Former India skipper gets Smith's side home on final ball to down Warner's Sunrisers
The result: Sunrisers Hyderabad 3-176 (Henriques 55no, Warner 43) defeated by Rising Pune Supergiant (Dhoni 61no, Tripathi 59) by six wickets.
The match in a tweet: Dhoni delight! RPS romp home on final ball as Dhoni silences critics with a masterclass in Pune to secure back-to-back wins!
Quick Single: Dhoni masterclass silences critics
The return to form: MS Dhoni had many critics leading into tonight’s match, with an under-par output (61 runs in five games) prompting Shane Warne to jump to the the former India skipper's defence. But write the champion off at your own peril, the gloveman showing he still had the skill to pull off the remarkable with a clock-turning 61 from 34 balls. Dhoni blasted five boundaries and three sixes in his match-winning knock and looked at ease despite his side needing 47 from the final three overs, Dhoni lacing 28 from seven balls to reach his first IPL10 half-century, and more importantly hand RPS a third win of the tournament.
Keep calm and believe in MS Dhoni
Supergiant Rising: Things were looking bleak for the fledgling side at the start of this week, with three straight losses consigning Pune to the bottom of the table. But after consecutive wins, the second-year side now find themselves entrenched in the top-four and on the match, holding a respectable record of 3-3 at the halfway point of the tournament.
The unusually slow starters: It’s not often that David Warner and Shikhar Dhawan make headlines for going too slow, but their opening stand of 55 from 49 balls is now the slowest half-century partnership of IPL10. The two were well-restricted by Pune’s bowlers, with 17-year-old debutant Washington Sundar and Jaydev Unadkat unplayable at the top order.
The Aussie pack: If not for the Dhoni demolition, Moises Henriques may have earned man-of-the-match honours, with the New South Welshman blasting an unbeaten 55 from just 28 balls and boosting the Sunrisers total to 176. David Warner won back the Orange Cap with a patient 43 from 40 balls with Steve Smith posting 27 for his Supergiant. Smith’s teammate Dan Christian was the most restrictive bowler, leaking just 20 runs from his four overs and delivering an unsurpassed 11 dot balls.
The wash-up: The Supergiant will be tested on Tuesday as they head to ladder-leaders Mumbai at the Wankhede Stadium, with a win to Steve Smith’s men helping solidify their spot in the top-four, as David Warner’s side head to Bengalaru to take on Virat Kohli’s Royal Challengers Bangalore on Wednesday.
