The Sunrisers Hyderabad displayed why they have the best bowling attack in the Indian Premier League, beating the Kings XI Punjab by 20 runs in Mohali.
Defending an under-par total of 150 was never an easy task, but Trent Boult and company did it in style. The SRH bowlers were also supported by fine fielding and also converted the half-chances.
The Kings XI batting line-up crumbled like a cookie in the pressure created by Hyderabad. Boult and Bhuvneshwar Kumar rattled the top-order, while Praveen Kumar, Karn Sharma and Moises Henriques knotted the KXIP in the middle overs.
Wriddhiman Saha, however, tried to show some resistance, but with wickets falling from one end, it turned into a colossal task for him. As Boult ended Saha’s fight it, was all over for the hosts at that time only in the 18th over.
“It was our batting, the top order again,” Bailey said. “I’ll take responsibility again and we needed partnerships going but could not. It was a gettable target but top order couldn’t do it. We’re trying to find a combination that works.
“The worrying thing is the fear and restriction comes in,” he added. “We’re not trying any less than last year, things are not going our way. It was a great opportunity tonight to win.”
Earlier, put into bat, the Sunrisers posted 150 on the board, thanks to Warner’s blazing half-century and a late cameo from Ashish Reddy. Other Hyderabad batsmen failed to make much of a contribution to the total.
Warner played a counterattacking game for the Sunrisers, after Mitchell Johnson removed Shikhar Dhawan early. And, his ploy worked as the SRH raced to 50 in no time, but as he fell their innings derailed.
“Fantastic effort, I thought 160 was par,” Warner said. “Mine was a key dismissal and the boys bowled fantastic after that. The bowlers won us the match and today it was a fantastic effort.”
