11:35 pm - STEYN GRACIOUS IN DEFEAT: Dale Steyn says, "That's cricket for you. Rohit batted really well. He stuck it out at the end. It's a difficult call as to who should bowl the last over. Mumbai stuck to the ball. The crowd was fantastic. I didn't know how to celebrate after the second wicket, I surprised myself with that delivery."
11:27 pm - STUNNING WIN FOR MUMBAI (20 overs): Amazing win for Mumbai and what an innings by Rohit Sharma. Brilliant batting by the young middle order batsman. He's show just why he's so highly rated. Rohit has carved a win out of nowhere here with two sixes in the final over -- one off the final delivery. The Mumbai camp has exploded with joy thanks to this five-wicket win. For Deccan, though, it's a bitter heart-break. They did almost everything right tonight, but Rohit was just too good for them.
11:20 pm - UNRELENTING STEYN (19 overs): What a spell by Dale Steyn. He's finished his quota of four overs, giving away just 12 runs and picking up three wickets. Dinesh Karthik is the third Mumbai batsman to lose his wickets to the South African pacer. It would take something really special from Mumbai and Rohit Sharma in particular now to win this in the final over. Dinesh Karthik b Steyn 7(6) [MI - 120-5]
11:13 pm - TWIST IN THE TALE LEFT? (18 overs): Well, it seems this one isn't going to be over till the last ball is bowled. Rohit Sharma, who had been rather quiet for some time, is now on an all-out attack. Two sixes in the 18th over have brought the equation down to quite an acceptable limit. Rohit has also reached his half-century with those lusty blows... fine innings by the youngster. Both teams are still in with a chance. Stay tuned to know who is going to win this battle of nerves.
11:07 pm - MASSIVE SETBACK FOR MUMBAI (16.2 overs): Things are going from bad to worse for Mumbai. Their big hope, Kieron Pollard, can now go back to the dressing room and cool his heels. The West Indian has again missed out on an opportunity to deliver with the bat in IPL. Pollard mistimed a full toss high in the air towards long off, where Shikhar Dhawan judged it to perfection. Big breakthrough for Deccan and unless Rohit has something really special up his sleeve, this one seems to be slipping away from Mumbai. Pollard c Dhawan b Christian 24(18) [MI - 95-4]
11:05 pm - MATCH TILTING TOWARDS DECCAN (16 overs): Contrasting set of overs for the Mumbai Indians, who are still struggling for answers against Dale Steyn. The South African pacer gave only three runs in the 15th over. Pollard partly managed to make up for it with his third six of the innings in the next over against Amit Mishra, but all in all, the scales now seem to be tilting towards the Deccan Chargers.
10:57 pm - MUMBAI GET A MOVE ON (14 overs): Just what the doctor ordered for Mumbai. Kieron Pollard doing what he does best -- hitting the ball hard and long. The big West Indian has hit two sixes in the last two overs. It seems to have inspired Rohit Sharma out of his shell as well. The stylish middle order batsman has also hit a boundary.
10:52 pm - HOPES REST ON POLLARD: The big West Indian is the new man in and Mumbai will be praying that he can finally deliver for them with the bat. Pollard hasn't quite got the runs he would like in IPL. But who knows, this might just be his day.
10:50 pm - RAYUDU FALLS (12 overs): You could feel it coming. The pressure had been building for the last few overs and Rayudu finally succumbs. A bit lucky for Amit Mishra because it wasn't the best of deliveries. However, Rayudu tried to do too much with it and ended up throwing away his wicket. A simple catch for the man at backward square leg. Rayudu c Dhawan b Amit Mishra 19(24) [MI - 58-3]
10:40 pm - MUMBAI IN SPOT OF BOTHER (10 overs): The slow run rate is starting to become troublesome for the Mumbai Indians. They've only scored 49 runs for the loss of two wickets in the first 10 overs. Credit must go to Deccan's bowlers for restricting Mumbai, who wouldn't want to leave things hanging for too long. Rohit Sharma and Ambati Rayudu have had enough deliveries to settle in now. We can expect some fireworks soon, perhaps in the form of big hits or some wickets.
