Date: April 9, 2013
Location: Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad
Event: IPL Season 6 – Sunrisers Hyderabad vs. Royal Challengers Bangalore
The Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium was a vibrant sea of orange and red. Tonight's fixture pitted the disciplined, bowling-heavy Sunrisers Hyderabad against the star-studded, explosive batting lineup of the Royal Challengers Bangalore.
Up in the commentary box, the broadcast rolled smoothly into the pre-match analysis.
"A very warm welcome to Hyderabad, ladies and gentlemen!" Danny Morrison's high-octane voice kicked off the feed. "We have a mouth-watering clash tonight. The Sunrisers Hyderabad are taking on the Royal Challengers Bangalore. I'm joined by the legendary Sunil Gavaskar. Sunny, this RCB batting lineup featuring Gayle, Kohli, and de Villiers is an absolute nightmare for bowlers."
"It certainly is, Danny," Sunil Gavaskar agreed smoothly. "But if there is one bowling attack in this tournament equipped to handle them, it is SRH. Siddanth Deva, Dale Steyn, Amit Mishra, and Ishant Sharma have been in terrific rhythm. The pitch today looks slightly on the slower side. It's dry, and I expect the spinners to play a massive role in the middle overs."
Down on the pitch, Ravi Shastri stood by the pitch with the two captains—Siddanth Deva and Virat Kohli.
"Welcome to the toss," Shastri boomed over the stadium PA system. "Virat Kohli has the coin. Siddanth, call it."
"Heads," Siddanth called clearly.
The coin landed on the dry turf.
"It's tails. Virat, you've won the toss. What's the call?" Shastri asked.
Kohli didn't hesitate. "We're going to bowl first, Ravi. The pitch looks a bit sticky, and we think it might actually play better under the lights once the dew sets in. We want to restrict them and know exactly what we are chasing with our batting lineup."
"Fair enough. Any changes to the RCB squad?"
"Just one change. Muttiah Muralitharan comes in to bolster the spin department," Kohli confirmed.
"Thanks, Virat. Siddanth, batting first on a slightly sticky wicket. Are you happy with that?"
"We were actually looking to bat first anyway, Ravi," Siddanth replied, looking perfectly relaxed. "It's a dry surface. As the game progresses, it's going to slow down and the ball will grip for the spinners. Setting a total here is usually a good strategy."
"And your playing eleven?"
"We are going in unchanged from the last game," Siddanth stated. "Aaron Finch, Shikhar Dhawan, Parthiv Patel, myself, Hanuma Vihari, Cameron White, and Thisara Perera. Our bowling remains Amit Mishra, Dale Steyn, Ishant Sharma, and Karn Sharma."
"A solid lineup. Good luck to both captains," Shastri concluded.
---
The umpires walked out to the middle, followed by the Royal Challengers Bangalore fielding unit. Aaron Finch and Shikhar Dhawan strode out to the crease for SRH.
"We are ready for the first ball," Harsha Bhogle announced from the box as Zaheer Khan marked his run-up. "Zaheer with the new ball. He will be looking for that early swing against Finch."
The SRH openers started cautiously. Zaheer kept it tight, but in the third over, Dhawan found his rhythm against Jaydev Unadkat, slashing him for two consecutive boundaries through the off-side. Finch followed suit, using his power to muscle a six over long-on.
By the end of the Powerplay, SRH was decently placed at 45 for no loss.
But the introduction of spin changed the dynamics entirely. Virat Kohli brought Muttiah Muralitharan into the attack, and the legendary off-spinner immediately exploited the sticky surface.
In his first over, Dhawan tried to sweep, missed the line entirely, and was trapped dead in front of the stumps.
Shikhar Dhawan: lbw b Muralitharan 22 (18)
Finch fell an over later, trying to force the pace against Vinay Kumar, caught at deep mid-wicket. When Parthiv Patel was cleanly bowled by an arm ball from Syed Mohammad, the Sunrisers were suddenly struggling in the 10th over.
"And that brings Siddanth Deva to the crease," Ian Bishop noted on the broadcast." It looks like today he has to play a rebuilding knock. The RCB spinners are putting a stranglehold on the scoring rate."
Siddanth took guard, tapping the pitch. He immediately realized the ball was stopping on the surface. Aggressive, lofted shots were too risky against the old ball.
