Mitchell Marsh put up a stellar show with both bat and ball but in vain as Delhi Capitals fell to a 9-run loss at the hands of visitors Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Just days ago, the Capitals had just clashed with SRH in Hyderabad, with David Warner-led Delhi handing the hosts a seven-run loss. Playing in their reverse fixture, Hyderabad avenged their loss with a narrow win at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.
DC all-rounder Marsh was adjudged the Player-of-the-Match but his team ended up on the losing side as they fell to the bottom of the table following their sixth loss of the season.
While Sunrisers entered the match on the back of three consecutive losses, DC headed into the game on the back of two wins on the trot.
Warner would have loved a double over his former team, but it wasn’t meant to be.
After electing to bat first Sunrisers posted the highest team score at the Arun Jaitley Stadium this season.
Despite Mitchell Marsh returning with a four-wicket spell, SRH opener Aiden Markram’s stellar knock set the visitors up for a strong total. It looked like the young Sharma was batting on a completely different pitch. Despite wickets tumbling at the other end, Sharma struck a 36-ball 67 to set the visitors up for a big total. Heinrich Klaasen’s unbeaten 53 took the former champs to a match-winning total of 197/6.
In reply, DC got off to a rocky start losing skipper Warner for a duck. But thereon, it was Marsh and Phil Salt who nearly took the match away.
The pair scored in tandem, putting up a century stand for the hosts. Both Marsh and Salt struck half-centuries.
While Marsh’s third 50 in the IPL came off 28 deliveries, opener Salt took 29 balls to reach his first 50 in the IPL. Marsh and Salt scored in tandem as they added 112 off 66 for the second wicket stand. The match was in Capitals’ kitty. But thereon, the contest turned in Sunrisers' favour with the hosts losing quick wickets.
First a sensational follow on catch by Mayank Markande saw Salt depart after a solid 35-ball 59. Salt’s departure triggered a collapse with the Sunrisers turning the match on its head.
The young Abhishek Sharma delivered with the ball after his sizzling knock. Sharma removed Manish Pandey for just 1. The set Marsh was next to depart as Akeal Hosein ended his sizzling knock. With Marsh departing after a 39-ball 63, Capitals struggled to build partnerships.
The SRH bowlers put up a clinical display in the middle to restrict Delhi to 188/6.
Except for Umran Malik, who was taken to the cleaners, all SRH bowlers returned with wickets. While Markande, who handed the big breakthrough in the 12th over, picked up two wickets, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Akeal Hosein, T Natarajan and Abhishek Sharma picked up a wicket each to take the match away from the hosts. The win saw SRH snap a three-match losing streak.
