On Wednesday, all that hard work seemed to have paid off as the two hit fiery half-centuries and stitched together a 48-run partnership for the third wicket that gave the side a flying start. And the left-handed Tiwary repeatedly executed the well-rehearsed slog sweep against the two Delhi leg-spinners — Amit Mishra and Sarabjit Ladda, who were dispatched for 44 each.

Those knocks, and some big-hitting late in the innings, took the Mumbai Indians to the edition’s highest score of 218/7, and a massive victory margin of 98 runs. The pitch itself — having carried a reputation of being slow and low — earned fit-again status in the first high-profile game at the venue since the abandoned one-dayer against Sri Lanka, as the normalcy of stroke-making returned to Ferozeshah Kotla.

Gambhir worry

With Gautam Gambhir hobbling off with a hamstring problem early in the piece having won the toss, the task of attempting to rein in a Tendulkar special was left to stand-in skipper Dinesh Karthik. With boundaries coming almost at will, Delhi took the time-out after six overs, with the scoreboard reading 66-1 (Sanath Jayasuriya having been dismissed by a spectacular catch by Yogesh Nagar at mid-off).

Aditya Tare walked in at No 3 and hit two spectacular sixes in his short stay, as Tiwary walked out to join Tendulkar. The 20-year-old had insisted on the eve of this match that he badly wanted to make a lasting impression during this IPL, and this innings will go some way in doing that.

He delayed the much-anticipated arrival to the crease of Kieron Pollard and Dwayne Bravo, but his 37-ball 61, with four boundaries and three sixes, kept the crowd entertained.

After Tendulkar’s dismissal (another smart catch in the deep by Nagar), he stitched fourth-wicket partnership with Ambati Rayadu worth 71 runs in just 41 balls to ensure the run-rate stayed above the 10-an-over level.

Apart from Nagar’s efforts in the field though, Delhi were ordinary. Amit Mishra dropped Tendulkar when he was on 35 to spoil leggie Sarabjit Ladda’s introduction into the attack; on another occasion, Mithun Manhas didn’t attempt a catch inches ahead that could have stopped Tiwary at the brink of his second consecutive half-century, while Tillakaratne Dilshan dropped a straightforward catch of Dwayne Bravo at the boundary in the last over.

The Delhi bowling was erratic and indisciplined, as Mumbai piled on the agony even though their most explosive, and expensive buy, Kieron Pollard, only faced eight balls towards the end.