Images: Mumbai Indians vs Deccan Chargers

Mumbai Indians got off to a sedate start as Sachin Tendulkar and Shikhar Dhawan came into bat for the home side.

With time, Tendulkar got used to the pace of the pitch and began with a boundary each in the opening two overs before helping himself to successive boundaries in the fourth over.

Tendulkar got a life when he was dropped by Adam Gilchrist off Andrew Symonds.

Dhavan (14 off 13 deliveries), who until now gave Tendulkar great support at the top of the order, was a shadow of himself on Saturday.

Mumbai lost their first wicket when Dhavan was scalped by Pragyan Ojha in the seventh over when he was stumped by Gilchrist.

And in the next over, it was a double blow for the hosts.

Rahul Sharma struck when he hit Tendulkar on the wrong foot and the hosts were reduced to 55-2 in the 8th over.

Dwyane Bravo was the next to go when he was cleaned bowled by Ojha for 2.

The three quick strikes slowed down the Mumbai run-rate.

But in-form Saurabh Tiwary (44) did the rescue act. After playing watchfully for a few overs, he finally cut loose. He hit Sharma for 2 successive sixes in the 14th over.

Tiwary and Ambati Rayudu, who came at the fall of Bravo, then completed their 50-run partnership.

Rayudu played second fiddle for most part, but later broke the shakles.

Pragyan Ojha was the best bowler for Deccan Chargers with figures of three for 26.

Ojha's three wickets took his tally in the tournament to 12 and made him the owner of the Purple Cap - for the best bowler in the tournament.

Rayudu, who top-scored with 55 then hit a massive six over deep square leg off Symonds to accelerate the innings.

But Ojha took his third wicket in the next over, having the dangerous Tiwary caught by Ryan Harris.

Tiwary's 35-ball knock was inclusive of three maximum and a boundary and his fourth wicket partnership with Rayudu yielded Mumbai 65 runs (off just 46 balls) - a partnership which provided the Mumbai innings with the stability it desperately required.

However, Rayudu hit successive boundaries to ease the pressure.

He pounded Jaskaran Singh for 20 runs in the 19th over. He also brought up his half century in the same over.

The acceleration helped Mumbai Indians reach 178 for 5.

Deccans Chargers recorded their biggest defeat in the IPL, which was also their lowest total in the IPL, when they lost to the Mumbai Indians by 63 runs.

Chasing 179 for victory, the Chargers were bowled out 115.

Captain Adam Gilchrist and opening partner Herschelle Gibbs looked to attack first up. They got the measure of Harbhajan Singh and Lasith Malinga.

And Herschelle Gibbs (17) started attacking the off-spinner with immediate effect, smashing successive boundaries, the first through cover and the second over mid-on.

The South African also drove Malinga to mid-off in the next over for his third boundary.

Gilchrist started on a tentative note but broke free with a massive six over long-on in Malinga's second over.

However, the introduction of Zaheer Khan in the fifth over provided Mumbai their opening breakthrough - off the very first ball - when Gibbs hit straight to Tendulkar at extra cover.

Gilchrist eased the pressure a bit by driving Zaheer past the extra cover fielder for four.

Zaheer then picked Gilchrist and Gibbs in quick succession to have the Chargers at 40 for 2.

But VVS Laxman (4) was run out soon after to add to the Hyderabad team's woes.

Andrew Symonds looked good but couldn't go full throttle. But Symonds failed tp produce his magic and was left struggling.

Ryan McClaren piled on the pressure, cleaning up Symonds (21) in the 12th over.

After failing to get going early on, the Deccan Chargers were tottering at 68 for three at the half-way-stage.

And in the first ball of the 11th over Kieron Pollard displayed tremendous refelexes to take a brilliant catch on his follow through to dismiss Rohit Sharma (11).

Pollard followed this wicket with another one to have Monish Mishra (5) caught by Bravo at long-on to reduce the visitors to 83 for six in the 13th over.

McClaren then had Ryan Harris (13) caught by Shikar Dhawan to secure his second wicket.

Harbhajan came back to account for Rahul Sharma (5) - caught by Bravo at deep backward square leg. It was his 50th wicket in T20 cricket.

And he celebrated the feat by adding one more wicket to the tally - on this occsion having Suman (11) by Rayudu.

And when Malinga cleaned up Pragyan Ojha (2) it was all over.