He played sensibly, dropping the ball into the gaps and aggressively running between the wickets with Hanuma Vihari. They took quick singles, occasionally converting ones into twos, ensuring the scoreboard kept ticking without taking unnecessary aerial risks.
"This is very smart batting from Deva," Gavaskar observed during the 13th over. "He knows the boundary is hard to find right now. He is just manipulating the field, rotating the strike. He's on 24 off 18 balls without hitting a single boundary yet."
In the 15th over, Siddanth finally broke the shackles. Facing Vinay Kumar, he stepped down the track, converted a length ball into a half-volley, and launched it straight down the ground for a massive six. Two balls later, he expertly guided a slower bouncer over the keeper's head for four.
But the tricky pitch finally claimed him.
In the 16th over, facing the left-arm spin of Murali Kartik, Siddanth attempted to accelerate the run rate. He danced down the pitch, looking to clear long-off. The ball, however, gripped the dry surface and turned sharply away from his bat. It took the outer half of the blade, soaring high into the night sky.
AB de Villiers, stationed at long-off, settled under it and took a perfectly safe, reverse-cup catch.
"Caught! He didn't get to the pitch of it!" Harsha called out. "Siddanth Deva perishes trying to up the ante. A very useful 38, but RCB will be absolutely delighted to see the back of him before the death overs!"
Siddanth Deva: c de Villiers b Kartik 38 (25)
Siddanth shook his head slightly, tapping his bat against his pad as he walked off. It wasn't his biggest score, but he had stabilized the innings.
Cameron White and Thisara Perera took over. Utilizing their immense raw power, they managed to muscle a few boundaries in the final three overs, dragging the Sunrisers Hyderabad to a respectable, defending total.
SUNRISERS HYDERABAD: 162/6 (20 Overs)
"162 for 6," Danny Morrison summarized during the break. "It's not a massive score, but on this pitch, it is definitely a fighting total. But with Gayle, Kohli, and ABD in the dressing room, RCB will fancy their chances."
---
Inside the SRH dressing room, Siddanth gathered his bowlers.
"162 is enough if we bowl to our fields," Siddanth instructed calmly. "The ball is stopping. Take the pace off. Ishant, hit the hard lengths. Dale, don't give Gayle any width. Let's choke them in the Powerplay."
Chris Gayle and Cheteshwar Pujara walked out to open the batting for RCB.
The crowd buzzed with anticipation as Dale Steyn took the new ball. Steyn versus Gayle was one of the premier contests in world cricket.
Steyn steamed in and bowled a blistering 148 kmph outswinger. Gayle left it alone. On the fourth ball of the over, Steyn pitched it slightly fuller. Gayle, relying on his brute strength, planted his front foot and took a massive swing.
The ball swung late, took the inside edge, and crashed violently into the leg stump.
"BOWLED HIM! DALE STEYN STRIKES FIRST OVER!" Harsha Bhogle roared as Steyn pumped his fists in absolute elation. "The Universe Boss is gone! You cannot give Dale Steyn a target to defend without expecting early fireworks!"
Chris Gayle: b Steyn 4 (5)
Pujara tried to counter-attack, hitting Ishant Sharma for two boundaries, but Ishant adjusted his length. He bowled a heavy, rising delivery that got big on the Indian top-order batsman.
Pujara fended awkwardly, and the ball popped up to gully where Vihari took a simple catch.
At 28 for 2 in the 5th over, AB de Villiers walked to the crease to join Virat Kohli.
The two best batsmen in the RCB lineup immediately stabilized the innings. Kohli looked in sublime touch. He wasn't bothered by the slow pitch. He used his wrists to pierce the gaps on the off-side, hitting Ishant Sharma for consecutive boundaries through the covers.
By the 10th over, RCB had moved to 75 for 2. The required run rate was hovering around 8.8.
Siddanth tossed the ball to his premier leg-spinner, Amit Mishra. To increase the pressure and get into Kohli's line of sight, Siddanth positioned himself at first slip.
Kohli was batting on a flawless 42 off 30 balls. He looked completely dialed in, his eyes totally focused on the bowler.
