Sunrisers Hyderabad’s bowlers on song in comprehensive defeat of Rajasthan Royals

Rajasthan's second hat-trick in two matches overshadowed by batting collapse

Sunrisers Hyderabad bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar, pictured during an Indian Premier League match against Mumbai Indians at Dubai International Cricket Stadium on April 30, 2014, took four wickets for 14 rShow more

Rajasthan Royals’s run of good performances came to a halt on Thursday when their designated home was moved to the Sardar Patel Stadium in Ahmedabad. After a 32-run defeat to Sunrisers Hyderabad in a match dominated by bowlers, it remains a home in name only.

Having chosen to bowl yesterday, Rajasthan went into the break with wide smiles after holding Hyderabad to 134 for nine.

Along the way Shane Watson completed a hat-trick that began by bowling opener Shikhar Dhawan, just as he was settling in with 33 runs from 20 balls, and that effort was backed up by all of Rajasthan’s bowlers who kept the pressure on the opposition.

There was a sense that Hyderabad’s batsmen had not lived up to their billing, but that seemed to spur their vaunted bowling attack, which came out switched on and quickly turned the home side off, bowling them out for a limp to 102 in 19.5 overs.

There was no single hero with the ball for Hyderabad, who relied instead on the Rajasthan template of hunting in a pack and making sure the batsmen were not allowed a breather with excellent control on a surface that demanded cleverness rather than power. Even in a team effort, Bhuvneshwar Kumar stood out with a spell of four for 14.

In defence of a none-too-formidable total, Hyderabad needed to start with wickets up front and Bhuvneshwar drew Ajinkya Rahane into a drive away from his body that was pouched by David Warner.

Though Dale Steyn was at the receiving end of the shot of the match – a straight six by Sanju Samson that was timed to perfection – he came back to draw an edge off Karun Nair.

Watson strode out with his side 27 for two in four overs, but Moises Henriques, in for Darren Sammy, got him to edge behind for the big wicket. Samson having fallen earlier, Rajasthan were in for a struggle at 41 for four.

There was no letting up from the Hyderabad bowlers and when they needed a lift while Stuart Binny and Steve Smith were patiently rebuilding, they got it in the form of Warner, who pinged the stumps from inside the midwicket fence to sensationally run out Binny.

It left Rajasthan at 78 for five, needing 57 off 38.

It was all the bowlers needed and the end came swiftly, with Bhuvneshwar cleaning up three batsmen in his final over to all but settle the issue. Rajasthan’s deep batting line-up was packed with all-rounders, but they could do little against bowlers who gave not an inch away.

It had all seemed so different when Amit Mishra was comically run out in the final over of an innings that ended with a total well below what it looked set for. Having missed connecting with James Faulkner’s delivery, Mishra tried to steal a bye.

What followed next was fodder for a YouTube blooper’s reel. Samson took a shy at the stumps and missed, but Faulkner was at hand to collect the ball. With Mishra still out of his crease, Faulkner took aim at the stumps himself, but also missed.

Mishra was too busy turning and remonstrating with Irfan Pathan, the non-striker, for having sold him a dummy to look at the bowler, and the relay of throws came to an end when Samson tried for a third time and found his mark.

Fortunately for Mishra, he played his part in ensuring that would not be the only memory of the match, with Hyderabad’s win overshadowing even Watson’s hat-trick.

Earlier, Hyderabad had begun well. Dhawan seemed to find his range, hitting the boundary with regularity in the opening overs. Dhawan had much of the strike, and Hyderabad’s run-rate was soaring when Watson brought himself on to bowl, and promptly castled Dhawan with the final ball of his over.

That the ball was too close to cut was borne out by the fact that it hit offstump. Still at 37 for one in four overs, Hyderabad had a decent start.

That was soon undone by the combination of Rajat Bhatia and Pravin Tambe. Bhatia's clever changes of pace allied with Tambe's control had the batsmen befuddled. Both men bowled their quotas out, and by the time they were done, Hyderabad were on a precarious 95 for five in 14 overs.

Aaron Finch had gone to a superb catch in the deep by Rahane, but both Naman Ojha and KL Rahul were undone by Bhatia’s lack of pace, while Warner, batting at No 5, completely misread a googly to be stranded down the crease.

Watson returned in the 17th over and got Henriques and Karn Sharma off his first two balls, completing a hat-trick that began with Dhawan’s wicket. The final over was enlivened by Mishra’s strange run-out, but it did not materially affect Hyderabad’s scoring prospects.

As it turned out, it did not affect their prospects of victory, either.

Saurabh Somani is assistant editor of Wisden India. Visit wisdenindia.com or follow them on Twitter for more on the IPL.

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