Hello All,
Welcome to Match 3 of IPL 2020 that will be played against Sun Risers Hyderabad (SRH) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). For those not getting the title – Reverend is the nickname given to David Warner and King Kohli Tag is self-explanatory! After a close encounter in the first and a super over in the second, things are about to get a lot hotter out there. Both the team playing their first match would be looking to start off with a win. Kohli would be itching to get back on the field.
Hopefully, the underachievers can turn a new leaf this year. SRH are going from strength to strength even having roped in Trevor Bayliss as their coach this season. We continue from where we had left yesterday- Dubai. Meanwhile, it’s toss time. Both the captain out in the middle. Warner calls it right and elects to bowl first.
IPL 2020: Match 3. SRH vs RCB
Live from- Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai
Time- 7:30 IST
Broadcast- Star Sports Network (1 English) and (3 Hindi) and Disney+hotstar for online streaming.
Umpires- Nitin Menon and Anil Dandekar
3rd umpire- Anil Chaudhary
Match official- Prakash Bhatt
Teams-
Sun Risers Hyderabad- David Warner (c), Jonny Bairstow (wk), Manish Pandey, Vijay Shankar, Mitchell Marsh, Priyam Garg, Abhishek Sharma, Rashid Khan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Sandeep Sharma, T Natarajan.
Royal Challengers Bangalore- Aaron Finch, Devdutt Padikkal, Virat Kohli (c), AB de Villiers, Josh Philippe(wk), Shivam Dube, Washington Sundar, Umesh Yadav, Navdeep Saini, Dale Steyn, Yuzvendra Chahal.
Its Devdutt Padikkal and Aaron Finch to open the innings for RCB and Bhuvneshwar Kumar (Bhuvi) to bowl. Good ball first up, hardly bounced. Bhuvi getting good shape here. Dev takes a quick single to open his account his first IPL run. Finch on strike – remember the inswingers Finch… 1st ball he faces is an- You’ll guessed it right big inswinger there hits in on the pads but too much swing. The next ball same result… A bit wider this time Finch just about manages to bring his bat down in time. Great start for SRH. Sandeep Sharma to partner Bhuvi, first ball bowls a half-tracker and thank you says Dev, first boundary for Dev. Next ball middled the off-drive but straight to the fielder. The third ball, 4 again this time down the leg side. Poor bowling this by Sandeep. Next ball, full swinging away dev gets a thick outside edge and flies past the vacant first slip, the fielder had just been removed before this ball, a dive my third man saves 2. At the end of 2 overs RCB 13/0.
Bhuvi continues after 2 good balls bowls a freebie which dev accepts gleefully by putting it to the boundary. 7 from the over and 20/0. It’s time for the debutant Natarajan in and bowls a good first ball. Dev up to the task and pulls back to back boundaries in the end 12 runs coming from that over. Dev has got RCB off to a flier! Another bowling change and it’s Marsh in.. good ball to start with. Finch takes a single on the second and Marsh has gone down seems like he twisted his ankle on his follow-through, getting some magic spray treatment.. ready to bowl after a short break bowls it full and it the slot and Dev hits it straight back over the bowlers head for a boundary. Bowls another one down the leg side, single taken and seems like Marsh is out… still hobbling around leaves the field for treatment. Fabian Allen comes on in as a substitute.
Vijay Shankar handled the ball to finish off the over. First ball and he oversteps my a huge margin, lucky for him Finch did not connect as the ball didn’t bounce much. Free Hit coming up, this time Finch gets the maximum. Oh my… Shankar has overstepped again! Another free hit.. this time gets lucky, Finch slogs gets no connection and is caught but it doesn’t count. Dev on strike, now a wide down the leg side. Last ball again down the leg but no connection from Dev. A 9 ball over comes to an end and RCB cruising at 48/0 after 5. Sandeep back into the attack and just gives away 5 from it. RCB reach 50 and so does the partnership. 53/0 after 6.
The magician comes on to bowl – Rashid Khan and bowls an excellent first over conceding only singles. Natarajan keeps up the pressure giving away just from his next. Rashid back and keeps building up the pressure and Finch decides enough of the dots and singles, gets a short one from Rashid and hits it over mid-wicket for a boundary, the next ball slog sweeps and it goes for a maximum. Pressure released. It’s 75-0 after 9 and time for Strategic Time-out. Good solid foundation laid down by the RCB openers here. Dev in his first game has looked in excellent touch, finch getting a hang of it in the end. Bhuvi started off well and troubled Finch and Dev but they managed to survive. SRH would be looking for a breakthrough somehow as RCB have all their wickets left with 11 overs to go.
