Scorecard | Match in Pics
For AB de Villiers, this is the second season with Bangalore, but for Muthiah Muralitharan this was the first. But by the end of the evening, he had become one of Bangalore's own as he spun a web around the Delhi batsmen to ensure that Bangalore defended their handy 157 with some ease.
That total, in itself was owed to a blistering, unbeaten 64 (42b, 6x4, 2x6) from De Villiers, who initially held the innings together before giving it the thrust towards the end.
Asked to bat first by Virender Sehwag, on a balmy day, the Bangalore innings got off to a breezy start at the hands of Andrew McDonald (30, 19b, 4x4, 2x6) and Cheteshwar Pujara, floundered badly in between, before a sensible 54-run seventh wicket association that came off a mere 33 deliveries, got them back on track.
Delhi didn't begin too differently, Finch taking three successive fours off Zaheer Khan first up, but when a fourth possible boundary in the over found the man at cover in the way and the batsman to be dismissed answered to the name of Sehwag, Bangalore sensed their chance.
Murali, brought on in the eighth over, wasn't even supposed to play at Bangalore's home ground, suited as it was supposed to be to pacers, but then the team think tank, once Dirk Nannes too joined Gayle on the sidelines, opted for the master spinner.
The magician didn't disappoint, as he conjured a whole bag of tricks to mess with mind of the batsmen as also the Delhi batting, including the dangerous looking duo of Aaron Finch (25, 24b, 3x4) and Naman Ojha (33, 26b, 4x4, 1x6).
That Murali bowled with a slip for most part, and at times with a short mid-off, told the tale of his domination. Only Irfan Pathan, who took a six and a four off Murali's final over managed to read him, but by the time he did, the contest was all but settled.
Despite his 4/25 from four overs, Murali was denied the Man of the match award which again went to a batsman.
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