There was another Shikhar Dhawan failure at the top. But, his captain David Warner brushed it aside to score a brilliant, unbeaten 90 (59b, 7x4, 4x6) and pilot Sunrisers Hyderabad to an emphatic seven-wicket win over Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium here on Monday night.
Dhawan was bowled off the fifth ball of the innings, from Tim Southee, as the home team chased a modest target of 143.
But Warner and Moises Henriques put on 62 runs for the second wicket off 57 balls which effectively pushed Mumbai on to the back foot.
When defending low targets the bowlers look for special efforts in the field. But Mumbai captain Rohit Sharma failed in his attempt to pull off what would have been a brilliant catch at mid-off; despite his diving effort Warner was reprieved when on 17 after being beaten by Southee’s pace.
Warner went on to play typically extravagant, powerful strokes all-round the wicket and anchored the innings splendidly to guide his team to a thoroughly deserved win, Sunrisers’ first in three matches.
On a pitch that offered little to the bowlers, defending a low target was an uphill task even for such a varied Mumbai attack, though Southee was exceptional.
Earlier, Mumbai, put in to bat, posted a respectable total largely thanks to a responsible half-century by Ambati Rayudu (54, 49b, 3x4, 2x6) and a belligerent knock by Krunal Pandya (49 not out, 28b, 3x4, 3x6).
Opener Martin Guptill, who came in for the indisposed Kieron Pollard, disappointed when he was squared up and forced to edge a perfect-length delivery on off-stump from Bhuvneshwar Kumar to wicketkeeper Naman Ojha off the fourth ball of the innings.
Parthiv Patel threw his bat at everything before left-armer Barinder Sran cleaned him up when he went for another ambitious stroke.
Then, Mumbai suffered a big blow when captain Rohit Sharma was run out trying to steal a non-existent single after pushing one to cover. At 43 for three in 7.1 overs, Mumbai was in deep trouble.
Sran soon sent back Jos Buttler, playing a harmless delivery on leg-stump into a diving wicketkeeper’s gloves leaving Mumbai in a fix at 60 for four in 10.4 overs.
Then, southpaw Krunal joined the more experienced and well-set Rayudu and essayed some big hits, especially off Bipul Sharma.
He hit the left-arm spinner for three consecutive sixes in his fourth over which was also the most expensive (26 runs) of the innings.
Rayudu and Krunal put on 63 runs for the fifth wicket off 39 balls which gave them a chance to compete.
The latter made the most of a difficult chance floored by Dhawan in the deep off Bipul when he was on five.
Bhuvneshwar was outstanding conceding just 17 runs while Sran was the most successful bowler picking up three wickets.
Scoreboard
Mumbai Indians: Martin Guptill c Ojha b Bhuvneshwar 2 (4b), Parthiv Patel b Sran 10 (12b, 2x4), Ambatti Rayuduc Henriques b Sran 54 (49b, 3x4, 2x6), Rohit Sharma run out 5 (8b), Jos Buttler c Ojha b Sran 11 (11b, 1x4), Krunal Pandya (not out) 49 (28b, 3x4, 3x6), Hardik Pandya b Mustafizur 2 (5b), Harbhajan (not out) 1 (3b); Extras (lb-2, w-6): 8; Total (for six wkts. in 20 overs): 142.
Fall of wickets: 1-2 (Guptill), 2-23 (Parthiv), 3-43 (Rohit), 4-60 (Buttler), 5-123 (Rayudu), 6-135 (Hardik).
Sunrisers bowling: Bhuvneshwar 4-0-17-1, Barinder Sran 4-0-28-3, Moises Henriques 4-0-23-0, Mustafizur Rahman 4-0-32-1, Bipul Sharma 4-0-40-0.
Sunrisers Hyderabad: David Warner (not out) 90 (59b, 7x4, 4x6), Shikhar Dhawan b Southee 2 (4b), Moises Henriques c Parthiv b Southee 20 (22b, 1x4, 1x6), Eoin Morgan c Hardik Pandya b Southee 11, (12b, 1x4), Deepak Hooda (not out) 17 (9b, 2x4); Extras (lb-2, w-2, nb-1):5; Total (for three wkts. in 17.3 overs): 145.
Fall of wickets: 1-4 (Dhawan), 2-66 (Henriques), 3-100 (Morgan).
Mumbai Indians bowling: Southee 4-0-24-3, McGlenaghan 3.3-0-33-0, Bumrah 3-0-19-0, Harbhajan 4-0-38-0, Hardik Pandya 3-0-29-0.
Toss: Sunrisers.
Man-of-the-match: David Warner.
Sunrisers Hyderabad won by seven wickets, with15 balls to spare.
