IPL 2013 has so far been a little underwhelming when it has come to big scores, with low-scoring nail-biters very much the order of the day.
However, on Tuesday, the Mumbai Indians emphatically put to rest that problem, as a brilliant 86 from Dinesh Karthik spurred the home side to the first 200-plus score of the season.
The total of 209 for five turned out to be more than enough, with the Indians coasting to a comfortable 44-run victory over the beleaguered Delhi Daredevils, who crashed to their third successive defeat.
Needing an improbable 210 for victory, Delhi stumbled to 165 for nine, despite another valiant innings from David Warner.
Mumbai have now joined the likes of Rajasthan Royals, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Royal Challengers Bangalore with two wins in the season, as IPL 2103 finally looked like clicking into gear.
Faced with an absolute mountain to climb, the Delhi innings began on a similar note to the one of Mumbai, with the away side losing a wicket without a single run on the ball.
It was the first ball of the innings actually, as Unmukt Chand top edged a delivery from Harbhajan Singh, which 38-years-young Ricky Ponting snaffled with his right hand courtesy a full-blooded dive -- a candidate for the catch of IPL 2013 if there ever was one, and the elated hug between Ponting and Harbhajan was worth its weight in gold too.
The highly-rated youngster Chand has now got out for a golden duck twice in three innings, and he will need to apply himself better if he is to showcase his promise in one of the biggest platforms available.
Mahela Jayawardene came in and was lucky not to follow Chand off just the third ball of the innings, with Lasith Malinga dropping his compatriot.
However, Jayawardene (3) never looked as comfortable as he usually does in the middle, and poor shot at a wide delivery from Mitchell Johnson resulted in his demise.
It was all up to Warner now -- the century machine in the T20 format -- and for a while, along with Manprit Juneja (49, 40b, 6x4), he threatened to chase down the target.
A few expansive shots from the left-hander's blade - one six that reached the upper tier particularly catching the eye - gave Delhi hope, even if they needed 12 runs an over at that point.
However, that impressive six was unfortunately followed by a false shot from Warner (61, 37b, 5x4, 4x6), as Delhi crumbled from there in to another disappointing defeat.
Earlier, Karthik and Rohit Sharma took Mumbai to the big total, after initially finding themselves in the tightest of situations.
Ricky Ponting and Sachin Tendulkar again walked out to open the batting, and after five dot balls from Irfan Pathan, the Australian legend succumbed to a mistimed shot at mid-off for a duck.
Tendulkar picked up a single off his first delivery, but needlessly ran himself out - albeit thanks to some great work from Jayawrdene - as Mumbai stared at the barrel on 1-2.
From that point, though, there was only one team in the game as Karthik continued his brilliant form in the tournament, with Sharma acting as the perfect foil.
Karthik, almost as if he took it upon himself to outshine Virat Kohli, who had batted unbelievably in the first match for RCB, counter-attacked wonderfully well, with pull shots and flicks and square drives sending the Mumbai run rate from precarious to ridiculous.
The third-wicket alliance was worth a massive 132 runs from just 13.1 overs, giving Mumbai the chance to become the first team to reach 200 this season.
Sharma was essentially the lesser partner while Karthik, who took the Orange Cap from Kohli, was on song, but once the latter got out for a wonderfully crafted 48-ball 86 (14x4, 2x6), the former took charge.
From a less than a run a ball, Sharma (74, 50b, 4x4, 5x6) raced to a strike rate of a well over 100, eventually finishing with a strike rate of 148.
Kieron Pollard (13) and Ambati Rayudu (24) played precious cameos as well to take Mumbai to that mammoth total, which proved to be well beyond the Daredevils.
