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Bowlers, Bairstow Help SRH Win vs PK, Open Account in IPL 2021

After a brilliant bowling performance where Khaleel Ahmed and Abhishek Verma took the lead for Sunrisers Hyderabad against the Punjab Kings, the top-order played their part in registering a comfortable 9-wicket win in Chennai.

David Warner’s Sunrisers Hyderabad have registered their first points of the tournament in their 4th game. SRH were boosted by the return of New Zealander Kane Williamson, who was on hand along with Jonny Bairstow when the winning runs were hit. Khaleel Ahmed was the pick of the bowlers for Hyderabad, while Bairstow scored a half-century to help his side in the chase.

Having won the toss and opted to bat first, KL Rahul could not make it count despite being in good form as he was the first to depart when Bhuvneshwar Kumar had him caught at midwicket by Kedar Jadhav for 4.

KL Rahul after being dismissed for 4.
KL Rahul after being dismissed for 4.

Mayank Agarwal (22) and the veteran Chris Gayle put on 24 runs together for the second wicket, struggling to get a move on. The right-hander was the next to fall when Rashid Khan took a sharp catch as Khaleel Ahmed’s change of pace foxed the batter.

That brought the dangerous but out-of-form Nicholas Pooran to the middle along with Gayle, but an attempted quick single to David Warner did not work out. Warner’s direct hit from cover had Pooran running back for a duck without having faced a ball.

In the next over, Rashid Khan got into the act as he trapped Gayle LBW for 15, leaving Punjab in a spot of bother at 47/4.

With Punjab struggling, Deepak Hooda tried to break the shackles and whacked a couple of boundaries, even looking to take on Rashid, but could not keep it going. He was dismissed for 13, LBW by Abhishek Sharma as Punjab lost half their side for 63.

Debutant Moises Henriques added 14 to the cause and with Shahrukh Khan looked to give his side some momentum in the second half of the innings.

Abhishek Sharma however bamboozled him in flight and had him stumped by Jonny Bairstow as Punjab lost their 6th wicket in the 14th over.

Kane Williamson before walking out to bat against Punjab.
Kane Williamson before walking out to bat against Punjab.

Shahrukh smashed a couple of monster sixes while debutant Fabian Allen kept chipping away at his end.

Allen (6), who tried to force the issue in the 17th over, didn’t connect as well as he would have liked with Khaleel’s slower one, allowing Warner to take diving catch at extra cover.

Feeling the pressure to up the rate, Shahrukh (22) too perished trying to clear the ropes, becoming Khaleel’s third wicket as Abhishek Sharma took the catch at deep mid-wicket.

Murugan Ashwin was the ninth wicket to fall when an attempted big hoick caught the bottom edge and went to Bairstow for an easy catch. Ashwin with 9 to his name was Sidharth Kaul’s first wicket of the game. Mohammed Shami was the final wicket to fall as he tried to steal a quick two in the final over. Punjab were skittled out for 120.

In response, Hyderabad started off in contrasting fashion to Punjab as openers Warner and Bairstow took a cautious approach.

The Australian, who scored a half century in the second, looked set to score one more as he and Bairstow kept Punjab at bay.

A much changed Punjab’s bowling attack hardly troubled the SRH openers who drove the total to 50/0 at the end of the powerplay.

Warner, who smashed a six just after the powerplay, was looking to up the scoring rate but was dismissed by Fabian Allen for 33. The debutant bowled a maiden-wicket over as Mayank Agarwal completed the catch at midwicket.

The openers put on 73 before Williamson joined Bairstow in the middle.

The New Zealander was more than happy to give the strike regularly to Bairstow, who had a half century in sight.

A rasping pull through square-leg in the 18th over off Deepak Hooda saw Bairstow complete his half century.

Bairstow finished unbeaten on 63 while Williamson was unbeaten on 16 as Arshdeep Singh conceded a wide to put the seal on the game with 8 balls to go.

. Read more on IPL by The Quint.Amid Surge in COVID Cases, Night Curfew in Goa From Tonight Bowlers, Bairstow Help SRH Win vs PK, Open Account in IPL 2021 . Read more on IPL by The Quint.