Dubai: Wriddhiman Saha stamped his class with a 45-ball 87 before Rashid Khan dished out a clinical bowling performance as Sunrisers Hyderabad kept themselves alive in the race for IPL play-offs with a whopping 88-run win over Delhi Capital on Tuesday.
Wriddhiman Saha , Man of the Match, said, ‘ I got the opportunity for the second time this year and took my chances in the powerplay. Initially the ball was holding a bit but I took my chances and went after it after the pitch eased out. I’m happy I got selected for the Tests in Australia. We are looking forward to win the last two matches for the Sunrisers and that’s our target now.’
Warner, winning skipper, said, ‘The game before, we were disappointed with that chase. We defended last game, and with two world-class bowlers in Nortje and Rabada we decided to go after it.’
‘I went a little 2009 and opened my front leg to take it on. I took a bit of responsibility at the top of the order, and take it to the bowlers. It’s tough to play orthodox cricket in these conditions, so I have to open up 360 degrees. Difficult decision to leave Jonny out and get Saha in, and especially batting a batsman like Kane at 4. Incredible knock from Saha though and his strike-rate in the powerplay was incredible. Unfortunately he’s got a little groin niggle but hopefully it isn’t too bad. Shankar has a hamstring issue as well. As for Rashid, it is incredible that he’s he’s taking so many wickets and not going for runs, especially given the dew and the moisture here. We’ve got games at Sharjah to go so hopefully we can put on a show there.’
On his part, Rashid Khan, said, ‘The ball came out nicely, but we won the game more importantly. The wicket was helping a lot. The more you bowl in the right areas. To bowl economically is what I am focusing on, whether I get wickets or not… I focus on bowling dot balls and it helps me get wickets and also helps to take wickets at the other end. I just go with a clear mind. I never think about the scoreboard, what the target is, what’s a good score if we bowl first. I always think I should bowl in the right areas. As long as you bowl there you can trouble anyone. You got to play with the batsman’s mind. Keep mixing it up seeing what the batsman is trying to do.’