Mumbai, Apr 30:
Travis Head (76) and Heinrich Klaasen (65 not out) outmuscled Ryan Rickelton’s record 123 not out for Mumbai Indians as Sunrisers Hyderabad romped home to a six-wicket in their Indian Premier League contest, here on Wednesday.
After Rickelton’s highest individual score for MI and also their fastest-ever ton in IPL history took the hosts to a formidable 243/5, SRH rode on a combined batting show to win with eight balls to spare.
Mumbai Indians had also registered their highest score batting first, but SRH recorded the fourth-highest successful run chase in IPL history on a docile wicket which provided absolutely no competition between the bat and the ball.Chasing 244, SRH made 249/4 in 18.4 overs.While Head provided early fireworks racing to 30-ball 76 with eight sixes and four fours, Klaasen produced an equally brutal knock to finish with 65 not out off 30 balls with seven fours and four sixes.For MI, a string of missed opportunities early on proved costly in their sixth defeat in eight matches.
While he was in his usual element, Head’s knock was also littered with lifelines provided by MI.The first ball of the third over from Trent Boult (1/41) swung away from Head and he threw his hands at it, slicing in the air towards deep point. Naman Dhir did well to get to the ball but it burst through his hands to land beyond the ropes.
In the fifth over, Head went deep in the crease to cut one in the air and despite timing his jump right, the ball brushed Dhir’s fingers.
Dhir was in action again at the boundary ropes over point when he collected the ball in his hands but ended up on the ropes with it, as Head completed a 20-ball half-century. A pivotal moment had, meanwhile, arrived in the third over’s second ball when one that shaped away from Head off Boult, was collected by Rickelton and none in the MI camp realised there was an edge off the bat.
Head and Abhishek went about their job nonchalantly while smacking almost every bowler around the park.
Wicketless once again, Jasprit Bumrah (0/54) was hit for 14 in his first over, Boult for 18 after 11 in his first, and Will Jacks was clobbered for 19 runs in his first as SRH raced to 62 in four overs.
The onslaught continued beyond the powerplay when MI brought in Ashwani Kumar (2-0-41-0), as SRH openers collected 23 runs off the left-arm seamer to continue with the carnage.
SRH responded to MI’s 93-run opening stand which took seven overs with 129 runs in only 8.4, with Head being the more dominant than Abhishek.The India opener had not qualms in reading a slower one from Bumrah which he launched over mid-on for a six in the second over and freed up his arms at will on a benign track before he mishit one.
Abhishek went hard against one from Allah Ghazanfar (2/51) outside the off only to slice it in the air for a comfortable catch at backward point.MI enjoyed a second breakthrough soon after when Ghazanfar, having pulled out of his run-up twice, got Ishan Kishan (0) chopping one on to his stumps.
A third wicket came when Head hit a full toss straight to Jacks at extra cover and MI felt they were back in the game.But Klaasen was quick enough to crush any such hopes when he launched a counter-attack with 16 runs off Ghazanfar in the 11th over and 18 off Ashwani – including three fours in a row – off the 12th.The bat versus bat contest ended in the penultimate over when Salil Arora blazed his way to a 10-ball 30 not out, striking three sixes and two fours.
Earlier, Rickelton’s 123 not out took his team to massive 243 for five.
Rickelton batted through the innings for an unbeaten 123 off a mere 55 balls with 10 fours and eight sixes, anchoring MI’s charge to an at-par total on a batting friendly track here at the Wankhede Stadium The 29-year-old Rickelton brought up a third century for his franchise as MI made a desperate attempt to revive their fortunes with their highest total of the season so far.