IPL 2019, Match 11, SRH vs RCB: SRH's Jonny Bairstow is the Player of the Match

Demoralized, disgruntlement and disappointed- words that sum up RCB's rather shabby, pathetic performance against a fantastic SRH on the latter's home turf in their third game of IPL 2019. In what promised to be a close contest or as the previews would have put it, Virat+ ABD vs Rashid, it proved to be a complete damp squib.

After winning the toss, Virat Kohli decided to bowl first on a flat belter at Rajiv Gandhi Stadium in Hyderabad. Things started going downhill from the moment the innings started as Jonny Bairstow and David Warner made RCB chase for leather on a day when the temperature was 42 degrees Celsius.

It was a sheer exhibition of clean, destructive and methodic demolition of RCB's bowling attack. Jonny Bairstow and David Warner went about demoralizing RCB and their fans' hopes with a stupendous 185-run opening partnership, the highest in IPL history.

David Warner continues to prove his mettle after a one year gap, His hunger to score every run on offer is pretty evident and he is making every opposition pay so far. He has the Orange Cap and it looks very unlikely it will change hands anytime soon.

But the day at Hyderabad belonged to the English wicketkeeper-batsman Jonny Bairstow. He is currently playing his first IPL and with Kane Williamson's record as an opener in the previous season, his spot was in doubt. But his blistering and blazing hundred has put all doubts to bed. Until he leaves for England, Jonny Bairstow will be SRH's wicketkeeper-batsman without any doubt.

Here is presenting some statistical records that Jonny Bairstow became the Player of the Match today:

1. David Warner and Jonny Bairstow became the first pair to put on three scores of 100+ in three consecutive games. Today's 185-run partnership was their third.
2. It just took three innings for Jonny Bairstow to score his maiden IPL century. Only Brendon McCullum and Michael Hussey have got it quicker (in their first game).

On a match where it sadly looked like only one team turned up, SRH were completely dominant. RCB fans would have been hoping for a special effort from the top order, especially their big guns, Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers. But Mohammad Nabi had other plans. With an incisive spell of bowling at the start of the innings where he grabbed four wickets for 11 runs, he made sure that RCB never got going.

Jonny Bairstow capped off a memorable day in his IPL career with a very accurate and smooth stumping to dismiss Shimron Hetmeyer.