Rajasthan Royals vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, 41st Match - Live Cricket Score, Commentary

Series: Indian Premier League 2015 Venue: Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai Date & Time: May 07, 04:00 PM LOCAL

David Warner got off to a brisk start before falling to Shane Watson. © Cricbuzz

Dhawan threw away his wicket in the 15th over, giving Faulkner his first scalp. The left-hander tried to play a reverse paddle, but the ball came on to him quickly and he ended up being bowled on 54. Faulkner could have taken another wicket in the same over, had Samson not put down a tough chance. Morgan then took the attack to Tambe in the 16th over. He hoicked one over deep mid-wicket for a six followed by a four to deep extra-cover and ended the over with a power hit over the long-off boundary to take SRH to 151/1 after 16 overs.

Two play-off spots are potentially up for grabs and five teams are vying for it in IPL 2015. Sunrisers Hyderabad are currently in the tail-end of the mid-table scramble. One slip-up and their chances could take a big dent. Rajasthan Royals, on the other hand, are in a comfortable position and they will be buoyed by the fact that they have finally got back to winning ways. The win over Delhi Daredevils has boosted their campaign after a middle period during which they failed to win. The main aim for Rajasthan Royals will be to sustain their consistency and ensure they finish in the top two.

Rajasthan Royals skipper Shane Watson won the toss and decided to bowl first. There were two changes in the RR eleven - Chris Morris replaced Tim Southee while Pravin Tambe came in for Rajat Bhatia. For Sunrisers Hyderabad, Ishant Sharma replaced Bipul Sharma while Ravi Bopara was included in place of Dale Steyn.

Teams:

Sunrisers Hyderabad (Playing XI): David Warner(c), Shikhar Dhawan, Naman Ojha(w), Moises Henriques, Eoin Morgan, Ravi Bopara, Hanuma Vihari, Karn Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Praveen Kumar, Ishant Sharma

Rajasthan Royals (Playing XI): Ajinkya Rahane, Shane Watson(c), Karun Nair, Steven Smith, Sanju Samson(w), Deepak Hooda, James Faulkner, Stuart Binny, Dhawal Kulkarni, Chris Morris, Pravin Tambe

The sight of Steven Smith misfielding is a rare one, but he allowed one to slip through his hands at long-off to give Bopara a boundary in the 19th over. Naman Ojha also managed a four and this time it was Tambe who misfielded. Morris gave away only six runs in the final over, but SRH managed to finish with a sizeable total as they ended up with 201/4.

. Still unsettled. Not good sign. Clearly worried about batting post no 2. Indian bowlers must deliver for them today

first ten overs: 88-1 (RR: 8.80) last ten overs: 113-3 (RR: 11.30) vSRH

's season is on the rocks here. They desperately need a middle-order short of crease-time to bail them out now. vSRH

0 3

Praveen was frustrated in the fifth over when he saw Smith get a boundary off an outside edge before being dropped by Henriques. However, it was an economical over as Praveen conceded just five. Ishant then bowled a tight over, giving away only one run to leave RR at 36/2 at the end of the powerplay.

Eoin Morgan returned to form with a fine half-century. ©Reuters

Karn Sharma, brought on to bowl after the powerplay, started well by giving away only six runs off his first over. Henriques then picked up his first wicket, getting rid of Karun Nair (4) with a short ball. RR were in a spot of bother, reduced to 47/3 after eight overs.

Smith and Deepak Hooda struggled to up the ante and the required rate crossed 13 when Bopara bowled a tight ninth over, giving away only six runs. In the following over, Smith brought down the rate a bit by managing 15 runs off Henriques, which included three fours. RR were 68/3 after 10 overs.

Smith brought up his second fifty of the season with a six straight back over Karn Sharma's head in the 13th over. He managed one more maximum in the same over, the fourth six in nine balls for RR. Smith also scored a boundary off Praveen in the following over to take RR to 117/4 after 14.

Hooda's struggle ended in the 11th over when he handed a catch to Bhuvneshwar after mistiming a Karn Sharma delivery. Faulkner then heaved a couple of full tosses from Ishant for two sixes to take RR to 93/4 after 12 overs.

Steve Smith scored a fine half-century. ©Reuters

Ishant Sharma picked up the important wicket of Shane Watson. ©Reuters

Smith started the 15th over with a boundary off Bopara but he was bowled off the second delivery after missing a cut to depart on 68. Faulkner managed a couple of boundaries off Henriques in the 16th over, but RR still had a lot of work to do, needing 67 more off 24 deliveries.

Morris kept the fight on, scoring a hat-trick of sixes off Praveen Kumar in the 19th over to keep Rajasthan Royals in the hunt. Praveen's over yielded 22 runs, which left RR with 18 to get off the final over. Bhuvneshwar remained cool under pressure, conceding only five runs off his first four deliveries and despite Morris managing a boundary, RR ended up eight runs short of the target. The 7-run win gave SRH two crucial points which took them to the fifth place on the points table.

With a fine pick-up shot off Bopara, Samson managed a six off Bopara in the 17th over. However, the required rate reached 19 at the end of the over. RR suffered a setback in the following over when Faulkner hit a low full toss from Bhuvneshwar straight to Bopara at long-on. Samson hit a couple of sixes before being bowled by Bhuvneshwar in the same over. RR were 162/7 at the end of the over, needing 40 more off 12 deliveries.