Reed on IPL: ‘Devils delight as Indians take charge

Every sports team and fan experiences highs and lows. Peaks of performance, combined with troughs of underachievement, are what keep us interested. If we all knew the outcome in advance, there would be no point making an emotional investment in the first place.

The pros will tell you the highs should never be too euphoric, and the lows should not require an antidepressant. In the space of 24 hours we have seen the best and worst of the Indian Premier League.

The decision to bat or bowl is not taken lightly. An experienced captain, having won the toss, will have weighed up several factors before announcing his preference. The weather and pitch conditions along with the relative strength and/or weakness of the opposition must all be taken into account.

One can only assume Adam Gilchrist did all this before inviting Delhi to bat first against his Punjab team. Within minutes the veteran Aussie must have been wishing he could call again. 50 runs cascaded from the first five overs, a run-rate which would only accelerate.

When the massacre was complete, the Daredevils had certainly lived up to their name, plundering 231 at a rate of close to 12 an over. A dozen sixes, mostly from David Warner and captain Virender Sehwag, helped to inflate the highest IPL total of the year and the third best in league history.

Gilchrist and company did their best to make a game of it. A total in excess of 200 is more than enough to win most IPL games. Shaun Marsh was on his way to the fastest century of the season, but when he fell five short there was too much to do and not enough time to do it.

A day later the sky fell in on Kochi. Another seasoned Australian was in the thick of it as The Tuskers capitulated. Shane Warne, now the wrong side of 40, helped to bog down the visitors whose paltry total of 109 was never close to being competitive.

The Rajasthan skipper took the Man of the Match award as his openers knocked off the runs virtually unaided. Warne has long since retired from the Test and ODI arenas but his skill and leadership qualities remain a valuable commodity in the IPL.

Talking of leadership, Mumbai is establishing itself as the team to beat in 2011. Approaching the halfway point of the regular season, the Indians sit atop the standings with just a single defeat against their name.

It helps to have both the leading run-maker and wicket taker on your side. Sachin Tendulkar and Lasith Malinga, opponents in the recent World Cup Final, have joined forces to create a highly effective partnership with bat and ball.

Mumbai will be determined not to let history repeat itself. Last year Tendulkar’s team were comfortable leaders going into the playoffs, finishing six points ahead of Chennai. But even with home advantage, the Indians fell well short of the Super Kings in the IPL Final.

The defending champions are back to winning ways. Michael Hussey’s half century proved decisive against Pune but the form of Suresh Raina is causing concern. One of the most consistent scorers in IPL history, he’s averaging under 20 so far this season. He’ll know better than anyone, there is plenty of room for improvement.