It was supposed to be a pressure game for Sunrisers Hyderabad, languishing in the bottom half of the table, as they faced second-placed Rajasthan Royals on a sultry Thursday in Mumbai. For the Royals, on the other hand it was a chance to strengthen their campaign and iron out flaws.
But as the game progressed, the pressure was all on the Royals, and their weaknesses were further exposed. Afflicted by poor bowling again, the team allowed the Sunrisers to pile on 201 runs batting first. While their prowess with the ball has not been at its best, the Royals have been on cruise control thanks to their deep batting line-up. But when the top order too crumbles, it is a wake-up call, especially when the likes of Dale Steyn and Trent Boult are actually rested by opposition.
Small margin but not a close defeat
The Royals lost by seven runs at the Brabourne Stadium, but the result has a bigger story to tell. It was a case of rare failure from both Ajinkya Rahane and Shane Watson. Bhuvneshwar Kumar thrived in helpful conditions to be the wrecker-in-chief for the Sunrisers.
However, the Royals are among the best chasing outfit in the league, and a lower-order resurgence will be the positive they take away from this game. Chasing a total of over 200 requires multiple starring acts. But only Steve Smith performed on Thursday.
The Australian’s ability to thrive under pressure and up his game a notch is what has made him among the best in circuit today.
His ability to play 360 degrees leaves the opposition captain wondering about field placements. Smith is so strong down the ground that he negates the threat of spin with his aggressive footwork, like he did against Karn Sharma. But he succumbed to a slower delivery fighting a lone battle.
Chris Morris, coming back to the side, ensured that he won’t be replaced at least for the next match, considering his lower order pyrotechnics. The tall South African has been underrated as a batsman, but can send the ball soaring with his cross-batted swipes.
Losing the initiative
Playing in conditions with unforgiving humidity, the team winning the toss might have preferred to bat first to spare the fielders. But the Royals captain Shane Watson decided to field after calling correctly.
The Royals bowled first on a pitch that was visibly green, a setting that is not very common in the T20 era.
While other venues mostly offer a flat, batting-friendly surface, the fabled Cricket Club of India – the home ground for the Royals, hosting its second match of the tournament – dished out assistance to quicker bowlers. In the previous game, Delhi Daredevils’ Zaheer Khan too had gained lateral movement off the green pitch with the new ball.
So, it did come as a surprise when Royals skipper Shane Watson decided to throw the new ball to the young Deepak Hooda. The left-arm slow bowler tried to flight the ball but with almost no turn off the pitch and it was easy pickings for Sunrisers’ openers Shikhar Dhawan and David Warner. The marauding duo scored 13 runs in the opening over to get their eye in.
In this format, where batsmen look to attack from the first delivery, it is crucial for teams to bowl a tight first over to grab the early momentum and unsettle the opposition batsmen. But Rajasthan failed to check that box.
There was a constant change of bowlers due to pressure. Five bowlers used in the powerplay overs highlighted Watson’s desperation to curb the Hyderabad outfit.
The Royals – with two changes in the form of Chris Morris and Pravin Tambe, in for Tim Southee and Rajat Bhatia – failed to make crucial breakthroughs. They managed to take just the lone wicket of Warner’s in the first ten overs, which allowed the Sunrisers to go full throttle in the final ten.
It is not the first time in this tournament that Watson’s bowlers have not been up to the mark. But it will be a major cause of concern with the play-offs fast approaching.
The bowling attack hardly troubled Dhawan and, later, Eoin Morgan. The India opener took his time and shuffled around to adjust to the line and length, while scoring the regular boundaries. Dhawan’s measured innings was a mix of unorthodox sweeps and crisp, stylish drives.
Morgan took charge after Dhawan’s dismissal for 54 runs. The Royals were guilty of allowing the Sunrisers to rebuild quickly after the fall of every wicket. The yorkers were missing and on occasions the fielding was not up to the mark.
Such was the Sunrisers’ domination that Tambe’s spell of four overs for 32 runs (at eight runs per over) was the best effort by a Royals bowler. James Faulkner, coming into the tournament as the player of the match in World Cup final, has been out of sorts with the ball. In ten matches, the left-arm pacer has gone for over nine runs per over.
Watson, more reliant on swing over place, proved to be the most expensive of the lot. His gentle medium-pace was like playing to the strengths of Morgan, who has grown up with swing bowling in England and Ireland. With not much swing or pace, Morgan punished Watson mercilessly.
The Royals have been nomads ever since they were displaced from Jaipur two season ago. While they played to packed houses in Ahmedabad earlier in the season, the fans don’t seem to turn up in Mumbai. Crowd support does not have the vital role in the IPL like it does in football leagues abroad but it could still count as a catalyst to have fans shout ‘Ra-jas-than Ra-jas-than.’
