Rivals aim to build on wins

Match facts

Wednesday, March 17
Start time 2000 (1430 GMT)

Delhi and Mumbai have been India's long-standing rival cities but not so in the IPL with their representative teams; Delhi Daredevils have beaten Mumbai Indians three times out of four. Delhi have hit form early in the tournament, equally with bat and ball, and will also have with them passionate support. Mumbai, though, won't be without fans at the Feroz Shah Kotla, given their captain is the biggest star in international cricket. But their memories of facing Delhi are discouraging, with two defeats in 2009 that made in three in a row.

Mumbai escaped with their hair on their necks against the most audacious of Twenty20 century from Yusuf Pathan at the Brabourne Stadium. Having gone past 200, thanks to two innings from their domestic players - after their richly experienced openers failed - Mumbai were pushed to the brink by Pathan's bravado. Apart from Zaheer Khan and Lasith Malinga, their bowlers suffered and had it not been for a superb run-out and Malinga's full-and-straight line, the result could have easily been different. Barring their two international fast bowlers, the bowling appears thin and the lower middle order equally shaky. They have their task cut out against a resourceful bowling attack, cannily led by Dirk Nannes.

Delhi sit atop the IPL points table and are looking a good bet to go a long way forward. Their openers, Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag, have each hit match-winning fifties and the bowling has been good so far. Tillakaratne Dilshan has two ducks on the trot so he's due an innings. Even the extended absence of Ashish Nehra with a rib injury has not deterred the assistant coach Eric Simons from putting faith in Delhi's rich depth of reserves.

Up against the most balance sided in the league, there's just no margin for error. Mumbai, take note.

Team talk

Delhi will to be without Nehra, who Simons confirmed faces a two-week lay-off. That means Farveez Maharoof, who has been their most expensive bowler in two games, is likely to play unless Delhi opt for an extra batsman in David Warner and persist with the legspinner Sarabjit Ladda, who made his IPL debut on Monday. The sheer brute force Warner brings is just too tough to pass up for a third straight game.

Mumbai have been monitoring JP Duminy's progress as well as that of Harbhajan Singh, who hurt his leg while batting against Rajasthan Royals and did not bowl. Harbhajan appeared just fine in the nets and Duminy is expected to come back into the team, so it may be a quick return to the bench for Ryan McLaren. Mumbai showed a degree of flexibility by promoting Aditya Tare to No. 3, with decent success, so a few more Indian players could also perform floating roles. The West Indians Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard are due to arrive in India late tonight and the management will decide whether both will slot straight in to the playing XI. The left-arm spinner Ali Murtaza was caned during the first game, so he could be benched for Abhishek Nayar.

Previously…

The teams shared the spoils in 2008, with Mumbai winning their first encounter by 29 runs and Delhi hitting back with a five-wicket win. When they came up against each other in South Africa, Delhi beat Mumbai by seven wickets, and by four wickets.

In the spotlight

The pitch: The Feroz Shah Kotla is currently serving a 12-month ban from international cricket after the farce played out here last December, when an ODI between India and Sri Lanka was called off. The ban does not apply to domestic events and the IPL, but it is believed this game will not be played on the same strip that caused problems for the batsmen in December. In fact, it is believed that the pitch preferred by Gambhir is an adjacent one. The head curator Venkat Sundaram has played down talk of the pitch being a concern, and said it would be "rock hard". Despite his words, there is bound to be plenty of buzz about the track at the Kotla.

Sachin Tendulkar: The last time he played at the Kotla for Mumbai he managed just 18, but Tendulkar against Nannes is a contest to watch out for. Age seems to be no bar for this man and as he has showed during the past few months, Tendulkar can still make bowlers bow.

Dirk Nannes against Sanath Jayasuriya: Nannes has been quite a handful against the left-handers, and his natural angle, into the left-handers, will give Jayasuriya no room to free his arms.

Prime numbers

Virender Sehwag has the third-highest strike-rate of the season so far, having scored his runs at 207.50.

"He's only faced three deliveries, so you can't say he's out of form. If he'd played 20 balls and struggled, you could maybe look into it."
Eric Simons, Delhi's assistant coach, isn't too concerned that Tillakaratne Dilshan has been out twice without scoring.

"Like any other senior player in the team, I am always willing to help youngsters. I feel that the inputs of younger players are also important. I have learnt a lot from them. The more you talk with them, the more you learn."
Sachin Tendulkar feels the IPL has given him a good opportunity to work with youngsters.