Dale Steyn vs Brendon McCullum - The memorable mini-battle in IPL 7

The SRH vs CSK match will be remembered when the best bowler in the world ALMOST got one of the most dangerous batsmen in T20 cricket out

The match between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Chennai Super Kings, which was won by the latter with a few hiccups in the end, saw one of the best moments of this year’s IPL.

The contest was between the best bowler of the world at present, Dale Steyn, and one of the best T20 international player, Brendon McCullum, happened in the 3rd over of the 2nd innings.

With three balls bowled in his 2nd over, Steyn decided to set up the batsman by bringing the fine leg up in the circle and pushing mid-wicket back to boundary, a clear indication that a short ball was on its way. Baz, with immense experience in this format, knew what was coming, and was up for the challenge.

Steyn ran in with full aggression for the fourth ball, fast, straight, on the middle and banged it in short. McCullum responded to it in the most fearless way. He unleashed a brutal, powerful hook which saw the ball sail over the mid-wicket fielder for a flat six. The fielder, Venugopal Rao, was positioned precisely for that shot, but was standing a lot far from the boundary than Steyn would have wanted. The fact that he was also one of the shortest man on the field, didn’t help Steyn’s cause.

Steyn did all the things right for him to get a wicket, right from setting up the plan to delivering the perfect ball for it but the man he was challenging, McCullum, was equally dangerous and powerful and blew his plan away in a flash. A wicket of McCullum at that stage would have not let that opening blitz take place which put the match firmly in CSK’s hands, and with CSK leaving it late, maybe a different result could have emerged from last night’s match.

These mini-battles are the ones which all the cricket fans crave for and make a cricket match so much more interesting to watch.