Finch's one-handed six
The Plays of the day from the game between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Delhi Daredevils
George Binoy
25-Apr-2014
Manoj Tiwary dropped chances off Shikhar Dhawan and David Warner • BCCI
The test
Kevin Pietersen was playing his first game of the season after recovering from a hand injury and his bandaged fingers were tested in the first over. Aaron Finch glanced Shahbaz Nadeem towards fine leg, giving Pietersen a tough chase. He caught up with the ball with a slide but went over the boundary after he pulled it back. The ball trickled on, though, and when Pietersen pushed it back to ensure it wasn't a boundary, his body was where the dislodged advertising signs had been, and a four was signalled.
Kevin Pietersen was playing his first game of the season after recovering from a hand injury and his bandaged fingers were tested in the first over. Aaron Finch glanced Shahbaz Nadeem towards fine leg, giving Pietersen a tough chase. He caught up with the ball with a slide but went over the boundary after he pulled it back. The ball trickled on, though, and when Pietersen pushed it back to ensure it wasn't a boundary, his body was where the dislodged advertising signs had been, and a four was signalled.
The wound and the salt
The first three balls of the fifth over, from Wayne Parnell, were short, short and down leg, and short again. Shikhar Dhawan feasted on them, cutting the first to the point boundary, hoisting the second over long leg for six, and lacing the third through point for four more. The fourth was short and wide too, and Dhawan cut hard once again, aiming for a fourth consecutive boundary. His placement was off, though, and the ball flew straight to Manoj Tiwary at point. Parnell grimaced after he saw the ball spilt on the grass.
The first three balls of the fifth over, from Wayne Parnell, were short, short and down leg, and short again. Shikhar Dhawan feasted on them, cutting the first to the point boundary, hoisting the second over long leg for six, and lacing the third through point for four more. The fourth was short and wide too, and Dhawan cut hard once again, aiming for a fourth consecutive boundary. His placement was off, though, and the ball flew straight to Manoj Tiwary at point. Parnell grimaced after he saw the ball spilt on the grass.
The one-handed six
Finch moved a couple of feet outside leg stump, to create space to hit on the off side. He had moved too early, though, and JP Duminy fired the ball flat and wide outside off stump as a counter measure. Finch lunged and swung. The ball was nearly at the wide-indicator when he made contact. And despite one hand coming off the bat, Finch stuck it so powerfully that the ball flew flat and over the extra-cover boundary. He did it again, off the medium-pacer Jaydev Unadkat, his one-handed slice resulting in a four at point.
Finch moved a couple of feet outside leg stump, to create space to hit on the off side. He had moved too early, though, and JP Duminy fired the ball flat and wide outside off stump as a counter measure. Finch lunged and swung. The ball was nearly at the wide-indicator when he made contact. And despite one hand coming off the bat, Finch stuck it so powerfully that the ball flew flat and over the extra-cover boundary. He did it again, off the medium-pacer Jaydev Unadkat, his one-handed slice resulting in a four at point.
The freebie
David Warner was dropped before he had scored, and then plodded from 8 off 5 balls to 18 off 27. He was struggling for fluency while Finch steered the Sunrisers innings and desperately needed another lucky break. Parnell provided it - a juicy, high full toss on the pads. Warner smashed it to the square-leg boundary, was dropped again, and went on to make Daredevils pay.
David Warner was dropped before he had scored, and then plodded from 8 off 5 balls to 18 off 27. He was struggling for fluency while Finch steered the Sunrisers innings and desperately needed another lucky break. Parnell provided it - a juicy, high full toss on the pads. Warner smashed it to the square-leg boundary, was dropped again, and went on to make Daredevils pay.
The face-off
Quinton de Kock looks worried quite often on the field, even when he has no apparent reason to be. This time, however, his wide eyes could have been because the man staring him down was his countryman Dale Steyn, the fastest bowler in the world. Steyn charged in to bowl his first ball, de Kock prepared for battle, and the next thing everyone knew was that the ball was being retrieved from the boundary. Little de Kock had stood tall and punched the ball past Steyn's fingertips, and timed it superbly.
Quinton de Kock looks worried quite often on the field, even when he has no apparent reason to be. This time, however, his wide eyes could have been because the man staring him down was his countryman Dale Steyn, the fastest bowler in the world. Steyn charged in to bowl his first ball, de Kock prepared for battle, and the next thing everyone knew was that the ball was being retrieved from the boundary. Little de Kock had stood tall and punched the ball past Steyn's fingertips, and timed it superbly.
The back of the bat
In this age of batting innovation, there isn't much that surprises anymore. The range of reverse-shots, the switch-hit, the scoop … an increasing number of batsmen are attempting to play them. Dinesh Karthik, however, did something unusual against Darren Sammy. He shaped to play the reverse paddle but instead of turning his bat over to make contact with the face, he hit the ball with the back of his bat and sent it to the third-man boundary. It's a shot Mahela Jayawardene plays.
In this age of batting innovation, there isn't much that surprises anymore. The range of reverse-shots, the switch-hit, the scoop … an increasing number of batsmen are attempting to play them. Dinesh Karthik, however, did something unusual against Darren Sammy. He shaped to play the reverse paddle but instead of turning his bat over to make contact with the face, he hit the ball with the back of his bat and sent it to the third-man boundary. It's a shot Mahela Jayawardene plays.
George Binoy is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo