Sunrisers Hyderabad failed in its chase for the third straight time in the Indian Premier League as defending champion Mumbai Indians won by 13 runs on Saturday.
Jonny Bairstow made a brisk 43 off 22 deliveries and fellow opener David Warner scored a 34-ball 36 before Hyderabad collapsed to 137 all out in 19.4 overs, losing its last eight wickets for 47 runs.
Leg-spinner Rahul Chahar claimed 3-19 and Trent Boult provided Mumbai a perfect finish with 3-28.
Earlier, Kieron Pollard’s unbeaten 35 off 22 lifted Mumbai’s total to 150-5 as the West Indian power-hitter struck two sixes off the last two deliveries from fast bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar (0-45).
“Great effort from the bowling unit, we knew it was not going to be easy,” Mumbai skipper Rohit Sharma said. “The pitch is getting slower and slower, bowlers are always in the game till 20 overs.”
Hyderabad looked in control after Bairstow had quickly bludgeoned four sixes and three boundaries. Hyderabad enjoyed an opening stand of 67 runs before Bairstow was out in unusual fashion in the eighth over.
The Englishman dragged his back foot onto his stumps and was out hit-wicket while trying to pull left-arm spinner Krunal Pandya.
Mumbai stood out in the fielding too with Krunal’s brother, Hardik, running out Warner in the 12th over and he also hit the stumps to leave Abdul Samad stranded in the 18th over.
Earlier, Sharma scored 32 after he became the first IPL captain this season to bat first after winning the toss. Sharma provided a decent start of 55 runs off 39 balls with Quinton de Kock (40), but Hyderabad pulled back through its Afghanistan spinners Mujeeb Ur Rahman (2-29) and Rashid Khan (0-22).
Mujeeb had de Kock caught at deep mid-wicket in the 14th over and Bairstow held onto a brilliant legside catch to dismiss Ishan Kishan. But Pollard’s brisk knock in the end proved enough for Mumbai to cruise to its second win in the tournament after losing the opening game to Royal Challengers Bangalore.
“These scores are very chasable, it’s just poor batting,” Warner said as Hyderabad continues to search for its first win in the tournament. “You just need smart cricket in the middle, we aren’t doing that. We’ve got to learn from the mistakes and right now it’s just the batsmen.”
