was always going one way. Lasith Malinga ensured that the devils were not up for the dare in their first match of the IPL-4 at the Ferozeshah Kotla here on Sunday.


The Sri Lankan paceman went from villain to hero for Mumbai in a week's time, claiming 5/13 in 3.4 overs to bundle out the Daredevils for 95 in 17.4 overs. Harbhajan Singh chipped in with 2/14 in three overs.

MI skipper Sachin Tendulkar (46 n.o., 50b, 3x4, 1x6) and Rohit Sharma (27 n.o., 30b, 3x4) never broke a sweat as they cruised to the target to claim a eight-wicket win with 19 balls to spare. It was as comprehensive a victory as possible in a Twenty20 contest.

The Mukesh Ambani-owned side were the boss on the field from the moment Malinga got hold of the ball. His second delivery in the match cannoned into opener David Warner's middle-stump, who was a tad too late on the shot.

Malinga, who had dismissed Tendulkar cheaply in the World Cup final in Mumbai last week to the chagrin of the whole of India, made it a double-strike as 17-year-old Delhi batsman Unmukt Chanda's stay in the middle lasted just two minutes with the ball again finding the middle stump.

Even Virender Sehwag, who began the innings with a towering six off Harbhajan in the first over of the match, treated Malinga with the highest respect. The Delhi skipper played out the first maiden of IPL-4 in the fourth over of the innings.

Delhi's hopes of posting a competitive total ended with Tendulkar sending back his opposite number Sehwag for 19 (16b, 2x4, 1x6) with a pin-point throw from short fine-leg. Naman Ojha (29, 30b, 2x4, 1x6) and Venugopal Rao (26, 25b, 3x4) tried to resurrect the innings from a dismal 40/4 in the seventh over with a 42-run stand for the fifth wicket.

Left-arm spinner Ali Murtaza ended the stubborn partnership by prizing out Ojha before Malinga returned for a second spell.

And just 10 Malinga deliveries were enough to pack off the Delhi lower-order. Venugopal was too late in getting his bat down to a ball that landed on his middle stump. Morne Morkel (2) broke a bat in his efforts to keep another Malinga toe-crusher out but soon enough his stumps went cartwheeling. Malinga completed the third-best figures in IPL foxing Ashok Dinda with a slower delivery to complete a five-wicket.

Only Sohail Tanvir (6/14) and Anil Kumble (5/5) have recorded better figures than Malinga in IPL. But more than the figures Delhi will find it hard to recover from the mental scars left by a "Slinga" Malinga.

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Giving Tendulkar Bharat Ratna would require change of rules

NEW DELHI: The calls for bestowing Sachin Tendulkar with the 'Bharat Ratna' may have got louder after India's World Cup triumph but giving the country's highest civillian honour to the batting icon would require tweaking of the criteria that have been laid down for the coveted award.

The 'Bharat Ratna' was started in 1954 and has so far been given to 41 eminent personalities, none of whom are sports-persons, the reason being the criteria for the coveted honour.

Constitutional expert Subhash Kashyap says given the current rules "Tendulkar does not qualify for the honour and giving the award to him would require a change in the rules."

According to the criteria at present, the award is given for exceptional contribution in the fields of art, literature, science and social service. The criteria do not have any mention of sports.

Kashyap says the government has to decide whether it wants to include sports in the criteria for the award. The sports ministry will have to present such a proposal for cabinet approval.

"Once the cabinet gives its approval, the home ministry can bestow this honour on not just Sachin Tendulkar but any other athlete," he said.

Indian cricket team's prominent players such as Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Harbhajan Singh, Yuvraj Singh and Virender Sehwag have all asked for the honour to be bestowed on Tendulkar after the side's World Cup win.

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Played a maiden over after 10 years: Sehwag

NEW DELHI: Delhi Daredevils' skipper Virender Sehwag may have been smashing bolwers around the park for years now. But never in the last ten years, the Najafgarh Dasher played out six deliveries without having scored a single run.

But on Sunday, Sehwag for the first time in 10 years spoke about the one maiden over he was forced to play.

Mumbai Indians' Lasith Malinga bowled Sehwag a maiden during Indians' eight wicket win on Sunday.

"I think after 10 years I played a maiden today. It was a plan. We lost two wickets so I thought let me play Malinga because others may not be able to pick him.

"We have 10 new faces in the in Delhi squad and it will take a little time for us to come together," Sehwag said.

The Daredevils, playing their first match in this edition in their home ground Feroze Shah Kotla, crashed to an eight wicket defeat with fast bowler Malinga picking his best IPL figures of 5-13.

Sehwag said they were 30-40 runs short but hoped that his inexperienced side will come out good in the coming matches.

"A 140-150 is a good total here, but everything went Mumbai's way."

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PWI vs KXIP: Pune Warriors thrash Kings XI Punjab by 7 wickets

NAVI MUMBAI: Four accurate and intelligent overs from medium-pacers Alfonso Thomas (2-27) and Shrikant Wagh (3-16; his best figures in T20), and a few moments of madness allowed IPL debutants Pune Warriors to rip through the Kings XI Punjab batting line-up and dismiss them for below par 112-8 at the DY Patil stadium on Sunday.

Warriors skipper Yuvraj Singh (21 not out) and Robin Uthappa (22 not out) added match-winning unbeaten 45-run for the fourth wicket to help the debutantes register an easy win.

It proved a cakewalk for Pune as they reached the target in 13.1 overs for the loss of three wickets.

Robin Uthappa (22; 14b, 1x4, 2x6s) and Yuvraj Singh (21; 15b, 2x4s, 1x6) capitalised on their lifelines to guide Pune to a resounding win.

Uthappa was dropped by Nathan Rimmington when he was on 2, while Yuraj was dropped at first slip by Piyush Chawla. The duo made the most of it to snuff the life out of the Kings XI challenge. Mithun Manhas (35) and Jesse Ryder (31 off 17, 6x4s) had set the tone for a successful chase. Skipper Yuvraj fittingly scored the winning runs.

Kings XI skipper Adam Gilchrist had said at the toss that he had played a few games here and knew the pitch well. But the former Australian wicketkeeper clearly seemed to have misread the pitch. Gilchrist (1) went for the pull to a delivery from Warriors' South African import Thomas but could only manage to get some bat on it through to the 'keeper Robin Uthappa who held the snorter.

The other Kings XI opener, Shaun Marsh (1), followed suit in the next over. Marsh flicked a full length delivery from Vidarbha left-arm pacer Shrikant Wagh, right to Rahul Sharma at short fine-leg, who lapped it up in a flash.

With the openers out of the equation, a little restraint and patience from the new batsman Paul Valthaty (6; 1x4) would have him and his side a long way in the innings. But the 27-year-old played a shot that never was off Thomas for a simple catch to Jesse Ryder at point.

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