Abhishek Sharma to bowl his first, Dev just places the ball and gets 2 from the first 2 balls each, for the third he slog sweeps it, it goes in the air and Rashid place in the deep just overruns it, hit flat tries to get his arm around it… misses and goes for a boundary and its 50! for Dev in his first match need a bit of luck and gets a 50! excellent stuff this from the young man! 11 coming from the over and it’s 86/0 after 10. Shankar back, first ball Dev hits it straight in the air a wild slog there, two fielders in the deep converge, they crash and its another chance gone begging. Dev gets another life. Sloppy work there by the fielders, no communication at all. Last ball Dev tries to slog another one, gets no connection at all and is castled! No catching needed and finally a breakthrough for SRH. Dev goes and RCB 90-1 after 11.
Virat comes in at 3. Abhishek to bowl his second, first ball and he gets Finch straight plumb in front. Finch tries for the sweep, doesn’t connect and another wicket goes. 1 brings 2 they said and SRH won’t mind more of these. Mr. 360- Abd walks in to bat at 4. What a pair this… they keep the strike rotating for the next 3 overs and excellent running between the wickets. Rashid also kept at bay and by end of 15 RCB reach at 115/2.
SRH have done an excellent job in these middle overs not giving away much to these two greats in the middle. Natarajan back in and Abd just creams it over sweeper cover for a boundary, later Kohli on strike, the pressure of not getting the boundaries gets to the Indian and RCB captain, tries to slog the ball over the longest boundary but the bowler with the left-arm angle and off cutter making it harder to connect and in the end, it reaches the safe hands of Rashid Khan, he does not drop these and the captain departs. It’s 124/3 after 16 and time for a strategic time out. SRH have been excellent here in the middle overs giving away just 49 runs from 7 overs and 3 big wickets. Slog overs up next.
Bhuvi back into the attack and gives away just 8 runs from it. Natarajan to bowl his last and just gives 9 as well. RCB in pressure to find the boundaries. SRH won’t mind such overs in the end. Sandeep back to bowl his final over starts well and Ab has the last laugh hitting him for 2 continuous 6’s. Some short this is typical Abd fashion. 14 from that over. Bhuvi to bowl the final, first ball is butchered back over the bowlers head for a boundary, almost a maximum. Gets 2 the next ball and it’s 50 up for Mr. 360! from just 29 balls.
Tries for another double but can’t beat the throw from Manish Pandey from the deep and Abd is run out! Josh Philippe in for his debut and Bhuvi starts off with a dot! Wide yorker the next, digs it for a single. Final ball, Dube swings and misses the short ball, comes a huge way out of his crease and gets run out! Excellent over from Bhuvi to end with just 8 runs coincided. RCB end with 163/5. Good tight bowling, in the end, see SRH restrict RCB to just 163, from a position at 75/0 after 9. RCB were not able to accelerate as much as they would have liked to do so but seems like a decent score this. SRH have a very top-heavy batting and would be hoping that they start well to overcome this target.
Innings Break
The RCB team has formed a huddle for some last-minute tips, Warner and Bairstow to open the innings for SRH. Dale for RCB. Starts off well with the first ball, the second ball Warner shows his class and smokes it over extra cover for a boundary. After first over, SRH 6/0. Umesh Yadav to partner Steyn. Starts off with a dot followed by two wides down the leg, the third time Bairstow connects and goes for a boundary. Next, bowls a short one and Bairstow latches on to it for a maximum. Poor start from Umesh. He has strained on his lines and lengths and Bairstow has punished him. Bowl a full ball, Bairstow clubs it straight down the ground, Umesh gets his finger touch to it and crashes into stumps at the non-striker end and warner was backing out too much and could not return back. Against the run of play, SRH loses their captain Warner. Unlucky dismissal this but RCB won’t mind.
Manish Pandey comes in to bat at 3 and after 2 overs it’s 18-1 SRH. Steyn back to bowl his second and gives just 7 from it. Saini is brought in to replace Umesh and bowls an economical over, bearing just 5.Umesh is brought back, change of ends for him but even that does not bring in any change gets greeted by two boundaries by Manish Pandey, both straying down the leg. Another 10 run over from Umesh. Saini to bowl final over of powerplay and gives away 8 runs from it. SRH 48/1 after 6.
Washington Sundar is brought in to bowl. On his second ball bowls, a full loopy ball and Panday dispatches it straight over long-on for a maximum hitting the roof! Just single given extra from that over and SRH reaches 55/1 after 7. Chahal introduced into the attack, gets some purchase from the track and gives only 4 from it. Umesh given the ball for his third and Bairstow take him for a 6 using a scoop and final ball gets a thick inside edge races toward the boundary. Hard luck for Umesh, but when it not your day nothing seems to go your way. 13 runs from the over, releasing the pressure created by Chahal. Also brings up the 50 run partnership between the pair. SRH 72/1 after 9 keeping up with the required run-rate and it’s strategic time out.
Chahal to resume gives away just 6 from it. Saini to bowl from the other end. Bairstow hits it like a bullet, Finch fielding up close could not latch on to it. will go down as a dropped chance. Will this be a game-changing moment? Ends the over just giving 5 runs away. Chahal back to bowl his third. Bairstow slogs misses, misses the stumps and even the keeper misses it and goes for 4 byes. Lucky runs this for SRH and they won’t mind it one bit. Last ball and Chahal gets his man- Lures Pandey out to playing the shot deceives him in flight, no connection thereby Pandey and holds out in the deep, a simple catch by Saini. Good breakthrough this for RCB and it’s Chahal again rescuing RCB.
