Spinners Shahbaz, Abhishek put shackles around RR batters as Hyderabad make final with 36-run win
CHENNAI: The dew didn't come into play, the Chepauk pitch played all the tricks that helped Chennai Super Kings make it their fortress over the years, and Sunrisers Hyderabad were the ones to reap the benefits.
Defending a modest 175, their part-time left-arm spinners Shahbaz Ahmed (3-23) and Abhishek Sharma (2-24) followed the Ravindra Jadeja blueprint to wreak havoc and blow away Rajasthan Royals by 36 runs to make the IPL final. On Sunday, at the same venue, they take on Kolkata Knight Riders.
The fact that the pitch was stopping and turning a bit was evident in the first session itself. But when Rajasthan Royals reached 65-1 by the eighth over with Yashasvi Jaiswal looking good, one felt RR had the game under control.
It was at this point that Shahbaz and Abhishek, who were supposed to be the weak links, turned the game decisively in SRH's favour. They pushed the ball through the air and hit the right length, and the pitch had enough in it to allow that little bit of turn which made it a nightmare five overs for Rajasthan Royals. They lost five wickets for 27 runs - Yashasvi, Sanju Samson, Riyan Parag, R Ashwin and Shimron Hetmyer - all falling to Shahbaz and Abhishek.
The two took 47-5 in their eight overs, which was in stark contrast to RR's much-vaunted spin duo of Ashwin and Yuzvendra Chahal's 77-0 off eight.
While Abhishek and Shahbaz will corner all the glory, a special mention should be made of South African Heinrich Klaasen (50 off 34 balls), who blunted the Yuzi-Ashwin duo at a critical phase of the game.
Unlike the Rajasthan batters, Klaasen understood that it wasn't the pitch to bat at top gear all the time. He ran well between the wickets, took the twos and waited for the odd loose ball. Klaasen used the depth of the crease to pull brilliantly when anything was slightly short and the runs that he scored proved absolutely crucial for SRH.
Another important performance came from the bat of No. 3 Rahul Tripathi (37 off 15 balls), who gave SRH the early momentum after the feared opening duo of Abhishek and Travis Head was separated early.
Following Abhishek's dismissal in the last ball of the first over, Tripathi played fearlessly when the ball was still coming on to the bat and scored a few quick runs that allowed SRH to get off the blocks.
The pitch started slowing up and the RR pace bowlers Trent Boult, Avesh Khan and Sandeep Sharma helped them restrict SRH to a total which seemed manageable at that stage.
But the 55 dot balls that Sunrisers bowlers managed in addition to the magic spells of Abhishek and Shahbaz helped Hyderabad make their fourth final.
1/8:Qualifier 2: SRH down RR to set up IPL final with KKR
PTI
2/8:Sunrisers Hyderabad Victorious
<p>Sunrisers Hyderabad beat Rajasthan Royals by 36 runs on Friday to set up an IPL final against Kolkata Knight Riders, as spinner Shahbaz Ahmed starred with three wickets.</p>PTI
3/8:Heinrich Klaasen's Heroics
Heinrich Klaasen smashed 50 off 34 balls to help Sunrisers post 175/9.AFP
4/8:Shahbaz Ahmed Shines
<p>Ahmed came in as an impact substitute in Hyderabad's batting innings to score 18 runs and then returned figures of 3-23 with his left-arm spin to flatten the opposition chase.</p>AFP
5/8:Kolkata Knight Riders Await
Kolkata, who thrashed Hyderabad in the first play-off game to reach their fourth final, will meet Pat Cummins' side again in the decider.AFP
6/8:Pat Cummins' Impact
Cummins, who cost SRH $2.5 million at the auction, remains on the cusp of another title after he led Australia to the WTC trophy and then to the ODI World Cup in India last year.AFP
7/8:Rajasthan's Chase Falters
Rajasthan faltered in their chase despite Yashasvi Jaiswal's quickfire 42 before the opener fell to Ahmed and skipper Sanju Samson soon departed for 10.PTI
