It was a no-show from Virat Kohli-led Royal Challengers Bangalore. Jonny Bairstow and David Warner slammed quickfire centuries to dent the visitor before the wily Afghan off-spinner Mohammad Nabi bowled a dream spell of four for 11 to fashion a thumping 118-run win for the Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Vivo IPL 2019 at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium here on Sunday.
As it happened| IPL 2019: Bairstow, Warner centuries flatten RCB
Chasing an imposing target, RCB lost the script very early thanks to Nabi’s variations in pace, flight and spin. The way he bemused Shimron Hetmyer to get him stumped by Bairstow and then cleaned up AB de Villiers with a slower one , was a treat to watch.
And, when he finished his impressive spell which included 16 dot balls and just one four, Nabi had shut RCB out of the match at 38 for six in eight overs.
Compounding Bangalore's misery, was Kohli's dismissal off seamer Sandeep Sharma. The skipper leant into the drive but drilled it straight into the hands of Warner at cover. Sandeep finished with a three-wicket haul.
This was RCB’s third straight loss and SRH’s second win in three games.
Earlier, Bairstow and Warner played at their imperious best after SRH was inserted in to bat. And, the bowlers across all teams might not be faulted if they start wondering whether the one-year ban on Warner has only made him more dangerous given how he has performed in the first three games.
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The duo batted with great freedom to become the first opening pair to post three consecutive century stands in IPL history and their 185-run stand off just 98 balls overcame the previous best of 184 between Gautam Gambhir and Chris Lynn for Kolkata Knight Riders against Gujarat Lions in 2017. And, this was also the best-ever first wicket partnership for SRH in IPL.
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Both Warner and Bairstow were electric between the wickets, converting the ones into twos not allowing the opposition bowlers to settle.
The celebrations of the two centurions (only the second instance of two batsmen scoring tons in the same innings IPL after Kohli and de Villiers did so against Gujarat Lions in 2016) was a clear demonstration of the intensity with which they batted.
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