Royals regroup in crunch time as bowlers successfully restrict Hyderabad.
It was only last Friday that Sunrisers Hyderabad prevailed over Rajasthan Royals by 23 runs at their home ground. Royals’s loss, at the time, was attributed to the emotional trauma their players were going through owing to the spot-fixing scandal.
Five days later, they seemed a changed side and it showed in their body language and performance. The Rajasthan bowlers bowled brilliantly to restrict Hyderabad to 132 for seven in the IPL Eliminator at the Feroz Shah Kotla here on Wednesday.
Sunrisers skipper Cameron White’s decision to bat appeared to have boomeranged right from the onset, with opener Parthiv Patel (1) and Hanuma Vihari (1) dismissed before the end of the third over.
Sunrisers had to regroup quickly against a disciplined Royals’s attack. For a while, Shikhar Dhawan and White seemed up for it.
The 52-run partnership for the third wicket between Dhawan (33) and White (31) ensured that the Sunrisers did not embarrass themselves. And Darren Sammy’s 21-ball 29 cameo towards the end took them to a total their bowlers could at least have a shot at defending.
Dhawan played an uncharacteristic knock, as he was content taking singles and picking up the odd boundary till about the 15th over.
He then decided to open his arms in the next over bowled by James Faulkner. He succeeded in his first attempt to scoop the pacer by shuffling across the stumps.
However, he spooned an easy catch to short fine-leg in trying to do an encore.
All-rounder Thisara Perera joined Sammy and the two hit some meaty blows to raise Sunrisers’s hopes of getting to a feel-good total. But both fell in quick succession in the 18th over – Sammy failed to complete a double, while Perera (11) was removed by Shane Watson.
Biplab Samantray’s two boundaries at the death ensured the Sunrisers crossed the 130 mark.
The winner of this match will meet Mumbai Indians in the second Qualifier on Friday.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}