Sunrisers Hyderabad did the right things at the right time to secure a crucial nine-run win over Delhi Capitals at the Ferozeshah Kotla in New Delhi on Saturday.
Abhishek Sharma, promoted to open the innings, top-scored with 67 to lay the platform for the Sunrisers’ formidable total of 197/6 after they were put into bat.
After the young left-hander laid the platform with his 36-ball knock, South Africa keeper-batter Heinrich Klaasen provided the finishing touches to the Sunrisers as he hammered an unbeaten 53 off 27 balls. Klaasen’s knock comprised two boundaries and four maximums.
In reply, the Capitals lost skipper David Warner in just the second ball of their innings off Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s bowling.
But they stormed back in the contest through a 112-run second-wicket partnership between Phil Salt (59) and No.3 Mitchell Marsh (63), which also reduced the Capitals’ required run rate to just over nine.
Fortunately for the Sunrisers, spinner Mayank Markande (2/20) broke the stand when he dismissed Englishman Salt before Sharma struck with the ball as well, removing the experienced Manish Pandey. Thereafter, West Indies left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein, taking a pounding off Marsh early on, went on to account for the Australian in the 14th over.
That turned out to be the killer blow as the Capitals run chase kept losing steam from thereon. Besides, the Capitals again made the mistake of sending Axar Patel (29 not out) lower down the order at No.7. The target was more or less out of reach for the Capitals when Axar arrived at the crease.
Among the Sunrisers bowlers, T. Natarajan (1/34) also did a good job with the ball alongside Markande’s game-changing spell. The Capitals eventually finished at 188/6.
Earlier, the Sunrisers had lost half their side by the 12th over, having reached 109. There wasn’t much batting to come after Sharma’s dismissal, but Klaasen remained firm and played the right strokes while he also got some assistance from Abdul Samad (28) and Hosein (16) that helped the Sunrisers cross 190.
As for the Capitals bowlers, all their established fast bowlers — Anrich Nortje,Ishant Sharma and Mukesh Kumar — were carted for runs.
