Williamson, Holder see through wobbly Sunrisers chase to knock out Royal Challengers
They absorbed all the pressure from the spinners and finished off the game in calculated manner
They absorbed all the pressure from the spinners and finished off the game in calculated manner
Scorer: Chandan Duorah | Commentator: Varun Shetty
10:01pm And that is all from us here. See you at Qualifier 2. Good night!
Kane Williamson: It was a tough game. It was always gonna be against a class side like RCB. With the quality of their batting, restricting them to 132 said 1) we bowled well, 2) it wasn't going to be easy. It was a challenge to restrict them. We had time, but with two world class legspinners it was never going to be easy. We had to try and get through their spells and they didn't give us much at all. It was just nice that we could get through their overs without losing too many wickets. You try and do your role as well as you can. Batting at 4, it can vary a lot, and surface dependent. It was nice to spend time and make a contribution, put some partnerships together. It's been an interesting last two weeks for us. [Holder] is cooler than me! He's playing beautifully.
Kane Williamson is the Man of the Match.
David Warner: Last few games have taken a bit out. We had to beat the top three to make it first, and we had to knock out three again. We had to sort of change our strategy around the first six, bowl Sandy and Jase with 5 in the powerplay, hold Natarajan and Rash for the middle overs. We had to work out a formula and it's going well. Congratulations to Natarajan and his wife, they had a baby this morning. What a gift for the little one. What a masterclass from Kane, he's done it for years for New Zealand. With the class of batting line up they had, you obviously knew there was something in that wicket with the new ball holding. You had to wait for the ball to be overpitched. The spinners bowled quite slow, fantastic through the middle overs. But end of the day, when you have a guy like Kane at the end [you back him], Bit close for my liking. Delhiis a fantastic team, we've spoken about their world class bowling. Shikhar is in form, Shreyas as well who is a linchpin for them.
Rashid Khan: It was tough, it was the same kind of feeling like the game against KXIP. A game which is Eliminator, and that pressure as well. Thank god we won it. Just kept it very simple for myself, just hit a good area. As long as I'm hitting that area, I'm good. I've watched my videos and analysed that most of the time I've been hit when I bowl full. So I try to bowl the right areas. This wicket sometimes you get a skiddy kind of turn. Today it wasn't that, it was a bit slow and not skidding as much as the last time we played here. You just have to keep it simple, back of a length. [Dube lbw] I think I got it, but the keeper and the guys from the back didn't think so. We just need to do the basics right against Delhi and see what happens.
Virat Kohli: If you talk about the first innings, I don't think we had enough on the board already. The position we got ourselves in the second half, probably better execution...a game of margins. We just didn't have enough runs on the board in my opinion. [The scores in the last few games] Maybe nerves? We just allowed the bowlers to bowl where they wanted to and didn't put them under pressure. We picked out the fielders a lot. It's been a strange kind of phase, 4-5 games for us. A couple of people have stood up and had good seasons. Devdutt, Siraj as well. Yuzi and AB have been solid as ever. Couple of positives. Devdutt has done it with class and efficiency, it's not easy to get 400 runs. It was a tough year. It tells you the strength of teams in the IPL. You don't have home and away so when conditions are same for everyone, the real strengths come out and I thik that's probably why this has been the most competitive IPL. it was amazing to have the opportunity to come out and play. There's a bigger picture going on here and we all have contributed to that. We're privileged we got to be part of that and gave something to the fans.
Kaushik : "This match clearly showed the value of experience. Williamson choosing the right balls to hit the 2 sixes, and boy the dab to third man off Saini, pure class!"
James : "I would give Jason Holder player of the match (for the second game, imo). Good bowling, and helped get them home. "
preet: "Always knew Holder was the find for SRH! Game winning shots in 2 of his games.."
Ravi: "Get on the Kane train everybody. ..."
Asim: "Started the last season with 6 defeats in a row and ending this one with 5 on the bounce...just RCB things"
Tasmeem: "That's how you get a simple task done in the hard way. TBH, the target was such that it didn't give the bowlers much to work with. One partnership was all SRH needed for the win."
9:36pm So Royal Challengers' campaign ends with five losses on the trot. A testament to how well they began the tournament that this streak ends in the Eliminator. The wheels came apart in the second half of the tournament, and culminated in one of their worst performances of the season with the bat today. Sunrisers almost messed up another middling chase, but the two batsmen they've invested in for their last few games, to be the insurance in the middle order, came together with a 65-run stand. And came together at the perfect time. Kane Williamson and Jason Holder, two of the best cricketers on the planet, doing it with calm at the end. Sunrisers have won four in a row, including one against Mumba Indians. Dare I say, they go in as slight favourites to the second qualifier. Two wins away from a title now. The last time they did it, they had also begun in the Eliminator.
Right, we are into the last over and Saini must defend 8. Williamson has the strike. Point, third man, extra cover and fine leg in.
Manjrekar says the onus of changing the captain lies with the franchise owners
Head coach Simon Katich adds that the team 'ran out of steam'
Given the circumstances - a turning pitch and very little support - he played a very calculated innings
They absorbed all the pressure from the spinners and finished off the game in calculated manner
Also, why did David Warner not keep Rashid Khan for the death? Was it to attack AB de Villiers early?