10:30 pm - DECCAN KEEP IT TIGHT (8 overs): This is tough going for the Mumbai batsmen, even for ones as talented as Rohit and Rayudu. Anand Rajan and Amit Sharma are not giving any free runs. Slowly, the target of 139 is growing more daunting for Mumbai. Brilliant cricket match this so far. It seems this will go down to the wire.
10:25 pm - BOUNDARIES BEGIN TRICKLING (6 overs): After being tied down for much of the early part of the innings, the Mumbai batsmen are finally beginning to break the shackles. Rohit Sharma and Ambati Rayudu have hit a boundary each in the last two overs, and the former has also struck a magnificent six. Mumbai need a few more of those desperately.
10:20 pm - STEYN STRIKES AGAIN (4 overs): Great spell of bowling this by Dale Steyn, who provides the second breakthrough for Deccan. Both Mumbai openers are now back in the dressing room. What a delivery this way... fast, full, swinging, and on the stumps. Richard Levi had no clue how to keep this one out. The stumps have been shattered. Steyn gun is on a rampage. Moreover, it's a wicket-maiden! Levi b Steyn 3(9) [MI - 10-2]
10:10 pm - EARLY SETBACK FOR MUMBAI (2 overs): Good start for the Deccan Chargers... just what they needed early in the innings. Dale Steyn delivers with the ball in hand. Suman gets carried away after hitting a boundary after the second ball of the second over. But the South African speedster has the last laugh. Suman c and b Steyn 5(9) [MI - 7-1]
10:00 pm - MUMBAI INNINGS BEGINS: Ok, time to see if Mumbai's batsmen will deliver this time. Richard Levi and T Suman are at the crease to begin the chase. 139 is the target. Ankit Sharma to open the bowling for the Chargers.
9:47 pm - INNINGS ANALYSIS, DECCAN UPBEAT: Dan Christian says, "It's a defendable total. Probably a bit short but we lost wickets at wrong times. I was sent up the order to give me a few balls and then play my shots. But Dhawan got out and we didn't have a partnership. We weren't sure about what happened (about Sangakkara's dismissal). They were not sure if they could refer the decision, hence the confusion."
9:40 pm - DECCAN 138/9 (20 overs): What a final over. A whole lot happening in the final six deliveries, perhaps encompassing the story of the match. A wide and a four to start off the over, followed by two wickets. Deccan have ended up with 138/9 from their 20 overs... a couple of good performances coming in from Shikhar Dhawan and Dan Christian, but overall a disappointing batting display by Deccan. A target of 139 is not big for Mumbai by any stretch of imagination, but we have seen them struggling without Sachin Tendulkar. The match is set for an interesting second half, especially with Dale Steyn leading the attack for Hyderabad.
9:33 pm - WICKETS TUMBLE (19 overs): It's all going off-track for the Chargers in the final few overs. Slinga Malinga is doing what he does best -- stifle the batsmen and pick up wickets. He was hit for a bounday on the first ball of his over, but came back strongly with two wickets. Ravi Teja and Amit Mishra not having any idea of how to tackle the unorthodox pacer. Malinga ends his spell with three wickets.
9:25 pm - 4 WICKETS FOR MUNAF (18 overs): What a spell by Munaf Patel. He bowled tight and got rich rewards for it tonight. Manages to sneak in a fourth one with the last ball of his quota of overs. Dan Christian hits a low full toss straight down the throat of Kieron Pollard. Deccan lose another vital wicket at just the wrong time. Christian c Pollard b Munaf Patel 38(36) [DC 123-5]
9:20 pm - DECCAN UP THE TEMPO (16 overs): Right on cue, Dan Christian and Cameron White are raising the scoring rate. Both have hit a six each in the previous two overs. Both batsmen seem to be batting to a sensible plan here -- one big shot in an over, followed by ones and twos. It may not be the most flashy way to accumulate runs, but it is a very effective one.
9:12 pm - TIME RUNNING OUT FOR DECCAN (14 overs): The runs are hard to come by for the home team and the overs are running out quickly. Dan Christian has been there long enough now and need to step up the scoring rate.
