Aussie Assault Lifts Sunrisers to 157/3

Aussie Assault Lifts Sunrisers to 157/3

It was the Aussie combination of Aaron Finch (68 off 62 balls; 7x4, 2x6) and David Warner (55 not out off 31 balls, 6x4, 2x6) that propelled Sunrisers to a competitive 157 for three in 20 overs against Mumbai Indians at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on Monday.

Electing to bat, Sunrisers struggled in the middle overs before Warner broke free to collect some important runs.

Thanks to Warner’s late assault, Sunrisers got 54 runs in the last five overs with the Aussie left-hander taking three fours off West Indies all-rounder Kieron Pollard, who conceded 18 runs in his last over.

But it was Finch who started aggressively. Looking in good touch, he struck some lusty blows. Finch began with flourishing straight drives off Anderson on either side of the wicket. The Aussie right-hander hit one more boundary by lofting the same bowler. He was severe on left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha, who came into the playing eleven replacing swing bowler Praveen Kumar. The UP swing bowler had bowled impressively in the previous match.

Ojha continued to bowl poorly as Finch struck him for two fours and one six. Sunrisers skipper Shikhar Dhawan was kept quiet by the accurate left-arm seamer Corey Anderson and young Jasprit Bumrah.

But Finch, at the other end, struck flourishing straight drives off Anderson. The Aussie right-hander hit one more boundary by lofting the same bowler. 

Sunrisers coasted to 31 in five overs before Dhawan was done in by Lasith Malinga.The Sri Lankan yorked the left-hander, who earlier lofted Harbhajan Singh.

Finch completed his 50 off 41 balls, slamming six four and two sixes. But after that he was shackled by the Mumbai bowlers with Bumrah and Harbhajan bowling tightly. Skipper Rohit Sharma made quick bowling changes. 

But Finch continued to get runs and slammed his second six, again this time over extra cover off Ojha. Young KL Rahul struck Bumrah for his first boundary before he ran himself out.

Finch played Harbhajan to mid-wicket even as the Aussie did not respond. Rahul ran to the striker’s end but was sent back. But by then Rohit Sharma coolly picked up the ball and threw to non-striker’s end and Rahul was stranded. The second wicket pair realized 39 runs off 29 deliveries. But Sunrisers looked for a big score as Finch was in good touch, striking five boundaries and two sixes.

Even as Finch was a little restrained, Warner cut loose much to the delight of the local crowd. Finch was consumed in the deep by Malinga. But Warner struck the Sri Lankan bowler for two sixes, one landing in the third tier, in his fourth over. The Aussie spoilt Malinga’s figures.

Warner reached his half century by slamming Pollard for three fours in the last over of the innings. Even though Bumrah went wicketless, he was the most impressive bowler, conceding just 23 runs from his four overs.

Related Stories

No stories found.
The New Indian Express
www.newindianexpress.com