The second match of the day features the Sunrisers Hyderabad against Rajasthan Royals.
This is an evenly matched contest. Neither team has many superstar bowlers, but both teams have some really good bits and pieces players. Shikhar Dhawan is both the star and the captain of Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Shane Watson, the Rajasthan Royals captain, calls out 'Heads' at the toss and its Heads. Rajasthan will bowl.
Four debutants for the Rajasthan Royals today
Shikhar Dhawan says he would have won the toss and batted first, so both teams are happy
SH are going with 3 fast bowlers
20:12 IST Friday, 18 April 2014
Finch and Dhawan to start the proceedings for the Hyderabad team
Dhawan Kulkarni will bowl the first over
WICKET OFF THE FIRST OVER !!!
a soft dismissal. Dangerman Finch departs for 2 runs. Warner comes in ...
After first over Sunrisers 2/1
*Sorry for the techinacl error. We are now back
After losing Finch very early in the first over, Dhawan and Warner have steadied the innings quite well. Both the batsman are now set. Sunrisers run-rate is exactly the rate you expect when Warner and Dhawan are on increase, but it might just increase in some time.
Dhawan takes the charge, SIX, Tambe to Dhawan, flighted and Dhawan sits on his knees and slogs it over the deep-extra cover
After 9 overs Sunrisers 62/1 and we have strategic time out
Sunrisers have played cautiously after the depart of Finch in the first over, Warner has been subdued till now, though he will be looking to unleash it from here.
Rajasthan Royals have bowled tight and their bowlers have checked these two batsmen reall well.
Kulkarni to Dhawan, no run . Kulkarni have kept the things very tight, haven't given any room and so making life more difficult for Dhawan and Warner.
OUT, goes captain Dhawan, who was looking to accelerate the innigs holed out to Richardson at deep square leg. That was an off-cutter from Rajat Bhatia.
Rajat Bhatia is a very intellignet bowler, he bowls staright wicket to wicket, doesn't give any room and uses his off-cutter well to disguise the batsman, he tried it again there and got the reward
Warner is really trying hard, but he is just striking at run-a-ball, not what you expect from a player like Warner
End of 12 overs, Sunrisers 79/2.
A few hours ago we saw Maxwell and Miller taking on the spinners and on the same track we see Hyderabad struggling against the spin bowling, credits to Rajasthan
Tambe to Warner, Dropped, it was a flighted which tempted Warner, but James Faulker at long-on dived forward but misses it. Not the easiest of the chances though
Just three days into the tournament and we have already witnessed a catch drop in every game, time for fielding-coaches to pull up their socks
OUT, Finally, the resistance from Warner comes to end. Bhatia again doing the trick with his slower delivery, bowled a bit short and Warner pulls that straight to mid-wicket. Warner gone for 32 after playing 35 deliveries, and that's a strategic-time out .
In comes the dangerous Sammy, remember him coming at the same situation and murdering the Pakistani bolwers in the T-20 World Cup semi-final, a perfect platform for him.
Pravin Tambe to Sammy, goes for the big hit but can't get anything more than a single.
Either the pitch has really slow down after the last game because both Tambe and Bhatia are decieving the batsmen with slower deliveries
Sunrisers struglling for runs, end of 15 overs Sunrisers 90/3 . Last 5 overs to go, how much can Sunrisers pile up
Kulkarni has been given the ball to finish his spell
SIX, that's more like it from Sunrisers. Rahul picks this one up from the good length and pull it over to deep midwicket. Second Six for Sunrisers, they need a few more
OUT, Kulkarni having the last laugh, it was full-toss and Rahul wanted the same treatment, however, he doesn't really connects this time and finds Ajinkya Rahane on deep midwicket. Safe pair of hands !
