Sunrisers openers David Warner and Jonny Bairstow smash a century each to demolish Royal Challengers Bangalore by 118 runs
SRH's David Warner celebrates his century against RCB at the Rajiv Gandhi International stadium in Hyderabad yesterday. (Right) Jonny Bairstow is over the moon. Pics/PTI
Jonny Bairstow and David Warner smashed sensational centuries to guide Sunrisers Hyderabad to a comprehensive 118-run win over struggling Royal Challengers Bangalore in an Indian Premier League match here yesterday.
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Englishman Bairstow struck 114 from just 56 balls while Warner carried his bat for a 55-ball 100 in a record 185-run first-wicket partnership to post a mammoth 231 for two after being put into bat.
Bairstow punished RCB with 12 fours and seven sixes while Warner hit five fours and as many sixes in his 55-ball knock. With a gigantic target to eclipse, RCB needed a rollicking start but the visitors' chase never got going as they kept on losing wickets to be bundled out for 113 in 19.5 overs.
It was RCB's third consecutive loss in the tournament, while Sunrisers registered their second win out of three games this season. "The 12 months have done me well — I think I am refreshed," Warner, whose year-long ban from state and international cricket ended on March 28, said.
Playing his first IPL match this season, Afghan all-rounder Mohammad Nabi did the early damage as he picked up three quick wickets — two in his second over — as RCB slumped to 22 for three by the end of the fourth over. Nabi first accounted for Parthiv Patel and then came back to remove Shimron Hetmyer and dangerous AB de Villiers in the fourth over.
To make matters worse for RCB, Sandeep Sharma then dismissed skipper Virat Kohli in the first delivery of the seventh over. As if that was not enough, Shivam Dubey was run out in the very next ball as RCB' chase fell by the wayside. At that stage the visitors slumped to 35 for six in 7.3 overs.
From there on, it was almost an impossible task for RCB to get back into the game. Nabi starred with the ball for Sunrisers with figures of four for 11, while Sandeep (3-19) too was not far behind.
Records Warner and Bairstow broke yesterday
185
The biggest opening stand in IPL history, eclipsing the unbroken 184-run partnership between Gautam Gambhir and Chris Lynn against Gujarat Lions in 2017
03
David Warner and Jonny Bairstow became the first pair in IPL history to be involved in three consecutive century partnerships
231
The highest total posted by Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL
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