IPL 6: Match 48: SRH vs DD: DD Preview

Fresh from a win over the Kolkata Knight Riders at Raipur, the Delhi Daredevils would be looking to continue with the momentum. They have to probably win all of their remaining league matches before arithmetic takes over to clear the bottleneck at the top of the points table, where 3-4 teams are still in contention for making it through to the qualifiers.

Losing six on the trot, the Delhi Daredevils were languishing at the bottom of the points table. However, luck seems to have finally started favouring them as they have now managed three wins in their last 4 matches.

For a team that boasts of a line-up comprising some of the best stroke-makers in the game, their below-par performances had even their captain looking for answers, who repeatedly came up with the cliché that ‘things haven’t been going their way’.

Required to win each and every game, they have started off well with two wins in two matches. However, they have their task cut out against the Sunrisers Hyderabad, who are relatively much secure with regards to their position on the points table. But for them to maintain their momentum, the big names need to fire.

Sehwag almost single-handedly earned the Daredevils’ first victory of the season, but the team needs him to be more consistent. Mahela, too, has found the going tough. Save the 43-ball-59 against MI, he has looked out of sorts. The only silver lining as far as their batting is concerned is Warner’s good run with the bat, and his demotion to the earlier fragile-looking middle order seems to have worked in their favour.

Conditions

The slow pitch at the Rajiv Gandhi International stadium has helped the Hyderabad cause, and they have managed to win all four matches played here this season. Umesh Yadav has been impressive upfront, and he has to carry out the daunting task of containing the dangerous Shikhar Dhawan early on along with Irfan Pathan. Shahbaaz Nadeem might hold the key at Hyderabad.

Winning the toss and batting first has been a disastrous proposition for visiting teams at this venue thus far this year. Winning the toss and bowling first might break the jinx.

Head to head

Both these team locked horns for the first time earlier this year at Kotla, and the tail-enders won it for the Sunrisers in a low-scoring thriller.

Key Players

Virender Sehwag

After a poor start to the first half of the tournament, he was finally back, and how. The familiar Sehwag of the past, at his eccentric best, was on display as he made a mockery of the MI’s 161 run challenge. If he gets going, the Daredevils might as well have sweet revenge for the home defeat earlier in the tournament.

Ben Rohrer

He is as good a striker as David Warner, if not better, and if his exploits in the Big Bash league are anything to go by, he can very well prove to be a trump card if they bat first.

David Warner

He has taken to the middle order like a fish to water, and has scored prolifically in both of their recent wins. The team relies heavily on him at the moment, and he has done well in living up to the added responsibility of anchoring the middle order, while making sure he stays till the end.

Shahbaz Nadeem

He has had a mixed tournament thus far, but nevertheless has been accurate. On a relatively slow Hyderabad pitch, he can be more than handy.

DD strategy

Win the toss, and bowl first. That worked for them in the last game. And that might work here as well, considering the Sunrisers have been good chasers at home. Chand has been batting well at No.3, so maybe they should stick with him without shuffling their batting order too much.

DD have to contain Dhawan early on, considering the form that he is in. Amit Mishra is going through a purple patch; they ought to look out for him too.

Playing XI

Jayawardene, Sehwag, Chand, Warner, Rohrer, Kedar Jadhav, Irfan Pathan, Shahbaz Nadeem, Morkel, Umesh Yadav, Nehra