9:05 pm - BHAJJI FIGHTS WITH UMPIRES (12.3 overs): There's complete chaos out on the pitch. Mumbai players are virtually fighting with the umpire. Harbhajan Singh is, not surprisingly, in the middle of all this. Here's how the confusion started... Kumar Sangakkara chopped a delivery from Munaf Patel back onto his stumps. Clear and simple. But there was some confusion in the mind of the square leg umpire as to whether the ball had bounced off the keeper's pads. For a moment it looked like Sangakkara would get away, and that's when Harbhajan lost his cool. An unsavoury and unneccessary incident. The umpires eventually went upstairs and Sangakkara was given out. A lot of time wasted here as well. Sangakkara b Munaf Patel 14(19) [DC - 82-4]
8:55 pm - CHRISTIAN CUTS LOOSE (12 overs): Well now this is interesting. Dan Christian, who was looking rusty so far, has suddenly cut loose. A six and a four off Kieron Pollard has quickly turned around his pathetic strike rate. Perhaps attack is the best form of defence after all. Good over for Deccan this, 15 runs coming off it.
8:47 - DECCAN IN DEFENSIVE MODE (10 overs): Shikhar Dhawan's dismissal has certainly slowed the tempo for Deccan. Dan Christian hasn't looked comfortable so far in his stay, and even captain Kumar Sangakkara is trying to get a feel of the conditions. They are keeping the scoreboard ticking with good running between the wickets and an odd boundary in between.
8:35 pm - SHIKHAR'S CAMEO ENDS (7 overs): Slinga Malinga gets his revenge by stopping the rampaging Shikhar Dhawan. A slight error in judgement by the left-hander on a slower delivery from the Mumbai pacer. It resulted in the ball going high up in the air and Kieron Pollard made no mistakes. But the stadium has been treated to some wonderful batting by Shikhar and Deccan now have a good platform to build on. The momentum is clearly with Deccan now and the rest of the overs now would be interesting. Deccan captain Kumar Sangakkara is the new man in. Dhawan c Pollard b Malinga 41(24) [DC - 46-3]
8:30 pm - WOW! SHIKHAR'S ASSAULT CONTINUES (6 overs): Mumbai bowlers are looking for cover at the moment. Shikhar Dhawan is on a roll and hitting it to all parts of the stadium. Pragyan Ojha's return to his old home hasn't gone according to plan. Shikhar welcomed him with a six off the first ball of his spell and followed it up with a boundary on the fourth delivery of the over. Then, just to wrap things up, another six off the last ball of the over. 18 runs from that over. Shikhar has raced to 41 off just 21 balls.
8:25 pm - SHIKHAR TAKES ON MALINGA (5 overs): Shikhar Dhawan is in some mood tonight. He won't be bogged down, even if the most successful and dangerous bowler in IPL is steaming in from the other end. This is a shot Slinga Malinga would remember, and it has gone all the way for a SIX! Hit with superb timing and ease... just a flick of the wrists over deep mid wicket.
8:18 pm - 1ST SIX FOR DC, MILESTONE FOR SHIKHAR (3.4 overs): Shikhar Dhawan has now scored 1,000 runs in IPL and what better way to bring up the milestone than a six. The ball goes sailing off the meat of the bat, over the boundary rope for maximum. Deccan need much more of this to stand a chance in this match.
8:15 pm - MUNAF ON A ROLL (3.1 overs): Oh dear! This is exactly what Deccan needed to avoid. Two early wickets now and the hosts are in real trouble. Spectacular bowling by Munaf Patel, offering no room to the batsman. Bharat Chipli tried to break the shackles, but top-edged the ball for an easy catch to Lasith Malinga at mid-on. Dan Christian is the new man in. Chipli c Malinga b Munaf Patel 1(6) [DC - 9-2]
8:07 pm - JOY & DESPAIR FOR DECCAN (2 overs): It's all happening here in the second over from Munaf Patel. A boundary off the first ball got the crowd going, but there was bitter disappointment in store just three balls later. Shikhar Dhawan opened the fours account with a well excuted cut to deep point, but Munaf got his revenge when he had Parthiv Patel caught at first first slip. A great catch that by Rohit Sharma... it came fast at him, but the middle order bat managed to pocket it on his second attempt. Bharat Chipli is the new man in. Parthiv Patel c Rohit Sharma b Munaf Patel 1(5) [DC - 7-1]
8:05 pm - STEADY AS SHE GOES (1 over): The Deccan openers are intent not to throw away their wickets, especially with Harbhajan Singh spinning a web in the first over. Wait and watch seems to be the policy to start with, and one has to admit, it may be wise strategy.
