SRH vs RR, as it happened: Dhawan’s unbeaten 77 steers Hyderabad to comprehensive 9-wicket win

Join us for the live updates of the clash of the two-time champions, CSK vs KKR, tomorrow. For those of you keeping a key eye on India’s medal rush at Gold Coast, here’s the lineup for day six.

Shikhar Dhawan is the Man of the Match: He says: “I’ve been playing more aggressively and looking to play a long innings since the South Africa and the Sri Lanka series. So I’m just continuing with that formula.”

Thumping win for Hyderabad “It’s a part and parcel of the game. I am disappointed because I worked hard on my fielding,” says Rahane, when quizzed about the drop catch when Dhawan was dropped when on zero. The Rajasthan skipper also says that his side didn’t get enough runs on the board to challenge Hyderabad.

Dhawan, on the other hand, cashed on his rich vein of form. He was in imperious touch in South Africa and Sri Lanka too. It will take some stopping to get the better of Hyderabad. It was a tame return for the inaugural champions of the IPL.

SRH 127/1 in 15.5 overs, win by 9 wickets Dhawan finishes it off with a full-blooded pull shot off Dhawal Kulkarni to bring up the easiest of victories for Hyderabad.

SRH 123/1 in 15 overs Dhawan and Williamson are stroking it around and almost walking towards the target. Rajasthan have had their best spell with the ball, just giving away nine from the last two overs.

SRH 114/1 in 13 overs Rahane turns to D’Arcy Short but Dhawan’s approach doesn’t change. The first boundary of the over was from a sweep. The last ball of the over saw Short get a lot of turn but the ball beat Buttler behind the stumps and trickle down to the fence. Four byes.

SRH 103/1 in 12 overs The runs keep on coming and after what has been a Dhawan show all the way, Williamson reminds us that he is not finished either. The Kiwi lifts the ball over the ball over the bowler’s head to get another boundary. It looked like Laughlin was making a fine comeback but Dhawan poured cold water over it with another vicious cut shot that went to the boundary.

SRH 89/1 in 10 overs The ninth over saw Rajasthan get a little bit of a breather as Gopal conceded just four singles from it. But Dhawan was back in his element after Stokes came back for his second over. Dhawan got to his fifty with a ferocious cut shot that raced to the point fence like a tracer-bullet (sorry!). The opener continues his onslaught with a booming cover-drive a ball later. Easy as it gets: 37 needed from the last 10 overs.

SRH 75/1 in 8 overs Ben Stokes is brought on and he is treated to back-to-back boundaries from Dhawan’s ruthless blade. The southpaw starts off with a pull over deep mid-wicket and follows that up with a flick towards the fine-leg fence. Stokes restores parity with two dot balls at the end of the over.

SRH 64/1 in 7 overs Shreyas Gopal is brought on in a bid to keep the scoring rate in check but with little luck. Dhawan is in imperious form and gets another boundary on the board. Seven from the over.

SRH 57/1 in 6 overs Nothing going in the way of Rajasthan as Laughlin is unfortunately penalised for a no-ball. A free-hit was called when replays showed that a portion of his standing foot was inside the crease. Williamson didn’t cash in on it but Dhawan shows no mercy, running the ball down to the fine-leg boundary. The skipper ends the powerplay overs by bringing up the fifty partnership with a classic cut shot that beats the dive of the point fielder. This could well be over by the 15th over at this rate.

SRH 45/1 in 5 overs Spin brought on in the form of Rs 6.2 crore man Gowtham and nope, there is absolutely no respite for Rajasthan. Dhawan continues to cut away to glory and brought up two more boundaries during the over. The home side is cruising.

ICYMI:

SRH 36/1 in 4 overs Williamson has also got in on the act and he plays a gorgeous cut shot that pierces the off-side ring for a four. Then, Unadkat goes short and the Hyderabad skipper swivels and dispatches the ball over the deep-fine boundary for a SIX. The over ends with Williamson and Dhawan stealing a well-taken brace. Hyderabad are cruising.

SRH 24/1 in 3 overs Kulkarni follows his fine first over a rather poor one, spraying it wide outside the off-stump and Dhawan gets his second boundary with a cut. The fifth ball of the over sees the India opener get on top of the delivery and deposit over the third man fielder for a SIX. Dhawan is making Rajasthan pay dearly.

WICKET SRH 11/1 in 2 overs Forget what I said. This could go down to the wire if Rajasthan get regular breakthroughs. They draw first blood as Saha’s five-ball adventure ends with a four and a skier, which went only as far as Ben Laughlin at mid-off. Dhawan continues to live dangerously, this time steps out down the track and gets a nick, the ball goes a foot over Rahane at first slip and rolls into the boundary. Solid stuff from Unadkat
W Saha c Laughlin b Unadkat 5 (5)

SRH 1/0 in 1 over Dropped! Solid start for Dhawal Kulkarni who bowls a neat over first up. He could have had a wicket to his name but Rahane at first slip spooned a straightforward chance. Dhawan was the batsman and this could come back and hurt Rajasthan, who don’t have enough on the board.

