Warner, Shankar tame Lions; SRH in playoffs
Superb bowling by Mohammed Siraj and Rashid Khan helped defending champions Sunrisers Hyderabad make it to the playoffs of the Indian Premier League, registering an eight-wicket win against hosts Gujarat Lions here on Saturday.
Bowling a tight line, seamer Siraj and leg-spinner Rashid mesmerised Gujarat Lions batsmen to shoot them out for 154 in 19.2 overs after SRH skipper David Warner chose to field. Siraj bagged four for 32, including consecutive wickets in his last over, while Rashid finished with three for 34. Bhuvneshwar Kumar also had two for 25.
In reply, leading from the front, Warner smashed a wellcrafted unbeaten 65 off 51 balls with the help of nine fours and two sixes as Sunrisers Hyderabad romped home in 18.1 overs, losing two wickets. Warner also completed his 600 runs in the IPL-10.
GOOD START
Playing only in his third match of the season, Tamil Nadu youngster Vijay Shankar batted well and scored an unbeaten 63, which came off 44 balls with the help of nine fours. His previous best was an unbeaten 15 against Mumbai Indians. Opener Shikhar Dhawan made 18 off 11 balls with four fours.
The win helped Sunrisers Hyderabad extend their win record against Gujarat Lions to 5-0. This was also the third time when Sunrisers Hyderabad won a match in IPL-10 without hitting a six.
Experienced Praveen Kumar raised some hope for the hosts, bagging two wickets in his second over and reducing SRH to two for 25 in three overs, but Warner and Shankar held the innings together till the end.
Earlier, openers Dwayne Smith and Ishan Kishan smashed sparkling half-centuries as Gujarat Lions scored 154 in 19.2 overs. Barring the two, no other Gujarat Lions batsman could stand up to SRH bowlers, especially Siraj and Rashid.
The Lions’ total left many surprised as, after scoring 100plus runs and that too without losing a wicket in the first 10 overs, they lost all their wickets in just 9.2 overs..