Mumbai Magicians strive for win in first home tie

Mumbai: After losing their opening two away games, Mumbai Magicians will look to halt their losing streak when they take on Jaypee Punjab Warriors in their first home game here on Sunday.

Mumbai lost 1-2 to Delhi Waveriders in their lung opener and then went down 1-3 to Ranchi Rhinos last night to log two points from as many games. Sunday’s game at the MHA Mahindra Stadium is expected to attract a big crowd rooting for the Ric Charlesworth-coached outfit which should give the team a big boost. Aussie Charlesworth is still working on the coordination among players after the loss of four Pakistan recruits who had to return home following Shiv Sena`s protest against their presence ahead of the team`s practice last Sunday. "It takes time to develop good coordination among players and all teams are facing the same problem. We are working on it," said the former Aussie great after the comprehensive loss to Rhinos. Skipper Liam De Young accepted the fact that there were soft errors for which the team paid. "There are still some areas left where we need to work. Due to some basic errors, we lost the match today," he said. Rivals Punjab have lost one match more than Mumbai and they too are struggling to combine as a team. Punjab have lost by identical 1-2 margins to Delhi, Ranchi and Uttar Pradesh Wizards. While Mumbai are lying last in the five-team league, Punjab are one rung above and a victory for either would be the ideal shot in the arm. After taking on Punjab, Mumbai have a return game against Delhi, scheduled on Monday, to exact revenge. PTI