RR 125/9 finish at in 20 Overs|Rajasthan’s misery continues and another one bites the dust in the second ball of the final over. Pathan this time, impresses with an fine throw running towards his right from third man. Saha demolishes the stumps in a flash and Unadkat makes a long walk back. The impressive Kaul finishes with two dot balls. What a spell – 4-0-17-2.
J Unadkat Run Out 1(2)

RR 122/8 in 19 Overs|Bhuvi’s lengths were terrific during the 19th over. He used the short ball regularly and had the batsmen fending for cover. Probably, there was one too many from the Indian pacer, and a wide was called. However, Bhuvi gets his man with a knuckle-ball, Gopal fails to read it and Yusuf Pathan at long-on takes a safe catch just a foot away from the boundary line.
S Gopal c Pathan b B Kumar 18 (18)

WICKET! RR 117/7 in 18 Overs| The Rashid Khan show continues, this time with the ball. Jos Buttler’s laborious stay at the crease comes to and end as he gets a bottom edge looking for a pull and his off-stump tumbles over. It looked like Khan had picked up Gopal too. The Hyderabad players appeal vociferously but the umpire turns it down. Frustration for Williamson as there aren’t any reviews left for his side. Yet another fine over from the spin ace. Rashid Khan finishes with figures of 4-0-24-1.
J Buttler b Rashid Khan 6 (8)

RR 115/6 in 17 Overs|Rashid Khan leaked a boundary with Shreyas Gopal running the ball to the third man region for a boundary. Gopal follows suit the following over with an exquisite cover drive off Bhuvneshwar Kumar, another four. Buttler, at the other end, is taking his time to settle in.

RR 97/6 in 15 Overs|Siddarth Kaul bowls another gem of an over and gets rid of Gowtham with a nasty short delivery. The Karnataka all-rounder could only fend at it, one handed, and Saha takes a safe catch behind the stumps. They are falling like nine pins, Rajasthan. K Gowtham c Saha b Kaul 0 (2)

WICKETS! RR 95/5 in 14 Overs|Hyderabad are in cruise control as the strategic time-out is taken. Rashid Khan runs in from deep point, slides and takes a magnificent catch as Samson falls one short of a fifty. Runs....the mad quest for it in the T20 game gets the better of most batsmen and Rajasthan have lost half their side.

Earlier, Rahul Tripathi also succumed to the pressure to get quick runs. Taking Shakib on, the Pune lad skied the ball straight to long-on’s throat, where Manish Pandey showed safe hands.

S Samson c Rashid Khan b Shakib Al Hasan 49 (42)

R Tripathi c Pandey b Shakib Al Hasan 17 (15)

RR 92/3 in 13 Overs|Rahul Tripathi gets a top edge from a fine short delivery from Kaul, who delivers another fine over, just five runs from it. Hyderabad have also lost a review, a slighly inexplicable one at that as the ball was always missing the line of the off-stump and going over.

RR 87/3 in 12 Overs|Rahul Tripathi showed that he is a serious talent last year for RPS and he does it again. Rashid Khan, who has given almost nothing away so far, is taken for two boundaries in a row. First, Tripathi whacks an over-pitched delivery square of the long off fence. He follows that up by running the ball down smartly to the third man boundary for another four. Big over for Rajasthan and a much needed one at that. 12 from it.

RR 75/3 in 11 Overs| They are hitting the stumps from everywhere, the Hyderabad fielders. That being said, Stanlake once again gives the Rajasthan batsmen some lessons in smelling the leather on the ball. Just four from the eleventh over. The Aussie quick finishes with figures of 4-0-29-1.

WICKET! RR 71/3 in 10 Overs|Stanlake strikes and it’s a huge one! Ben Stokes smashes it straight to long-on fielder Williamson, who completes the catch on the second attempt. Sunrisers are on the driver’s seat now. It was a scratchy, forgettable innings from the Englishman. Meanwhile, Shakib bowled another solid over. The breakes are certainly on.

B Stokes c Williamson b Stanlake 5 (8)

RR 57/2 in 8 Overs|What a start for Rashid Khan! Ben Stokes is all at sea facing up to Rashid Khan. The Englishman takes a single off the third ball. Even Samson decides against taking the Afhgani on. Just a solitary run from the over.

