Warner, bowlers see off CSK comfortably

David Warner's fifth half-century in eight innings set up Sunrisers Hyderabad's fourth win of the season. Warner belted 12 boundaries off his first 21 deliveries to make 61 off 28, his innings launching Sunrisers to 192 for 7 in their first game this year in Hyderabad.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Moises Henriques took vital wickets in the chase to see off Chennai Super Kings comfortably. The match, however, turned decisively when Ashish Reddy ran out Faf du Plessis in the 13th over to break a 46-run stand, and then bowled MS Dhoni next ball to reduce Super Kings to 114 for 5. Getting more than two a ball after that against the accuracy of the Sunrisers seamers was too much for the lower middle order, and though Super Kings lost only one more wicket, they finished well behind on 170 for 6.

That was the score Warner had said was par on the bouncy Hyderabad pitch, and that his side ended up getting much closer to 200 was largely down to him, again. The Super Kings seamers, especially Mohit Sharma, thought that the short ball would work against Warner. The Sunrisers captain took them apart, launching a blaze of punches, cuts and pulls as the hosts sped to 76 for 0 in the first six overs.

Warner's opening partner Shikhar Dhawan again struggled to get off strike, and when the Australian fell to Suresh Raina in the ninth over, Dhawan was on a run-a-ball 22.

Moises Henriques was promoted to No. 3 and biffed a few to carry on the momentum. After Dhawan was run out on 37 off 32 as he strolled for a second run, Naman Ojha lashed some boundaries to take the score past 150.

Eoin Morgan had come in at No. 4 but was able to make some impact only at the finish to return with an unbeaten 32 off 27.

Dwayne Smith and Brendon McCullum arrived swinging hard but could not last beyond the Powerplay. McCullum played on off Bhuvneshwar in the second over after hitting Trent Boult for three successive fours. Smith holed out for 21 trying to target the slower pace of Henriques. Raina soon met with the same fate, another middling score keeping his average for the season to an underwhelming 25.

Super Kings had slipped to 68 for 3 with Raina's exit, but du Plessis and Dhoni were playing sensibly and still keeping up with the asking-rate. With 79 needed off 45 and seven wickets in hand, Super Kings were right in the game, but Reddy's double-strike changed that.