Mumbai opened up a four-point lead at the top of the IPL table after securing a 37-run victory over Deccan.
Indians move four points clear after Deccan triumph
Mumbai Indians opened up a four-point lead at the top of the IPL table after securing a 37-run victory over Deccan Chargers at Hyderabad.
Playing on captain Sachin Tendulkar's 38th birthday, Mumbai marked the occasion with an impressive away performance.
Rohit Sharma's half-century and three wickets for Lasith Malinga paved the way for the victory, as the Indians successfully defended their imposing 172-4 total.
Batting first, Sharma (56 off 34) and Andrew Symonds (44 off 33) staged a 102-run fifth-wicket stand, after four quick wickets had pegged back a solid start by openers Davy Jacobs (32) and birthday-boy Sachin Tendulkar (28).
Paceman Malinga, who recently retired from Test cricket, then ripped through Deccan's reply by giving away just nine runs for his triple blow, and effected a run-out, as Mumbai restricted the Chargers to 135-8 in 20 overs ensuring a third straight win.
Priceless
Mumbai were quick off the blocks - having lost the toss - as Jacobs cracked five fours and a six alongside Tendulkar's similar approach.
But a spate of wickets put Deccan back in the game as Jacobs departed to Ishant Sharma before Amit Mishra cleaned up Tendulkar and Ambati Rayudu (7) in the space of three balls, before Kieron Pollard (0) fell next over to Pragyan Ojha.
The next boundary took nearly four overs but gave the impetus for Rohit Sharma and Symonds to work out their priceless century partnership in 65 deliveries.
They smashed 40 runs in the last two overs as Sharma passed his 50 in the 20th with three sixes and a boundary off Daniel Christian (0-48).
Deccan's innings was in stark contrast, starting with the early exits of Sunny Sohal (5) and Shikhar Dhawan (25) - the latter bowled by a Malinga yorker - with skipper Kumar Sangakkara the only batsman to hold fort.
Malinga then worked his arm in the outfield with a direct hit to run out Cameron White (1) and then fittingly broke Sangakkara's 34-run resistance.
The required rate climbed to 13 and the second collapse continued with Christian's stumping for 21 before Ravi Teja became Malinga's final victim of the evening as only Mishra's gutsy 25 added some respectability to the Deccan total.