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But as the game progressed, the pressure was all on the Royals, and their weaknesses were further exposed. Afflicted by poor bowling again, the team allowed the Sunrisers to pile on 201 runs batting first. While their prowess with the ball has not been at its best, the Royals have been on cruise control thanks to their deep batting line-up. But when the top order too crumbles, it is a wake-up call, especially when the likes of Dale Steyn and Trent Boult are actually rested by opposition.
Small margin but not a close defeat
The Royals lost by seven runs at the Brabourne Stadium, but the result has a bigger story to tell. It was a case of rare failure from both Ajinkya Rahane and Shane Watson. Bhuvneshwar Kumar thrived in helpful conditions to be the wrecker-in-chief for the Sunrisers.
However, the Royals are among the best chasing outfit in the league, and a lower-order resurgence will be the positive they take away from this game. Chasing a total of over 200 requires multiple starring acts. But only Steve Smith performed on Thursday.
The Australian’s ability to thrive under pressure and up his game a notch is what has made him among the best in circuit today.
His ability to play 360 degrees leaves the opposition captain wondering about field placements. Smith is so strong down the ground that he negates the threat of spin with his aggressive footwork, like he did against Karn Sharma. But he succumbed to a slower delivery fighting a lone battle.
Chris Morris, coming back to the side, ensured that he won’t be replaced at least for the next match, considering his lower order pyrotechnics. The tall South African has been underrated as a batsman, but can send the ball soaring with his cross-batted swipes.
Losing the initiative
Playing in conditions with unforgiving humidity, the team winning the toss might have preferred to bat first to spare the fielders. But the Royals captain Shane Watson decided to field after calling correctly.
The Royals bowled first on a pitch that was visibly green, a setting that is not very common in the T20 era.
While other venues mostly offer a flat, batting-friendly surface, the fabled Cricket Club of India – the home ground for the Royals, hosting its second match of the tournament – dished out assistance to quicker bowlers. In the previous game, Delhi Daredevils’ Zaheer Khan too had gained lateral movement off the green pitch with the new ball.
So, it did come as a surprise when Royals skipper Shane Watson decided to throw the new ball to the young Deepak Hooda. The left-arm slow bowler tried to flight the ball but with almost no turn off the pitch and it was easy pickings for Sunrisers’ openers Shikhar Dhawan and David Warner. The marauding duo scored 13 runs in the opening over to get their eye in.
In this format, where batsmen look to attack from the first delivery, it is crucial for teams to bowl a tight first over to grab the early momentum and unsettle the opposition batsmen. But Rajasthan failed to check that box.
There was a constant change of bowlers due to pressure. Five bowlers used in the powerplay overs highlighted Watson’s desperation to curb the Hyderabad outfit.
The Royals – with two changes in the form of Chris Morris and Pravin Tambe, in for Tim Southee and Rajat Bhatia – failed to make crucial breakthroughs. They managed to take just the lone wicket of Warner’s in the first ten overs, which allowed the Sunrisers to go full throttle in the final ten.
It is not the first time in this tournament that Watson’s bowlers have not been up to the mark. But it will be a major cause of concern with the play-offs fast approaching.
The bowling attack hardly troubled Dhawan and, later, Eoin Morgan. The India opener took his time and shuffled around to adjust to the line and length, while scoring the regular boundaries. Dhawan’s measured innings was a mix of unorthodox sweeps and crisp, stylish drives.
Morgan took charge after Dhawan’s dismissal for 54 runs. The Royals were guilty of allowing the Sunrisers to rebuild quickly after the fall of every wicket. The yorkers were missing and on occasions the fielding was not up to the mark.
Such was the Sunrisers’ domination that Tambe’s spell of four overs for 32 runs (at eight runs per over) was the best effort by a Royals bowler. James Faulkner, coming into the tournament as the player of the match in World Cup final, has been out of sorts with the ball. In ten matches, the left-arm pacer has gone for over nine runs per over.
Watson, more reliant on swing over place, proved to be the most expensive of the lot. His gentle medium-pace was like playing to the strengths of Morgan, who has grown up with swing bowling in England and Ireland. With not much swing or pace, Morgan punished Watson mercilessly.
The Royals have been nomads ever since they were displaced from Jaipur two season ago. While they played to packed houses in Ahmedabad earlier in the season, the fans don’t seem to turn up in Mumbai. Crowd support does not have the vital role in the IPL like it does in football leagues abroad but it could still count as a catalyst to have fans shout ‘Ra-jas-than Ra-jas-than.’