SRH vs KKR: Jonny Bairstow, David Warner century stand sinks Kolkata Knight Riders

Jonny Bairstow and David Warner continued their stellar run at the top as they powered Sunrisers Hyderbad to a nine-wicket win over struggling Kolkata Knight Riders in an IPL encounter.

By the time the Kolkata Knight Riders innings entered the last couple of overs, Andre Russell had faced only four balls and the total had just crossed 130. The Jamaican, who had expressed his desire to bat higher at No 4, was again sent only at No 7, in the 16th over. He had only one option – try a big shot off every ball.

Sunrisers Hyderabad cricketers David Warner (L) and Jonny Bairstow gesture between the wickets.(AFP)

Any batsman worth his salt would say it isn’t possible. Russell propelled a couple of balls into the stands but Bhuvneshwar Kumar, bowling the 19th over, is far too experienced and sharp to be treated with such disdain every time. He had his man on the penultimate ball of that over, firing a low full toss on the batsman’s feet. Russell, who had given himself room and wanted to hit through the off, was trapped and his improvised hit to midwicket, lacking the usual power and flight, went straight to the fielder on the fence.

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That was probably the over where KKR’s hopes ended against Sunrisers Hyderabad, who are riding on the fourth gear hit straightaway by openers Jonny Bairstow and David Warner. The 159-run target could have been challenging but only if their bowlers had gone past the pair quickly. They couldn’t. The two got their second best powerplay score (72), and then their fourth century partnership in nine matches of the season, burying the Knight Riders.

KKR were restricted to 159/8 and SRH coasted to 161/1, winning with five overs to spare.

The century stand came in just over half an hour, in 8.3 overs, with Warner and Bairstow matching each other shot for shot. Warner reached his half-century in 28 balls and Bairstow too reached the mark off the same number of deliveries, a minute later.

Almost 40% of their 131-run partnership came through running between the wickets, something these two have done quite well through the season while notching up seven fifty-plus partnerships.

“If you have got someone who is quick in the middle, you can register the speed of the ball and can make it (complete the run). This comes over a period of time. Each ground is different with the dimensions, but one thing that stays constant is the 30-yard circle. We both have got pretty good cricket shots. Our game is suited to this, especially manipulating the bowlers,” Bairstow had explained their chemistry on Saturday afternoon.

While the powerplay overs fetched 72, the next six got 58. Soon, they were toying with the attack and KKR fielding wasn’t just wilting under pressure, but became a joke as they began misjudging even relatively simple catches. Bairstow was dropped very early by K Cariappa, conceding a four, and that dented KKR’s hopes.

The partnership ended with Warner’s dismissal, but it was no consolation.

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Things hadn’t looked that gloomy for KKR early on as they raced to 61/2 in the powerplay overs, their first phase scoring buoyed by Sunil Narine’s eight-ball 25.

Sunrisers seemed to have missed a trick by letting left-arm spinner Shahbaz Nadeem bowl the second over as he went for 18. They then replaced opening bowler Bhuvneshwar with young left-arm pacer Khaleel Ahmed in the third over and he gave 14 in the first three balls. But skipper Kane Williamson barely lets the game drift and spoke to Khaleel. The bowler soon delivered a slower delivery that castled Narine.

Soon Vijay Shankar’s third dimension, fielding, came into play as he first took a catch at point to get rid of Shubman Gill, off another Khaleel slow ball. He then ran in from deep midwicket, picked and threw the ball in a flash, running out KKR skipper Dinesh Karthik. At 73/4 in the ninth over, Rinku Singh walked in, adding 51 off 43 balls with Lynn. But they ate up deliveries that Russell would have used better.