Internet Desk: The Delhi Daredevils applied the brakes on their two match losing streak when they defeated table-toppers Sunrisers Hyderabad by 7 wickets on Thursday. After restricting the hosts to a modest 146-8, the Delhi Daredevils knocked off the required runs in 18.1 overs. As a result of their convincing win, the Daredevils climbed to third place in the VIVO IPL 2016 standings.
As has been the case with them for most part of the season, the Delhi Daredevils began poorly, before clawing their way back into the contest, eventually taking grip of the match. They put the hosts in after winning the toss, but much to their dismay David Warner and Shikhar Dhawan began steadily before switching to over drive mode. Shikhar Dhawan was the first to break the shackles when he on drove Mohammed Shami for a boundary in the fourth over. His captain David Warner then teed off; he punished Shami for consecutive boundaries, before picking up 14 runs of the first three deliveries of Jayant Yadav’s third over. Despite only scoring 11 runs of their first three overs, the hosts were well-placed at 51 for no loss at the end of the Powerplay period and the visitors were under pressure.
Warner continued his merry ways after the fielding side’s time out – picking up a boundary each in the next two overs. The Daredevils desperately needed a breakthrough at this stage, and the off-spinner Jayant Yadav responded; bowling from round the stumps, he beat Warner in the air, had him playing the wrong line and castled him. Warner, who brought up his 3000th IPL run when on 6, made 46 from 30 balls and hit six fours and a six, and his partnership with Dhawan was worth 67.
The Delhi Daredevils used that breakthrough to take control of proceedings. Dhawan (34 from 37 balls) picked up two boundaries off Duminy in the tenth over, but he perished in the 13th over when he was outwitted by Amit Mishra. 98 for 2 at that stage, the SRH innings fell away thereafter. It was a parade of sorts as the home side then lost six wickets and could only add 48 runs in the remaining seven overs.
Yuvraj Singh was outsmarted by Mishra, Moises Henriques received a superb inswinger first up to be trapped LBW, while Deepak Hooda became the second batsman this season to trod onto his stumps. Chris Morris had a hand in the next two dismissals; his low full toss first castled Kane Williamson (27), after which he was alert to the possibility of a run out and kicked the ball onto the stumps to catch Bhuvneshwar Kumar short of his ground. Naman Ojha was last man out, pulling a low full toss down the throat of square leg. SRH finished their twenty overs at 146-8, scoring only 66 runs in the back ten.
For the visitors, Nathan Coulter-Nile and Amit Mishra picked up two wickets each. Chris Morris was exceptional once again, conceding just 19 runs in his four overs – which included a two-run 19th over, while Shami and Jayant picked up one wicket apiece. JP Duminy, who took over the reins in the absence of Zaheer Khan, was the only bowler to go wicketless.
When it was their turn to bat, the Daredevils lost the wicket of Mayank Agarwal – who partnered Quinton de Kock at the top – in the fourth over. But de Kock played an aggressive innings, picking up boundaries all round the park, and along with contributions from Karun Nair, Sanju Samson and Rishabh Pant took the team home.
de Kock scored 44, aided with five boundaries and two sixes, while Karun played a few classy drives in his 17-ball 20 before both were dismissed in the tenth over. de Kock was at the receiving end of a rough decision from Umpire Marais Erasmus, while Karun yorked himself and became Moises Henriques’ second victim.
18-year old Pant muscled his way to 39 from 26 balls, studded with two fours and three sixes, while Sanju helped himself to 34 from 26 balls, studded with two sixes – including the winning hit. Their 72-run partnership, which came off just 52 balls, helped the Daredevils get over the line with eleven balls to spare.
For Sunrisers Hyderabad, Moises Henriques and Ashish Nehra (1-23) were the two wicket-takers. Overall, the SRH bowlers had a forgettable outing; their famed trio of Nehra, Mustafizur and Bhuvneshwar Kumar ended with combined figures of 11-0-94-1.