IPL 9 Match 22: SRH v RPS - 5 Talking Points

Rain played a significant part in the proceedings as the Rising Pune Supergiants broke their slump to return with a fine 34-run win over the Sunrisers Hyderabad. The latter, however, had their winning streak broken as the top order and more importantly, David Warner failed with the bat. Despite the heroics of Shikhar Dhawan, the frugal total was rather easily scaled down by the Supergiants. Here are five major talking points from the match.

1. Dinda and Marsh rip through Sunrisers batting :

The RPS bowling attack was in ashes and absolute shambles. They had lost their last four matches, and most of the problems were stemming from the bowling. In what was seen as a complete overhaul of the bowling unit, Ashok Dinda was brought in as the only specialist seamer. And he started off really well getting the big wicket of David Warner in his very first over. Along with Mitchell Marsh, the duo simply decimated the Sunrisers batting unit with relative ease. They picked up five wickets between them as the Sunrisers were shot out for a paltry 118.

2. Shikhar Dhawan consolidates:

Shikhar Dhawan has seemingly found his form. Having had a bad run, the southpaw has been successful in stringing together some fine performances with the bat lately. While the rest of the Sunrisers batsmen effectively failed to launch, Dhawan proved once more why the Hyderabad wicket was a good one to bat on. He slammed a magnificent 56* off 53 deliveries, including 2 boundaries and a six.

3. Bhuvneshwar Kumar notches up a fine cameo:

Although he is known for his smashing prowess with the ball, Bhuvneshwar Kumar wielded the bat to good effect in the death overs against the Supergiants. Kumar slammed an important 21 off just eight deliveries as he propelled the Sunrisers to 118. He was only one of three batsmen who made it to double figures in their batting score.

4. Smith and Faf come good:

It is not every day that you see the skipper of Australia and the skipper of South Africa play together. However, at the moment, the RPS have the luxury to field both of these immensely talented batsmen. Despite the fall of Ajinkya Rahane in the first over for a naught, the duo managed to stitch a partnership worth 80 to ensure a win for the Supergiants. Smith, in particular, was at his devastating best as he remained unbeaten on 46 while Faf du Plessis scored a masterful yet cautious 30.

5. RPS break slump with a rainy win:

MS Dhoni, the skipper of the Supergiants made his way out to bat with barely a few runs to win. However, the Indian skipper was dismissed for just 5 runs by his India teammate Ashish Nehra courtesy of a stunning catch by Aditya Tare at backward point. However, Dhoni’s wicket proved to be the final delivery of the encounter as the heavens opened up to a sudden heavy rainfall. The match concluded with the Supergiants ahead by 34 runs in the D/L calculations.

How did Twitter react to the game? – Twitter Reactions: Rising Pune Supergiants end the losing streak with a dominant victory