How not to play Steyn's first ball
Plays of the Day for the match between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Trinidad & Tobago in Mohali
Kanishkaa Balachandran
24-Sep-2013
Darren Bravo was hitting it so hard that nobody could afford to nod off • BCCI
The impetuous shot
The first match of the evening had given enough indications that the Mohali pitch was more favourable to the seam bowlers. The batsmen would have to respect the conditions first, gauge the bounce and movement before attacking. Lendl Simmons was having none of it. Taking strike against Dale Steyn, Simmons waltzed down the track to the first ball of the match, looking to smash it and feathered an edge to the wicketkeeper. Against the best fast bowler in the world, it wasn't the smartest thing to do first up.
The first match of the evening had given enough indications that the Mohali pitch was more favourable to the seam bowlers. The batsmen would have to respect the conditions first, gauge the bounce and movement before attacking. Lendl Simmons was having none of it. Taking strike against Dale Steyn, Simmons waltzed down the track to the first ball of the match, looking to smash it and feathered an edge to the wicketkeeper. Against the best fast bowler in the world, it wasn't the smartest thing to do first up.
The fumble
Sunrisers Hyderabad weren't at their sharpest in the field, committing more than a few schoolboy errors. Thisara Perera bowled one short and wide outside off, asking to be hit. Darren Bravo duly obliged and slapped it over cover. Hanuma Vihari charged towards it at sweeper cover but didn't time his approach properly. He ended up over-running the ball and it spun and rolled to the rope.
Sunrisers Hyderabad weren't at their sharpest in the field, committing more than a few schoolboy errors. Thisara Perera bowled one short and wide outside off, asking to be hit. Darren Bravo duly obliged and slapped it over cover. Hanuma Vihari charged towards it at sweeper cover but didn't time his approach properly. He ended up over-running the ball and it spun and rolled to the rope.
The obstruction
With Bravo striking the ball with such ferocity, nobody in the field could afford to nod off. When Darren Sammy came into the attack, he made the mistake of bowling too full and Bravo wasn't going to miss out. He smashed it straight back but the non-striker Jason Mohammed wasn't quick enough to move out of the way. The ball thudded into his ribs and he saved a few runs for Sunrisers. They were struggling to control Bravo so any obstruction, however unusual, was welcome.
With Bravo striking the ball with such ferocity, nobody in the field could afford to nod off. When Darren Sammy came into the attack, he made the mistake of bowling too full and Bravo wasn't going to miss out. He smashed it straight back but the non-striker Jason Mohammed wasn't quick enough to move out of the way. The ball thudded into his ribs and he saved a few runs for Sunrisers. They were struggling to control Bravo so any obstruction, however unusual, was welcome.
The soft dismissal
The early wicket T&T would have been desperate for was Shikhar Dhawan's. The in-form opener was in good touch in the qualifiers and, chasing 161 on a seaming pitch, he needed to stick around to give Sunrisers some stability. He moved to 23 but appeared fitful against the legspin of Samuel Badree. A slogged six over deep midwicket spelt ominous signs for T&T but their anxiety over Dhawan didn't last long. Navin Stewart bowled a slower ball and Dhawan, looking to turn it to the on side, popped the simplest of catches to the bowler. Stewart did a celebratory jig and his team-mates couldn't believe they had got rid of Dhawan so cheaply.
The early wicket T&T would have been desperate for was Shikhar Dhawan's. The in-form opener was in good touch in the qualifiers and, chasing 161 on a seaming pitch, he needed to stick around to give Sunrisers some stability. He moved to 23 but appeared fitful against the legspin of Samuel Badree. A slogged six over deep midwicket spelt ominous signs for T&T but their anxiety over Dhawan didn't last long. Navin Stewart bowled a slower ball and Dhawan, looking to turn it to the on side, popped the simplest of catches to the bowler. Stewart did a celebratory jig and his team-mates couldn't believe they had got rid of Dhawan so cheaply.
Kanishkaa Balachandran is a senior sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo