Pressure gets to SRH top-order
Right from the time Sandeep Sharma bowled the first over of the match, the slowness of the track was visible. The deliveries gripped after pitching with shot-making being tough. The KXIP bowlers to their credit stuck to a beautiful line and bowled according to the field. After four overs, Shikhar Dhawan and David Warner could only manage 21 runs between them, with only one boundary coming in the initial proceedings - that too off a legside delivery from Sandeep. The pressure was building and Dhawan went for a hook too early to Mohit Sharma's short ball and gloved it to wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha. Warner at the other end struggled to find the gaps but managed to stay on combining for a 25-run stand with Moises Henriques. Warner did execute a reverse-ramp for a six taking his score to 20 off 24 balls. However, Henriques departed for nine after being stumped off Axar Patel. Off the next delivery, Axar induced an edge and Yuvraj was on his way back for a first-ball duck.
Warner, middle-order step it up
Naman Ojha walked in to join Warner and the duo went about rebuilding the innings. Ojha took on the aggressor's role and earned himself couple of boundaries before tonking Axar for a beautiful six dancing down the track over midwicket. That took the pressure off Warner and allowed the skipper to rethink his strategy. Warner then got a move on cracking two boundaries off the pacers. Ojha departed for a well-made 34 off just 20 to KC Cariappa. Warner continued his hitting and went on to compile his 34th IPL fifty. Hooda made 12 while Rashid finished it off with a six off the last delivery. Warner remained unbeaten on 70 off 54 deliveries taking his team to 159/6.
Early strikes dent KXIP
In defence of the total, Bhuvneshwar Kumar gave SRH the perfect start by trapping Hashim Amla in front with full in-swinger. Manan Vohra at the other end though hit two boundaries off Barinder Sran to make his intentions clear. Maxwell, promoting himself up the order, failed to get going as he was caught in the deep trying to muscle a Bhuvneshwar leg cutter over long-off. Vohra though continued to hit the ball cleanly and took two fours and six off Rashid Khan inside the powerplay overs. Henriques and Siddharth Kaul bowled a couple of tidy overs in between.
Afghans join the party
Debutant Mohammad Nabi was brought back in to the attack and he made an immediate impact scalping Eoin Morgan with a flatter one that went through the arm and crashed on to the stumps. In the next over, Rashid Khan put SRH ahead with a fast legbreak to knock over David Miller for one and then cleaned up Wriddhiman Saha in the same over. Henriques added the wicket of Axar Patel to further dent KXIP. But Vohra was the key man for KXIP
Bhuvneshwar trumps Vohra
Vohra was batting on a different surface than the others and he kept KXIP alive in the match. After cautiously treading to 47 off 34 balls, he shifted gears taking Sran for two sixes and a four followed by two sixes and two fours off Rashid Khan. The 15th and 16th over cost SRH 41 runs and Vohra got the run-rate down drastically. Vohra was given a life when he was dropped by Dhawan at deep extra cover on 83 off Bhuvneshwar Kumar. A six off Siddharth Kaul's penultimate over helped Vohra enter the 90s and the equation came down to 22 off 17. Kaul came back well to give away just six more runs in the over. Bhuvneshwar was given the 19th over to bowl and the Indian international delivered cleaning up Cariappa and then trapped Vohra in front with low full toss. Kaul held his nerve in the final over, defending 11 runs, and wrapped up the game with the wicket of Ishant Sharma to hand SRH a five-run win.
Right from the time Sandeep Sharma bowled the first over of the match, the slowness of the track was visible. The deliveries gripped after pitching with shot-making being tough. The KXIP bowlers to their credit stuck to a beautiful line and bowled according to the field. After four overs, Shikhar Dhawan and David Warner could only manage 21 runs between them, with only one boundary coming in the initial proceedings - that too off a legside delivery from Sandeep. The pressure was building and Dhawan went for a hook too early to Mohit Sharma's short ball and gloved it to wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha. Warner at the other end struggled to find the gaps but managed to stay on combining for a 25-run stand with Moises Henriques. Warner did execute a reverse-ramp for a six taking his score to 20 off 24 balls. However, Henriques departed for nine after being stumped off Axar Patel. Off the next delivery, Axar induced an edge and Yuvraj was on his way back for a first-ball duck.
Warner, middle-order step it up
Naman Ojha walked in to join Warner and the duo went about rebuilding the innings. Ojha took on the aggressor's role and earned himself couple of boundaries before tonking Axar for a beautiful six dancing down the track over midwicket. That took the pressure off Warner and allowed the skipper to rethink his strategy. Warner then got a move on cracking two boundaries off the pacers. Ojha departed for a well-made 34 off just 20 to KC Cariappa. Warner continued his hitting and went on to compile his 34th IPL fifty. Hooda made 12 while Rashid finished it off with a six off the last delivery. Warner remained unbeaten on 70 off 54 deliveries taking his team to 159/6.
Early strikes dent KXIP
In defence of the total, Bhuvneshwar Kumar gave SRH the perfect start by trapping Hashim Amla in front with full in-swinger. Manan Vohra at the other end though hit two boundaries off Barinder Sran to make his intentions clear. Maxwell, promoting himself up the order, failed to get going as he was caught in the deep trying to muscle a Bhuvneshwar leg cutter over long-off. Vohra though continued to hit the ball cleanly and took two fours and six off Rashid Khan inside the powerplay overs. Henriques and Siddharth Kaul bowled a couple of tidy overs in between.
Afghans join the party
Debutant Mohammad Nabi was brought back in to the attack and he made an immediate impact scalping Eoin Morgan with a flatter one that went through the arm and crashed on to the stumps. In the next over, Rashid Khan put SRH ahead with a fast legbreak to knock over David Miller for one and then cleaned up Wriddhiman Saha in the same over. Henriques added the wicket of Axar Patel to further dent KXIP. But Vohra was the key man for KXIP
Bhuvneshwar trumps Vohra
Vohra was batting on a different surface than the others and he kept KXIP alive in the match. After cautiously treading to 47 off 34 balls, he shifted gears taking Sran for two sixes and a four followed by two sixes and two fours off Rashid Khan. The 15th and 16th over cost SRH 41 runs and Vohra got the run-rate down drastically. Vohra was given a life when he was dropped by Dhawan at deep extra cover on 83 off Bhuvneshwar Kumar. A six off Siddharth Kaul's penultimate over helped Vohra enter the 90s and the equation came down to 22 off 17. Kaul came back well to give away just six more runs in the over. Bhuvneshwar was given the 19th over to bowl and the Indian international delivered cleaning up Cariappa and then trapped Vohra in front with low full toss. Kaul held his nerve in the final over, defending 11 runs, and wrapped up the game with the wicket of Ishant Sharma to hand SRH a five-run win.
