CSK still manage to stay on third, while SRH rise to fifth. As many as five teams are in the middle with four points. Who will break out of the mid-table logjam first? Tomorrow, RCB have a chance to join the middle with four points, while RR have a chance to go clear on the top. Do join us tomorrow for an exciting clash. Till the next time, take care, aficionados! Ciao.
11:05pm Time for the presentation
Pat Cummins, SRH captain: "Different soil, slowed up as the game went on. Stil a fantastic game. We have got plenty of fast bowlers. Shivam was hitting the spinners. So we took a chance with the fast bowlers bowling cutters. [Abhishek Sharma] I would not be wanting to be bowling to him. The crowd is crazy tonight, especially when MS walked out. We love playing here, home conditions."
Abhishek Sharma, Player of the Match: "In the bowling we felt it was a slow wicket. So we wanted to take the powerplay on. We had a chance to prepare well before the IPL. We knew it will be slow but not if we take on the bowler. Because it would be difficult for the bowler as well. Big scores matter, but I went with the flow today. Hopefully I will get out last next time. It is all the hardwork i have put before this. Special thanks to my dad, Yuvi paaji and Brian Lara."
10:49pm One-way traffic in Hyderabad tonight. But CSK did not leave it without a fight. Given the start SRH had, they could have well romped home earlier. Head and Abhishek are turning out to be some pairing. They never let the opposition in, unless they commit a mistake. Tonight was also something similar. Head was offered a life in the first over and then CSK were senton a leather hunt. SRH romped to 78 for 1 in the powerplay in the chase. And you almost knew that was the game.
Ruturaj Gaikwad, CSK captain: "It was a slow pitch. At the back end they bowled well. We couldn't capitalise in the last five overs. We were in a good situation halfway but they bowled well at the back. Black soil pitch, so we expected the slowness. As the ball got older, it got slower. They used the conditions well - big boundary one end. We did not bowl well in the powerplay but did well to drag the game. 170-175 is par, if we would have had a good powerplay with the ball, we could have had the game. There was slight dew at the later stage. Moeen was spinning the ball in the 15th-16th over, so not much of a difference."
Aiden Markram: "Not too bad, but not like it was against Mumbai. When we bowled, the first ten overs or so, it was coming on alright but got tougher. So we took on in the first ten and were in a good position later. I don't want to think too much, probably see-ball, hit-ball. That is encouraged by the team management and Patty [Pat Cummins]. When you get in, the batter that is in needs to value the position. The Impact Player has freed batters."
Rajkumar Lingav: "Klassen finishes without hitting a Six!!! "
Nishant: "SRH wasted a great opportunity to improve their NRR. The middle period they went into a shell unnecessarily! No RR pressure, no wickets pressure " Wasn't a very easy surface to hit through and through, and that reflected.
Chahar
END OF OVER:18 | 9 Runs | SRH: 160/4 (6 runs required from 12 balls, RR: 8.88, RRR: 3.00)
- Heinrich Klaasen10 (11b)
- Nitish Kumar Reddy8 (7b)
- Tushar Deshpande2-0-20-0
- Ravindra Jadeja4-0-30-0
Naman: "Had CSK got to that 175 mark..We would have been having a really close contest today..Timid batting in PP and poor batting at death costed them the match."
SRH have scored 73 between the 7th and the 17th over. CSK managed 81 in the same period, George Binoy tells me. So SRH have been slower in the period but they were top notch in the powerplay, which puts them ahead in the game right now. Here's Deshpande
Junaid Anwar: "These types of matches are ideal to improve your NRR,don't know what SRH thinking here is." They tried and lost a few wickets
END OF OVER:17 | 8 Runs | SRH: 151/4 (15 runs required from 18 balls, RR: 8.88, RRR: 5.00)
- Nitish Kumar Reddy7 (5b)
- Heinrich Klaasen4 (7b)
- Ravindra Jadeja4-0-30-0
- Moeen Ali3-0-23-2