WICKET! RR 56/2 in 7 Overs| As the commentators discuss beard lengths and how the Kiwis are owning it these days, Rajasthan lose another wicket and it’s skipper Rahane who makes the long walk back. Feeling the pressure of getting a move on with the scoring rate, Rahane skips out and tries to flick it towards the cow cover region but Rashid Khan moves swiftly and pouches a smart take with a half-dive.

Again, Samson remains unperturbed and runs the ball to the third-man fence in the last ball of the over. Successful start for Siddharth Kaul.

A Rahane c Rashid Khan b Kaul 13 (13)

RR 48/1 in 6 Overs|Shakib is brought on for his second over and the pitch is helping the Bangladeshi to skid them onto the batsmen. Samson has no such worries and is fearlessly using his feet. He brought up his fourth boundary with a hoick towards the deep mid-wicket boundary.

RR 41/1 in 5 Overs|Big over for Rajasthan, which yields 11 runs from it. Samson looks settled, even though he looks a touch circumspect with the short ball. Anything that allowed him to free his arms was dispatched to the fence and Stanlake faced the brunt of it this over. Rajasthan have certainly steadied the ship.

RR 27/1 in 4 Overs|Forget what I said earlier. Rahane is forced on the back foot in the first two deliveries, which were dot balls and then decides he has had enough and steps down the track and thrashes the ball through the covers for a boundary. He takes a single off the next ball, once again using his feet generously. Six from the over.

Spin introduced in the form of Shakib Al Hasan

RR 21/1 in 3 Overs| Sanju Samson is up and away and once again shows glimpses of his class on both sides of the wicket. First, he caresses Bhuvneshwar through the covers in the first ball of the over. Samson gets the better of the Bhuvi two balls later by rolling his wrists and flicking one past mid-on for another four. Ten from the over. Rahane is happy to keep his younger partner on strike.

RR 11/1 in 2 Overs| The tall Stanlake is fast and and on target and Samson simply cannot land his bat trying to cut. The Kerala batter is beaten atleast three times outside the off-stump before he flicks the last ball of the over for a couple. Tidy start for Hyderabad, just five from it.

WICKET! RR 6/1 in 1 Over|D’Arcy Short’s Big Bash exploits were a sight to behold. He was destroying everything in his path, which included smashing coach Gary Kirsten’ jaw. He starts things off with a classy flick on the leg side, which fetches him a boundary. However, adventure gets the better of him in the last ball of the over, where he tried to take a quick single. Williamson at mid-off was upto the task and dislodged the stumps with a direct hit. Short was a couple of inches away from the crease. Big breakthrough for SRH.

D’Arcy Short Run Out 4 (4)

Lineups

Rajasthan Royals: Ajinkya Rahane (c), D’Arcy Short, Sanju Samson, Ben Stokes, Rahul Tripathi, Jos Buttler, K Gowtham, Shreyas Gopal, Dhawal Kulkarni, Jaydev Unadkat, Ben Laughlin

Sunrisers Hyderabad: Kane Williamson (c), Shikhar Dhawan, Manish Pandey, Deepak Hooda, Yusuf Pathan, Shakib Al Hasan, Wriddhiman Saha, Rashid Khan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Billy Stanlake, Siddharth Kaul

Word from the captains:

“Fairly new side from previous years but hopefully we start well with the ball in hand,” Williamson says. Rahane, who has been tipped by experts to emerge as the winner today, keeps it simple and straight in trademark style: “Happy to bat first, though. We have no control over the toss, so happy to bat first. We had some good prep back home. The guys are very excited about this game, so looking forward to it.”

Rajasthan’s overseas players: Jos Buttler, Ben Stokes, D’Arcy Short, Ben Laughlin

Sunrisers’ overseas players: Rashid Khan, Billy Stanlake, Kane Williamson (c), Shakib Al Hasan

TOSS: Kane Williamson wins it and had no hesitation in opting to field first. Rajasthan skipper Ajinkya Rahane admits that he would have also fielded first had he won the toss. On a dry pitch, Williamson’s decision came as little surprise.

Live updates:

Pitch Report: Sanjay Manjrekar in the pitch report says, the conditions will help the spinners. The pitch has “a bit of roughness”, he says. Win the toss and bat first. He reckons dew will not be a factor.

Sunrisers Hyderabad and Rajasthan Royals will have to overcome the unexpected loss of their respective captains, David Warner and Steve Smith, when the two teams clash in the IPL in Hyderabad on Monday.

Royals, back in the tournament after serving a two-year suspension, and Sunrisers, lost their influential players after BCCI barred them from the league following their role in the ball-tampering scandal in South Africa.

Ajinkya Rahane will be leading Royals in Smith’s absence while New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson will captain the Hyderabad franchise.

Warner and Smith are irreplaceable in most teams but both Royals and Sunrisers still look well-balanced sides on paper.