As Mishra walked back to his mark to begin the 11th over, Siddanth casually leaned on his knees at first slip. He knew Kohli thrived on aggression, but he also knew his teammate had a notoriously short fuse when people messed with his concentration.
"Oye Kohli," Siddanth called out loudly, his voice echoing perfectly into the nearby stump mic. "Chakka maar na, chakka." (Hey Kohli, hit a six, hit a six.)
Kohli paused his bat-tap. He slowly turned his head to look at Siddanth standing in the slips. He delivered an absolute, deadpan stare, an expression that clearly read: Are you seriously trying to mess with me right now?
Siddanth just offered a wide, innocent grin.
Amit Mishra, hearing his own captain actively instructing the opposition's best batsman to hit him into the stands, stopped mid-run-up. He turned around, looking at Siddanth with confusion and mild annoyance.
Siddanth immediately held his hand up to the bowler. "Sorry, sorry, Mishra ji. Bowl, bowl."
"Listen to the stump mic!" Sunil Gavaskar chuckled in the commentary box. "Deva is standing at slip and telling Virat Kohli to hit a six! And poor Amit Mishra looks completely lost! This is brilliant banter between two national teammates."
Mishra tossed the ball up, bowling a loopy leg-break just outside off stump.
Kohli's eyes lit up. Taking Siddanth's 'advice' as a direct challenge, Kohli used his feet, danced down the track, got to the pitch of the ball, and launched it with absolute perfection over long-off for a magnificent six.
The RCB fans in the stadium roared.
Kohli held his pose for a second, then turned back to his crease. He glanced sideways at Siddanth, flashing a sharp, triumphant smirk.
Siddanth didn't look annoyed. In fact, he clapped his hands twice in genuine appreciation of the shot.
"Beautiful shot," Siddanth cheered loudly from the slip cordon. "Aur ek maar na, aur ek!" (Hit one more, hit one more!)
Kohli just shook his head, letting out a small, competitive laugh, and took his stance again. He wiped the pitch with his spikes, his adrenaline fully spiked. He wanted to hit the next one out of the stadium.
"The battle of egos here is fantastic," Ian Bishop noted. "Deva is baiting him. He's challenging Virat's ego, daring him to take the aerial route again. It's a dangerous game against a batsman of this caliber."
Mishra ambled in for the very next delivery.
Knowing Kohli would try to prove a point, Mishra brilliantly dragged his length back just a fraction and pushed it wider.
Kohli, already committed to the aggressive route, stepped out again. But he wasn't at the pitch of the ball this time. He tried to go inside-out over extra cover, but the ball gripped the pitch and turned slightly.
The ball took the outer half of the bat, slicing high into the air toward deep cover.
Thisara Perera, stationed perfectly on the boundary rope, settled underneath it and took a comfortable catch.
"CAUGHT IN THE DEEP! THE BAIT WORKS!" Harsha Bhogle shouted excitedly. "Siddanth Deva, you absolute tactical fox! He talked Virat Kohli into playing a false shot! He challenged his ego, Mishra bowled the perfect variation, and the RCB captain has to walk back!"
Virat Kohli: c Perera b Mishra 48 (33)
Kohli stood at the crease for a second, staring at the ground. He let out an exasperated sigh, shaking his head as he tucked his bat under his arm and began the long walk back to the dugout.
As Kohli walked past the slip cordon, Siddanth jogged over and deliberately bumped his shoulder against Kohli's in a friendly, competitive manner.
"Thanks for the fielding practice, Cheeku," Siddanth chirped, a massive grin on his face.
Kohli couldn't stay mad. He let out a reluctant laugh, shaking his head at the sheer audacity of his Vice-Captain. "I'll get you next time, Sid. Just wait."
---
Kohli's dismissal brought RCB down to 88 for 3 in the 12th over.
AB de Villiers, however, remained at the crease. And as long as the South African genius was batting, RCB was still entirely in the game. He began his counter-attack in the 15th over, sweeping Karn Sharma for a boundary and reverse-sweeping Amit Mishra for another. He played a lone hand, moving swiftly into his fifties, while wickets tumbled at the other end. Moises Henriques, Saurabh Tiwary, and Syed Mohammad all fell cheaply trying to hit out against the mounting required run rate.
By the end of the 18th over, the equation was tight: RCB needed 30 runs from 12 balls.