7:57 pm - ALL SET TO GO: The stadium is buzzing in anticipation as the batsmen walk out of the dressing room. Parthiv Patel and Shikhar Dhawan will really have to fire here if they are to deliver on the expectations of this home crowd. Harbhajan Singh will be looking for the opposite of that as he opens the bowling for Mumbai. Just for the record it's even stevens statistically between these two teams. They've faced each other 8 times in IPL and have won four matches each. This certainly going to be interesting.
7:50 pm - OJHA GETS NOSTALGIC: It's a home coming of sorts for a number of Mumbai Indians players. Tirumalsetti Suman and Pragyan Ojha played for the Hyderabad team in the first three seasons of the IPL. Another man in the Mumbai squad, RP Singh, is also an ex-Deccan player. These insiders, so to say, should help Mumbai in this game. Ojha says, "Looking forward to this game, every game is very important for us. It's a different feeling because I've played for Deccan in the previous seasons. I've played all my cricket for Hyderabad in Hyderabad, so it's a special feeling. But I'm a professional cricketer and have to do well for Bombay now. Right from U-16 I've played in this stadium so I know how the pitch will do."
7:42 pm - TEAMS - SACHIN MISSING AGAIN FOR MUMBAI: Richard Levi, Tirumalsetti Suman, Rohit Sharma, Ambati Rayudu, James Franklin, Dinesh Karthik (w), Kieron Pollard, Harbhajan Singh (c), Lasith Malinga, Munaf Patel, Pragyan Ojha.
7:40 pm - TEAMS - SANGAKKARA BACK FOR DECCAN: Shikhar Dhawan, Parthiv Patel, Kumar Sangakkara(w/c), Cameron White, Bharat Chipli, Daniel Christian, Dwaraka Ravi Teja, Anand Rajan, Ankit Sharma, Dale Steyn, Amit Mishra.
7:37 pm - CAPTAIN'S VIEW: Kumar Sangakkara says, "It's a great atmosphere. There isn't much difference if I'm captain or not, we try and play good cricket. Nothing changes, we have to look to have fun and play our best cricket. Harris goes out. He batted well in the warm up games but he has to sit out. Gony goes out, Anand Rajan comes in."
7:35 pm - CAPTAIN'S VIEW: Harbhajan Singh says, "It has been a mixed experience in the last 2 games. We are looking forward to giving a good shot today and win the game. It's too early to say what I've learnt about captaincy. We must learn from the last game and we should make sure that we don't lose wickets at the top. Sachin is still injured, he should be fine for the next match. I would have batted too. The wicket is nice and good to bat on. Suman comes in for Suryakumar Yadav. We'll try and restrict them to 150 or so."
7:30 pm - DECCAN ELECT TO BAT: Chargers captain Kumar Sangakkara has won the toss in his first game of the season and he's decided to bat first. Not a surprising decision considering the batting beauty here. Remember, Chennai scored in excess of 190 runs in the last game played at this stadium last week. Mumbai captain Harbhajan Singh admits he too would have liked to bat first.
7:20 pm - BUZZ AROUND THE GROUND: Hello and welcome to the live coverage of the 9th match of IPL 2012. This one is between Deccan Chargers and the Mumbai Indians, being played at the ACA-VCA stadium in Visakhapatnam. It's a battle between two bruised teams. Deccan didn't look up to bar in their last game, while Mumbai too will be keen to return to winning ways. Both teams have injury problems too. Deccan will miss the services of Ishant Sharma through the entire tournament, while Sachin Tendulkar is not expected to play this game as well.