Kulkarni finishes off his spell 4 overs 23 runs and 2 wickets. How often do you see these figures in a T-20 game
17 overs Sunrisers 108/4
OUT, Rajathan gets the BIG ONE ! Sammy tried to make room to hit it on the off-side, get a top edge and Sanju Samson takes a very well-judged catch. Sammy gone for 6
The news batsman is Karan Sharma.
FOUR, welcome boundary for Sunrisers, Rao slaps toward the point.
Faulker has been the most expensive bowler with 27 runs.
OUT, Sharma mistimes and is caught by Hodge at long-on
This has been a sad story for Sunrisers Hyderabad, having an explosive batting line-up with the likes of Finch, Dhawan, Warner and Sammy, they struggled for runs for the beginning.
End of Innings, Sunrisers 133/6
Kudos to Rajasthan for checking Hyderabad to a low score, all the Rajasthan bowlers had a good day, but it was Bhatia's slow-pace that really cause the major problems.
Sunrisers meanwhile had just one-good partnership of 75 runs between Warner and Dhawan, rest of the batsmen came and gone, that was the story of their innings with none of them really looking comfortbale against the bowling of Rajasthan.
Sunrisers have defended small targets before, with a star-studded bowling line-up, it will be interesting to see how they will defend the total
Rajasthan is ready to start a chase here !
Sunrisers have got one of best bowling line-up in this year's IPL led by World's No.1 bowler- FIERY STEYN !
First bowl to Nayar, Steyn is steaming in, FOUR, over-pitched and ahh ..just pure timing, doesn't push hard just time it thorugh the covers for four
OUT, seamed in and hits the pad, Nayar is gone and Steyn gets the first wicket
Next batsman is Sanju Samson, one of the best emerging talent in the IPL while Steyn is all pumped up, balls and swings away from the right-hander, that clocked at 145 kmph
End of the first over Rajasthan 4/1
Ajinkya Rahane is staying stiff at one end while his partners are tumbling down, Hyderabad pacers are creating a havoc.
After an excellent 2 overs spell from Steyn its Bhuvaneshwar Kumar now who is troubling the batsmen with his superb swinging deliveries, coming in and going out. Rajasthan batsmen have no clue of where the ball is going.
Rajasthan have lost Nayar and Sanju Samson
After 6 overs, Rajasthan 30/2
Rajasthan have now faced 50% dotballs, in temrs of batting run-rate they are eqaul on terms with Hyderabad
OUT, Ishaant Sharma balls a beautiful delivery, it lands on good lenght around off and just shapes away after taking an edge from Watson's bat. Billy Bowden delays, but raises his crooked finger.
Drama, as Watson and Sharma exchange some words, Watson gone for 3
In comes Stuart Binny, Sharma fires a boucner. This is amazing, we saw slower ones from Rajasthan but Hyderabad haven't used it till now, they are firing every delivery at the batsmen and with bowlers putting so much extra effort, even the ball is helping them.
FOUR, that's puched toward deep point, short and wide from Sharma and Rahane don't like missing those
End of the over Rajasthan 36/3 after 7
The depth that Hyderabad have in their bowling attack is unbelievable, we are into the eight over and still no Mishra.
They still have the wicket taking option in form of Sammy, who comes to bowl this right over.
Sammy bowls on good length, doesn't give any room for the batsman to score, just six singles from the over. Hyderbad won't mind singles at this moment, where as Rajasthan will be looking to build one good partnership without minding about the required rate.
With likes of Brad Hodge and Faulker still to come, they can chase from any situation.
Strategic Time-Out- Rajasthan 43/3 after 8
Here comes the LEGGIE !
Amit Mishra to Binny, completely foxes the batsman, Binny dances down the track but Mishra bowls a smart googly, Binny somehow manages to get his pads on the way.
Amit Mishra had a superb comeback in the T-20 World Cup with highest number of wickets. Hyderabad have done a smart thing to retain him. He is a match-winner.
Another googly, this time to Rahane, inside edge onto the pads,
No boundaries, just six runs from the over
Rajasthan 49/3 after 9 overs