Siddanth tossed the ball to Thisara Perera for the 19th over, keeping his strike bowler, Dale Steyn, fresh for the final six deliveries.
It was a gamble that could backfire.
AB de Villiers took Perera apart. He launched the first ball over long-on for six, scrambled for a quick two, and then hit a reverse-scoop over short third man for four. The over yielded 14 crucial runs.
As the umpire called 'over', the stadium was vibrating with tension.
RCB: 147/6.
Equation: 16 runs required off 6 balls.
Batsman on strike: AB de Villiers (61 off 37 balls).*
Bowler: Dale Steyn.
"This is what the IPL is all about!" Danny Morrison screamed into his microphone. "Sixteen needed off the final over! We have the premier fast bowler in the world, Dale Steyn, bowling to his countryman, the most inventive batsman on the planet, AB de Villiers! It does not get any better than this!"
Siddanth walked up to Steyn as the South African marked his run-up.
"He's going to use the crease, Dale," Siddanth instructed rapidly, analyzing the angles. "He's going to move around to mess with your length. Don't second guess yourself. Bowl the yorker. Even if he scoops it, back your pace."
Steyn nodded, his eyes locked onto the stumps.
Ball 1: Steyn steamed in and bowled a fiery 146 kmph delivery. He missed the yorker length by an inch, bowling a low full toss. De Villiers whipped it fiercely to deep mid-wicket. Siddanth sprinted across the boundary rope, sliding to cut it off, restricting them to two runs.
(14 needed off 5)
Ball 2: Steyn went for the yorker again. This time, de Villiers preempted the length. He shuffled entirely across his stumps, dropped to one knee, and audaciously scooped the 148 kmph delivery clean over the fine-leg boundary for an unbelievable six.
The RCB dugout erupted.
"ABSOLUTE GENIUS!" Ian Bishop roared. "He has scooped a 148 kmph yorker into the stands! The man has ice in his veins!"
(8 needed off 4)
Ball 3: Under immense pressure, Steyn tried to push the ball wide outside off-stump, away from de Villiers' swinging arc. But de Villiers reached out, opening the face of his bat, and slashed it beautifully over point for a boundary.
The Hyderabad crowd fell dead silent. Ten runs off the first three balls. The match had swung violently in RCB's favor.
(4 needed off 3)
Up in the VIP enclosure, Krithika was gripping the glass barricade so tightly her knuckles were turning white. The fun, relaxed banter of her stealth-car dates felt like a lifetime ago.
She was holding her breath, her eyes darting nervously between Siddanth sprinting toward his bowler and AB de Villiers standing at the crease. She hated how agonizingly stressful this sport could be.
Siddanth sprinted from the boundary line straight to Steyn. He didn't look panicked.
"Dale, listen to me," Siddanth said, his voice cutting through the deafening noise of the away fans. "Bowl a 150 kmph yorker right at the base of middle stump. I am bringing mid-off inside the circle to stop the single."
Steyn wiped the sweat from his brow, his eyes burning with renewed intensity. "Middle stump."
Ball 4: Steyn ran in like a man possessed. He fired an absolute thunderbolt—151.2 kmph on the speed gun. It was the perfect yorker, tailing into the base of the middle stump. De Villiers barely managed to jam his bat down in time, digging it out. The ball trickled back to Steyn. Dot ball.
"Brilliant comeback from Steyn! That is a searing yorker!" Gavaskar praised.
(4 needed off 2)
Ball 5: Steyn bowled a heavy length delivery. De Villiers couldn't get under it. He drilled it straight down the ground to long-off. The fielders scrambled. De Villiers ran like a hare, pushing his partner for a desperate second run. They made it just as the throw came in.
(2 needed off 1)
"Two to win! One for a Super Over!" Harsha Bhogle shouted, standing up in the commentary box. "The stadium is on its feet! Steyn to de Villiers for the final delivery!"
Siddanth moved the fielders. He brought everyone inside the 30-yard circle, cutting off all the singles. It was do or die.
Steyn stood at the top of his mark. De Villiers tapped his bat, his eyes wide, anticipating the delivery.
Steyn charged in. He didn't bowl wide. He went straight for the kill. A 150 kmph, reverse-swinging yorker aimed dead at the leg stump.
