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Delhi Capitals’ (DC) chances of making it to the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 playoffs look even bleaker now as they lost to Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) by nine runs at home. The ploy to send Axar Patel lower down the order once again defied logic as DC failed to chase down 198 despite half-centuries from Phil Salt and Mitchell Marsh.
Bhuvneshwar pushed DC on the back foot straight away with the wicket of skipper David Warner for a two-ball duck. Salt was attacking in the powerplay overs. Marsh joined him in the assault too with a six off T Natarajan. After powerplay overs, DC were 57/1. Umran Malik was introduced into the attack in the seventh ball. Salt hit him for two fours whereas Marsh smashed him for two sixes. Marsh then took on Abhishek Sharma and hit him for a four and a six. Salt got to his half-century from 29 balls whereas Marsh did it from 28 balls. At halfway stage, DC were 105/1.
Mayank Markande got the breakthrough for SRH. Salt got out caught and bowled. The English wicketkeeper-batter scored 59 runs from 35 balls including nine fours. In the next over, Manish Pandey got stumped trying to take on Abhishek. Akeal Hosein got into the act as well. The left-arm spinner got hit for a six and then got Marsh's wicket. The Australian scored 63 runs from 39 balls including one four and six sixes.
On-debut Priyam Garg hit a boundary but became Markande's second victim of the night. Sarfaraz played a cheeky scoop for a four and that got out bowled to Natarajan. In the slog overs, Axar tried to keep the run chase alive but did not have support from the other end. DC needed 26 runs off the last over. Axar remained unbeaten for 14-ball 29 but DC lost the game by nine runs.
Earlier, Aiden Markram won the toss and opted to bat first. Abhishek Sharma made a statement straightaway with two consecutive fours. Mayank Agarwal got an early reprieve as he was saved by the review. In his second over, Ishant Sharma got the better of Agarwal who scored just five runs from six balls. Marsh was introduced into the attack and he got the wicket of Rahul Tripathi who scored 10 runs from six balls. In the next over, Abhishek hit Ishant for four fours. SRH were 62/2 after powerplay overs.
In the seventh over, Markram was dropped by Nortje at long-off. Abhishek got to his half-century with a six. He took 25 balls to reach the milestone. Marsh came back into the attack and bowled a double-wicket maiden. Markram found Axar in the deep. He scored eight runs from 13 balls. Harry Brook got out for a two-ball duck. At halfway stage, DC were 83/4.
Mukesh bowled a poor over after halfway stage. Abhishek started off with two fours. Mukesh lost the line for a couple of times and then bowled a no ball. Then Heinrich Klaasen hit a four and a six to make it a 24-run over. Axar got the big wicket of Abhishek. He scored 67 runs from 36 balls including 12 fours and a six.
In the 16th over, Klaasen spoiled Axar's bowling figures with consecutive sixes. Marsh came back into the attack and got hit for a six by Abdul Samad. He had the last laugh as Samad edged one to wicketkeeeper Salt. He scored 28 runs from 21 balls including one four and two sixes. Klaasen continued to take risks and reached his half-century from 25 balls in the final over. Klaasen's unbeaten 27-ball 53 took SRH to 197/6, the highest score at the venue this season. Hosein contributed with a 10-ball 16 as well.
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