IPL 2019: Jonny Bairstow leads Sunrisers to the summit after Delhi Capitals' batting disappoints again

Aditya Devavrat 23:14 04/04/2019
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  • Jonny Bairstow's good form continues.

    Delhi Capitals slumped to a second straight defeat after Sunrisers Hyderabad made light work of a chase of 130 to take a five-wicket win on Thursday.

    The home side were made to bat first by Sunrisers and, on a slow pitch, their innings never got going, finishing on 129-8 thanks to some tight bowling. Hyderabad had a brief wobble but ultimately reached their target with nine balls to spare to go to the top of the IPL 2019 table.

    INEXPERIENCE HAMSTRINGS DELHI AGAIN

    After the way they collapsed in their previous game against Kings XI Punjab, losing seven wickets for eight runs, it was important for Delhi’s batsmen to show they’d learned from their mistakes. Yet this was another display that failed to inspire any confidence.

    At their best, the Capitals are capable of explosive innings. They showed it in their first game of the season, racking up 213-6 against Mumbai, but they haven’t been able to match that since – perhaps because they’re trying too hard to replicate that performance. That’s certainly one plausible explanation for the raft of dismissals in the last three games, including Thursday.

    Prithvi Shaw and Rishabh Pant both fell to poor shots – as did Shikhar Dhawan, the most experienced player in this batting line-up but one prone to bad dismissals – while Shreyas Iyer, despite playing the most substantial knock of the innings, will rue the ugly hoick that cost him his off stump against Rashid Khan.

    If it weren’t for a 13-ball 23 from Axar Patel, this game would have been even more of a rout, and relying on your No8 to rescue you is never a good plan.

    Delhi’s batsmen need to get their act together; they’re costing their team more often than they’re winning them games.

    JONNY BAIRSTOW PICK OF THE AUCTION?

    As things stand the race for the orange cap is going to stay entirely in-house at Sunrisers. Kolkata Knight Riders’ Andre Russell has been in superb form, but David Warner and Jonny Bairstow are building up a sizable gap over the Jamaican and everyone else in the competition.

    Warner’s return to form is a welcome one, but it’s Bairstow’s prolific run alongside the Australian at the top of the order that should have Hyderabad feeling the most satisfied.

    On Thursday he made a mockery of a slow pitch to set up his side’s chase perfectly. The Englishman’s 48 off 28 on a pitch where everyone was struggling for timing gave Hyderabad a start they couldn’t squander.

    In four matches so far Bairstow’s lowest score is 39. His century in Sunrisers’ previous game is a contender for the knock of the tournament, and his consistency gives Hyderabad one of the best batting line-ups in the IPL – and they already had one of the tournament’s premier bowling attacks.

    Bairstow’s compatriot Sam Curran cost Kings XI Punjab £800,000 at the auction. He’s had one poor performance and one stellar one, and was dropped for the two games in between. Bairstow, who’s had four good displays in four games, cost £250,000.

    BRIEF SCORES

    Delhi Capitals: 129-8

    Shreyas Iyer 43

    Mohammad Nabi 2-21

    Sunrisers Hyderabad: 131-5

    Jonny Bairstow 48

    Rahul Tewatia 1-10

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