Mahela Jayawardene is at his best in the T20 format, when he opens the innings. And when you have Virender Sehwag for company even the biggest of totals can be made to look miniscule.
Delhi Daredevils dug themselves out of the mire to absolutely smoke the Mumbai Indians on their way to their first victory in IPL 2013.
Sehwag (95 n.o.) and Jayawardene (59) were unstoppable at the top, making mincemeat out of the Mumbai Indians bowling, to reach their target of 162 with ridiculous ease for a dominant nine-wicket win.
Rohit Sharma and Sachin Tendulkar had earlier hit half-centuries to take the away side to 161 for four in 20 overs, which Delhi overhauled in just 17 overs, finishing on 165 for one.
After their win at the seventh time of asking, Delhi post their first points on the board in IPL 2013, while Mumbai need to pull their socks up after suffering their second straight defeat - and two really heavy ones at that.
Even with David Warner in the starting XI, Delhi skipper Jayawardene decided to open the innings with Sehwag, and it proved to be a masterstroke, as the duo destroyed the bowling attack, smashing boundaries to all parts of the ground.
The home crowd got to finally witness the real Delhi Daredevils team, as Mumbai were left with the feeling of a freight train having just rammed at them at full speed.
Fast and furious it indeed was as Delhi raced to the 50-run mark in just five overs, with that fifth over from Munaf Patel yielding 17 runs, which included four glorious fours, two each from Sehwag and Jayawardene (59, 43b, 8x4, 1x6).
The punishment did not end there, as both the openers refused to relent, reaching 100 for no loss in 9.4 overs, with Sehwag taking on the aggressor's role with great effect, bringing out his patented shots, which only the Delhi Dasher is capable of playing.
It was just a matter of when rather than if, with Jayawardene's dismissal - lbw off Lasith Malinga with just 11 runs needed -a minor hiccup.
Sehwag (95, 57b, 13x4, 2x6) fell just short of a hundred, smashing a boundary to finish things off in style.
The first innings was all about the third wicket partnership between Sachin Tendulkar and Rohit Sharma, with the latter taking over brilliantly in the final overs to propel his side to a big total.
Ricky Ponting decided to come down the order this time around, after a rather underwhelming start to his opening partnership with Sachin Tendulkar in this year's IPL.
Dwayne Smith was given the opportunity to partner Tendulkar, and that move did not quite work out either as the flashy West Indian failed to make an impact, scoring just eight runs from 12 deliveries, with Roelof Van Der Merwe picking up Delhi's first wicket.
Dinesh Karthik had a rare failure in IPL 2013, as the wicketkeeper-batsman was run out in the worst manner possible. Tendulkar smashed a straight drive towards Umesh Yadav, with the bowler managing to get fingertips to it and guide it inadvertently to the stumps, with Karthik caught out of the crease.
Then came the key partnership of the innings, as Sharma allied with Tendulkar for 96 runs from 11.1 overs, which set the platform for the likes of Kieron Pollard to bludgeon boundaries towards the end.
Tendulkar was his usual self, picking up the singles and twos, milking the bowlers around while also hitting the bad balls for boundaries, which included a couple of sixes.
Sharma looked good throughout the innings, allowing Tendulkar (54, 47b, 3x4, 2x6) to go about his business without any undue pressure.
Once Tendulkar lost his wicket - caught by Warner at cover off Umesh Yadav - Mumbai barely blinked as Sharma and Pollard caught fire with brilliant effect.
Sharma was just in the mood really smashing boundaries all over the place in his 43-ball 73 (5x4, 5x6). A pick up flick towards midwicket for six from Sharma, which was hit with ridiculous ease, was worth the price of the ticket in itself.
The Mumbai marauder was dismissed going for another six in the last ball of the penultimate over by Yadav (two for 31), but Pollard (19, 10b, 1x4, 1x6) ensured MI finished on a high with a maximum of the last ball of the innings.