Priyam Garg the young Indian U-19 player comes to the crease in his debut and RCB have entered the fragile middle order of SRH. Dube comes into bowl and gives just 5 from it. Umesh returns to complete his spell. The first ball hit straight in the air and its Dayle Steyn in the deep who makes a mess of it. It certainly is not his day- Umesh. His 3rd and final balls were also hit for a boundary and his poor outing has come to an end. It’s 108/2 after 14. Steyn back into the attack and Bairstow greets him with a boundary between the keeper and short third man. The next ball sees Bairstow being dropped again! This time ist dev! Tough chance, but could not get hold of it and spills it in the end. Garg joins in the party by placing a perfectly placed pull shot for a boundary. After the end of 15 overs SRH race to 121/2. Just 43 needed from last 5 overs.
RCB in desperate need to get wickets. Chahal is brought back in. A dot of the first and gets the danger man Bairstow in his second! Will this be the turning point? RCB needed a wicket and it’s that man again who provides them with one- Chahal. Poor shot selection from Bairstow, couldn’t get the connection and sees his leg stump go for a toss! Loss of concentration after getting a 50, but a good one in testing conditions. Strategic time out is taken! Shankar comes in to bat at 5. Chahal to continue, the first ball throws in a googly, Shankar does not read it and gets bowled! Ohh Chahal is turning it around for RCB! Chahal on a hattrick, Abhishek Sharma comes into bat, takes a single and avoids the hattrick. The final ball is hit straight back over the bowlers head for a boundary, gets the “Commentators Curse” Chahal- as he was not hit for a boundary until the last ball of his spell. Chahal finishes with 3/18 off his 4 overs. 37 needed from final 4 overs.
Dube returns for his spell and this time gets Garg out. Poor shot selection from the young man tries the scoop, hits the top part of the bat onto his helmet and deflected on to the stumps. RCB don’t mind these at all. Rashid Khan in- Remember Mitchell Marsh was injured during his bowling and yet to be seen since. Rashid manages a boundary first ball. On the last ball of the over, huge collusion there. Abhishek Sharma plays it to deep mid-wicket calls for 2 straight away, completes 1 run on running the second, both batsmen seem to be ball watching and the run into each other. Both fall in the centre of the pitch and easy run out this. SRH certainly finding ways to lose their wickets here. It’s 135/6 after 17.
SRH needing 29 from 3. Rashid is getting some treatment done after the collision. Seems okay now and we are underway again. Saini back to bowl his final over and bowls a short one. No respite for Rashid after that collusion. The next ball, Rashid advances, Saini digs it in short again but this time even the keeper could not collect it and SRH given 5 wides, bonus runs this, Saini getting over-excited there. 4th ball bowls it full and straight, Bhuvi misses and Saini hits. Sandeep Sharam comes in to bat, takes a single. Rashid to face the final ball and he sees his off stump uprooted, that is certainly the game over moment for SRH. 142/8 after 18.
SRH needing 22 from 12. We see a spirited Mitchell Marsh coming in to bat to see whether he can take his team over the line. Dubey to bowl and Sharma takes a single, Mash reaches the other end hopping! It seems like Marsh will be going for boom or bust! Dubey bowls a fuller and slower delivery and Marsh just slogs it, gets no connection at all and an easy catch by Virat in the deep. Poor Marsh tried his best but could not do it. He even had an awkward land backwards after he played that shot. Natarajan the last man in. Just 4 singles that over. SRH 146/9 now. 18 needed from the last. Steyn to bowl, the scorecard read 1. 2. 4 and caught by Kholi. Sandeep plays the pull, does not connect well and Kohli takes a good running catch. Thus bringing an end to the match. RCB winning by 10 runs.
SRH have only themselves to blame for this loss. From being 121/2 to 153/10, RCB kept chipping in the wickets at regular intervals leading to SRH losing their last 8 wickets for just 32 runs from 26 balls. It started when Pandey lost his wicket to Chahal then Saini and Chahal bowled well in tandem to pull things back a bit, then then it was the double-wicket over from Chahal by getting Bairstow and Shankar off successive deliveries which turned the game in RCB’s favour. That brings us to the end of Chapter 3. SRH choked and RCB came up with the goods to get the 2 points and a W.
Awards
Johnny Bairstow – Dream11 game-changer of the match.
A.B. de Villiers – Altroz super striker of the match.
A.B. de Villiers- Unacademy – Let’s crack it.
Devdutt Paddikal – Cred power player of the match.
Yuzvendra Chahal – Man of the Match.
Watch the Match Highlights here-
Stay tuned for Chapter 4 coming up next. Till then Happy Reading! Ciao.
Vivek Nair
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