De Villiers, trying to manufacture room, backed away to the leg side, attempting to carve it through the covers. But the ball swung late, completely deceiving him. It missed the bat, missed the stumps by a fraction of an inch, and thudded cleanly into the gloves of the wicket-keeper, Parthiv Patel.
"RUN!" de Villiers screamed, taking off from the non-striker's end, attempting to steal a bye to force a Super Over.
Parthiv didn't even aim at the stumps. He ran forward and tossed the ball underarm directly to Dale Steyn, who was sprinting down the pitch on his follow-through. Steyn caught the ball and dove forward, smashing the stumps with his hand just as the non-striker, Vinay Kumar, was two feet short of the crease.
The umpire raised his finger.
OUT.
The Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium exploded in a deafening, earth-shaking roar. The fireworks launched into the night sky.
RCB: 161/8 (20 Overs)
AB de Villiers: 68 Not Out (42 balls)
Sunrisers Hyderabad had successfully defended 162, winning an absolute thriller by just 1 run on the final ball.
Siddanth let out a massive yell, running toward Steyn and tackling the fast bowler to the ground in pure, unadulterated elation. It was a bowling masterclass that had strangled one of the most explosive batting lineups in the tournament.
---
The floodlights illuminated the post-match presentation area. The Hyderabad fans were in full voice, celebrating a phenomenal home victory.
Ravi Shastri stood at the podium with his microphone. Dale Steyn had just collected the Man of the Match award for holding his nerve in that phenomenal final over.
"And now, let me call upon the winning captain, Siddanth Deva," Shastri announced.
Siddanth jogged over, dressed in his sweat-stained orange jersey, looking completely exhilarated.
"Siddanth, what a game of cricket!" Shastri began. "162 didn't look like an imposing total, but you defended it by the skin of your teeth. Take us through that final over. 16 to defend, AB de Villiers hits 10 runs off the first three balls. What did you tell Dale Steyn?"
"I told him to trust his greatest weapon, Ravi," Siddanth said into the microphone, breathless but smiling. "When AB is in that kind of form, he makes good balls look like bad ones. You can't out-think him with trickery at the death. I just told Dale to bowl his fastest, most accurate yorker and back his execution. To come back and bowl a dot ball, allow two runs, and then execute that final delivery under that much pressure... Dale Steyn proved why he is the best in the world today."
"Your bowlers executed the plans beautifully," Shastri noted. "But I have to ask you about the 11th over. The stump mics picked up a very interesting conversation between you and Virat Kohli."
Siddanth immediately started laughing, wiping sweat from his forehead.
"You were standing at first slip," Shastri continued, a massive grin on his face, "and you were actively encouraging Virat to hit your bowler for a six. Amit Mishra looked like he wanted to quit on the spot. And then Kohli hits a massive six, you cheer him on, and he gets out the very next ball. Was that pure tactical sledging?"
"Look, Virat is a phenomenal player," Siddanth explained, chuckling. "When he gets in that zone, he operates on pure momentum. If you bowl quietly to him, he will just accumulate runs all day. You have to disrupt his focus. So I challenged him to hit a six, he won't just try to hit a boundary; he'll try to hit it out of the stadium to prove a point."
Siddanth smiled, looking toward the RCB dugout where Kohli was standing and listening.
"I just gave him a little push. He hit a great shot, but his adrenaline spiked. He wanted to do it again the next ball, and Mishra ji bowled a brilliant, slower, wider delivery. He fell into the trap. It's all in good fun, though. He's probably going to try and take my head off next time I bat against him."
The stadium crowd roared with laughter.
"It was a brilliant piece of gamesmanship, Siddanth. Congratulations on a nail-biting win," Shastri concluded. "Ladies and gentlemen, Siddanth Deva!"
Siddanth waved to the crowd and walked back toward his team. He spotted Virat Kohli waiting near the boundary rope.
Kohli crossed his arms, raising an eyebrow at Siddanth. "You think you're very funny, don't you?"
"I think I won the match by one run," Siddanth corrected with a wide smirk, offering his hand.
Kohli rolled his eyes, but a genuine smile broke through as he grasped Siddanth's hand in a firm shake. "Yeah, yeah. Enjoy it while it lasts, