IPL 2016, SRH vs MI: In David vs Goliath, Warner the difference

Martin Guptill had been strangely ignored at the IPL 9 auction. You expect someone with a limited-overs double hundred to be good enough for a domestic T20 league. Mumbai, however, wasted little time to pick him as injured Lendl Simmons’ replacement, when the mid-season opportunity arrived. The 29-year-old Kiwi made his IPL debut on Monday, replacing Kieron Pollard, but was done in by a beauty from Kumar.

In search for a few extra yards of pace, the medium pacer had compromised with his primary weapon; swing. Omission from the Indian team ensued. Kumar had been Hyderabad’s standout performer last term with 18 scalps from 14 matches at an economy rate 7.87. He looked a pale shadow of his usual self in the first two outings this year, conceding 84 runs in eight overs and taking two wickets. This game saw a big improvement.

The Uppal pitch initially assisted the seamers a bit and Kumar straightaway found his rhythm. He bowled a brilliant outswinger to get rid of Guptill. The ball pitched around off and swung a little to take the outside edge. It could have gotten any right-hander out. The exciting part was that Kumar had been generating good pace as well. Speed gun showed 141kph once – the pacer was enjoying himself. Barinder Sran returned with three wickets, but he was basically all over the place. Parthiv Patel and Jos Buttler played poor shots to gift a couple to the left-arm quick. Kumar had only one wicket to show for, but his control and variations deserved highest appreciation.

Rayudu drops anchor

Rohit Sharma – at No. 4 in a rejigged batting order – called for a sharp single, pushing left-arm spinner Bipul Sharma to cover. The run was non-existent and Rayudu rightly refused. By the time the Mumbai skipper realised his mistake, it was too late. Rohit dived full-length but his bat bounced up as Naman Ojha whipped off the bails, collecting a strong throw from Moises Henriques. His early departure put the visitors under serious pressure. The onus shifted to Rayudu to anchor the innings.

Back in October last year, Kagiso Rabada did a serious damage to Rayudu’s confidence, sending his leg stump cartwheeling with a full-toss at Barabati. The middle-order batsman hasn’t played for India since. He got starts against Rising Pune Supergiants and Gujarat Lions but failed to convert. A 49-ball 54 against a disciplined Hyderabad bowling attack was a pretty decent effort, but Rayudu would have been happier to stay till the end. He got out in the 18th over, hitting a widish delivery from Sran straight to Henriques at point. Before that, he played a few gorgeous strokes; good enough to help him regain his confidence. A couple of sixes off Henriques and Sharma were huge. His 63-run fifth wicket partnership with Krunal Pandya gave Mumbai total respectability.

26-run over

Krunal’s promotion at No. 6, ahead of his brother Hardik, was interesting. His 20 not out off 11 balls in the last game must have played a part. The left-hander was lucky to survive on five, when Dhawan misjudged a skier and bungled an opportunity. Sharma was the unlucky bowler. A single was taken and Rayudu promptly dispatched the spinner over the straight boundary. Another single and Krunal returned to strike. And he laid into Bipul Sharma, hitting him for three straight sixes. That 26-run over presented Mumbai with a chance to wrest the initiative. But Hyderabad recovered well.

Clinical Warner

Dhawan has become a walking wicket these days. To be fair though, it was a terrific Tim Southee yorker that breached his defence today. Mumbai had the bowling wherewithal to make a match of a modest total, but Warner ensured a comfortable run chase with clinical precision.

His innings had three halves. He started off with a six and a four off Mitchell McClenaghan but soon eschewed his attacking instinct and started to respect good balls. Only when Hardik bowled a half-tracker or Harbhajan Singh missed his length, the Hyderabad captain opened his shoulder. For a batting line-up low on confidence, Warner had to be there right through to ensure a safe route to victory. The end, however, came in a blaze of glory – a shimmy over long-on off Jasprit Bumrah followed by two sixes off McClenaghan. Warner finished unbeaten on 90 off 59 balls to walk away with the Man of the Match award. Hyderabad won by seven wickets with 15 balls to spare. The skipper led from the front to put his team on the board. For Mumbai Indians, it was their third defeat in four match, and they are now in a familiar territory with another slow start to the season.