IPL SRL | SRH vs CSK Evaluation Chart - Ice cool Williamson helps SRH clinch victory
Kane Williamson brought out the ice-cold stature he’d shown in the World Cup game against South Africa as the Kiwi skipper hit a four and a six in the last over to help SRH clinch a thrilling encounter. Fireworks from the bat were few and far between in a low-scoring thriller dominated by the ball.
Match Review
Winning the toss and bowling first, the Sunrisers Hyderabad bowlers were on the money right from the word go as the new-ball pairing of Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Sandeep Sharma applied a chokehold on the CSK batsmen and ensured that runs were hard to come by. All three of Shane Watson, Ambati Rayudu and Suresh Raina were guilty of throwing away starts, but a late cameo from the bat of MS Dhoni pushed CSK’s score to 131, something that looked 20 runs short of par.
In response, both Jonny Bairstow and David Warner started off cautiously, fending off the new ball threat to avoid any early damage. However, just as the pair started gathering momentum, Imran Tahir broke the partnership to bring CSK right back into the game. A 47-run stand between Warner and Williamson then ensued and, despite then losing Warner and Pandey in the span of 9 balls, an ice-cold effort from the Kiwi skipper ensured that SRH got over the line with two balls to spare.
Turning Point
Despite the match being low-paced, twists and turns were aplenty, but the defining moment of the chase - and subsequently the match - came in the 14th over, when Ravindra Jadeja overstepped. Having conceded just 6 runs off the preceding 8 balls, CSK had a golden opportunity to strangle Warner and Williamson, but Jadeja overstepped at just the wrong time and Warner dispatched the subsequent free hit for a six. He then collected a four, two balls later, and by the end of the over, all the pressure that was accumulated was released.
Highs and Lows
There were no ‘flashy’ moments in the game, something that you’re bound to expect in a low-scoring encounter, but the new-ball spell from Bhuvi and Sandeep Sharma set the tone for the match. In a masterful display of disciplined new ball bowling, the duo conceded just 19 runs off the first 4 overs and ensured that CSK were on the back-foot right from the word go.
Shardul Thakur had a forgettable outing and his spell of 3-0-29-0 pretty much sealed the game for SRH. The pacer was awry both upfront and the death and did not inspire confidence at any moment in the game. Eventually, he ended up undoing all the good work done by his compatriot Deepak Chahar.
Rating Charts
Powerplay exploitation: Chennai 5/10 and Hyderabad 7/10
When your openers end up with a strike rate of 78 and 50 after facing a total of 47 balls between them, it spells just one thing - trouble. The first four overs of CSK’s innings yielded just 15 runs off the bat and bafflingly, Dhoni’s men ended up playing a shocking 18 balls in the first six overs. In fact, there were only two boundaries hit in the entirety of the first powerplay and 32 was all CSK managed in the first 6 overs, four short of run-a-ball.
While SRH had somewhat of a similar powerplay, scoring 34 in total, their approach was calculated as they knew all they needed to chase was 132. Some wayward bowling from Shardul did help their cause, but they denied CSK early wickets and that considerably hindered the latter’s attempts to rattle the chasing side.
Middle-overs manoeuvring: Chennai 6/10 and Hyderabad 7/10
The job of consolidating in the middle was left to Suresh Raina and Watson and after Raina perished in the 9th over, the responsibility was handed over to Rayudu. While the duo ensured that CSK were devoid of a collapse, their lack of intent was appalling and their cautious approach meant that part-timer Sanjay Yadav slid in 3 overs for just 20 runs. 56 runs were all they managed between overs 7 to 15.
Losing Bairstow in the 8th over meant that Warner and Williamson had to rebuild and nudge towards the target of 132 and that is exactly what the experienced Trans-Tasman duo did. While they, too, were slow with their approach, the pairing ensured that SRH were batted into a position of safety, meaning the likes of Shankar had the license to go bonkers right from the word go, towards the end of the chase.
Death bowling: Hyderabad 7.5/10 and Chennai 7/10
At the end of the 15th over, with Chennai 88/3 with Dhoni at the crease, Hyderabad would have been happy with any target under 140 and eventually, they went 10 better to restrict CSK To 131. While Dhoni did end up blasting a few boundaries, Bhuvi and Sandeep finished the job they started off with the new ball to perfection, conceding just 15 runs off the final 2 overs. 43 was all CSK could manage at the death.
With just 36 needed off 30 balls, the match looked done and dusted when SRH got to the death overs but the CSK bowlers - Bravo and Chahar in particular - did an astounding job of keeping their side in the game, making SRH work their backside off to win the game. At one point - SRH needing 19 off 12 balls - CSK were actually ahead in the game, but Williamson’s impregnable resolve meant that there was going to be only one winner on the day.
Match Frenzy O Meter - Good
Low-scoring encounters can be as fun as high-scoring matches which yield 400 runs and today’s encounter was the prime example of it. While there were unbelievably boring phases in the middle of the match, the tight finish right at the end made up for it and Williamson’s cool and calm finish turned out to be the icing on the cake. I’d take this over a boring 160-ish game all day long.