Warner, Saha run riot as Hyderabad maul Mumbai, move into knockouts

Mohammad Abdullah, Staff Reporter

Captain David Warner and Wriddhiman Saha smashed unbeaten half-centuries as Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) trounced Mumbai Indians in their Indian Premier League (IPL) mtatch by 10 wickets to qualify for the play-offs on Tuesday.

With the victory in their must-win game, Hyderabad knocked out Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), who finished on fifth spot due to an inferior run rate.

After restricting Mumbai to 149/8, Hyderabad chased down the target with 17 balls to spare. A clinical Warner and Saha shared an unbroken opening stand of 150 runs to power Hyderabad to a morale-boosting win ahead of the knockouts.

Warner was more brutal of the two as he hammered a 58-ball 85 to lead from the front while Saha struck 58 off 45 balls. Warner started slowly and paced up his innings nicely, hitting 10 boundaries and one six while Saha’s innings was studded with seven fours and one six.

Earlier, Sandeep Sharma (3-34) bowled an excellent spell to choke Mumbai to a mediocre total. He was well supported by Jason Holder (2-25) and Shahbaz Nadeem (2-19).

Sandeep triggered the slide with the dismissal of a returning Rohit Sharma, who could score just four runs. A complacent Mumbai could never launch themselves. They lost the wicket of Rohit with just 12 runs on the board.

Mumbai kept on losing the wickets at regular intervals and could never recover. Whenever they tried to break free, they were pegged back by a wicket or two. They failed to get the partnerships going.

Surya Kumar Yadav and Kishan put up a 42-run stand in a bid to revive the innings. But Nadeem Khan struck in quick succession and got rid of Yadav and Krunal Pandya within a space of three deliveries to make it 82/4.

In the next over, Rashid Khan had Saurabh Tiwari caught by Saha as Mumbai were reduced to 82-5 from 80-2. Mumbai looked set for a dramatic collapse before Kishan and Pollard combined to repair the damage. Their innings never really hit top gear despite Kieron Pollard’s quick-fire 25-ball 41 and Ishan Kishan’s fighting 33.

Kishan got a reprieve when he was dropped by Rashid off his own bowling in the 14th over. He was on 20 and Mumbai 91/5. On the last ball of the same over, Pollard also survived a close LBW appeal.

Warner took the DRS but the TV umpire upheld the original decision as the ball looked to be hitting an out-stretched Polllard’s pad out of the line of the off-stumps. Kishan failed to capitalise on the chance and could manage to add just 13 more runs to his total before Sandeep sent him back to the pavilion.

Defending 149, especially without Jasprit Bumrah, who was rested, was always going to be a tough ask.

Meanwhile, the Australian all-rounder Shane Watson has decided to retire from all cricket after Chennai Super Kings (CSK) failed to reach the IPL playoffs, a team member said on Tuesday.

The 39-year-old has made nothing public but told his Chennai teammates of his decision in an “emotional” speech after their last IPL game on Sunday.