IPL 2017: SRH vs KKR, Chris Woakes giving Warner a lifeline early on is SK Turning Point of the match

Warner scored an outstanding 126 off just 59 balls

In the 37th game of IPL 2017, table-toppers KKR took on SRH in Hyderabad. It was an important game for both the teams, as KKR were looking to cement a spot in the top two and SRH, after a rather inconsistent season, were looking to make amends at their fortress.

After winning the toss, visiting captain Gautam Gambhir asked Hyderabad to bat first.

But KKR soon regretted their decision as David Warner smashed them to all parts of the ground. The southpaw was equally critical to both spinners and pacers. There were orthodox cricket shots and there were a few adventurous switch-hits, both were executed perfectly as KKR bowlers ran out of ideas.

The other opener, Shikhar Dhawan, played the second fiddle as Warner was in good mood. Kane Williamson’s cameo at the end ensured that SRH  piled up a mammoth 209 against a quality KKR bowling attack.

KKR, on the other hand, never got going with the bat. The pinch-hitter, Sunil Narine, didn’t fire just when they needed him to and fell cheaply, for just one run. And Gautam Gambhir too had a rare failure, as he got out looking to keep up with the required run rate.

Considering the quality of SRH’s death bowling, it was imperative that KKR score big in the power play. But SRH bowlers were simply too good and kept bowling in the right areas.

Apart from Uthappa’s impressive 53, there weren’t any significant contributions from other Kolkata batsmen. Considering SRH’s bowling, chasing 209 was always going to hard work. And after putting up a hard fought 161, the visitors lost the game to a clinical Orange Army by 48 runs.

Quite often we have seen dropped catches costing teams matches. More so in this year’s IPL. While Uthappa enjoyed his share of luck in the last two games, it was Warner’s turn this time as he punished KKR for the missed opportunity.

In what was an amazing show of power hitting, David Warner smashed his way to the third century of this year’s IPL, and perhaps the best one. But all that only after he survived a close call earlier in his innings.

The SRH skipper, who also won the man of the match for his historic effort with the bat, was lucky to survive a tough chance in just the second over of the innings.

The turning point 

Umesh Yadav ran in to bowl the last delivery of the second over of SRH’s innings, David warner, batting on 11, was on strike. Yadav bowled a shortish slower ball and got it to climb a good height. Warner, wanting to pull it for a boundary, completely mistimed it and the ball lobbed towards mid-on.

Chris Woakes, stationed at mid-on, ran back and dived full length, only to fall short by few inches. It wasn’t the easiest of catches Woakes will ever get, but Warner did survive a scary moment. The Australian then went on to score a hundred and proved to be the decisive difference.

However, the SRH skipper didn’t let the dropped chance get to his head and kept scoring boundaries at regular intervals. None of the bowlers was spared and even though Gambhir kept shuffling, none of the moves worked as Warner kept bludgeoning them one after the other.

The pressure Warner had put on them got the better of the KKR bowlers and even the reliable Sunil Narine and Kuldeep Yadav weren’t spared. While Narine went for 37 runs in his three overs, Kuldeep Yadav gave away 43 in his four overs.

On a different day the mistimed pull could have easily carried to the fielder, but not in this game. It was Warner’s night and he made the most of it. We can’t stress enough how important taking catches is, can we? It is imperative that every opportunity is taken. Particularly, when the batsman in question is as destructive as David Warner.

It’s only fitting for me to end this article by repeating the old cliché, dropped catches (sometimes even the half-chances, as in this case) cost you matches.