IPL 2019: Match 16, DC vs SRH – Tactics that the Delhi Capitals overlooked

The focus was on Delhi Capitals plans against the Sunrisers Hyderabad’s opening pair when the two sides faced off on Thursday. The duo of David Warner and Jonny Bairstow made an impressive start to the 2019 IPL by sharing a century partnership in each of their first three matches. The pair recorded the highest opening stand in the IPL of 185 runs during the previous game and is the only pair with a hat-trick of 100-run stands in the league.

What the Capitals needed to do?

On a sluggish pitch, the Delhi Capitals needed to expose the Sunrisers middle-order early after they made only 129/8 in their 20 overs. Jonny Bairstow was dismissed three times to the leg-spinners in the three games and Sandeep Lamichhane was needed to make it four in four. The Delhi team needed Kagiso Rabada from the other end for Warner. The South African dismissed four times in six innings during the last year’s Test series in South Africa. Warner scored 99 runs from 83 balls against Rabada in that series but was undone by the speedster’s pace.

The actual happenings:

Sandeep was given the first over but Axar Patel shared the new ball from the other end. With a left-hander in form of Warner at the crease, this move did make no sense. From the same end, Chris Morris got to bowl the 4th over of the innings with Bairstow hitting three boundaries in it. Rabada was finally introduced in the 6th over but the Sunrisers got to 48/0 by then in five overs.

Bairstow, who usually enjoys the pace on the bat, hit three fours in that over after Warner took a single on the first ball. Warner’s cautious start allowed the free-flowing keeper to carry his attacking approach. Leg-spinner Rahul Tewatia trapped Bairstow in front for 48 in the 7th over while Warner was dismissed in the very next over for an 18-ball 10 to Rabada only.

Had the Capitals allowed Rabada and Sandeep or Tewatia bowling two overs apiece with the new ball, both the SRH openers could have been back with 20-25 runs less than what they managed. By end of the 8th over, the visiting team were 68/2 and needed only 62 at only 5.2 runs per over. They took 63 balls for those runs losing three more wickets shows the lack of pressure after the start.

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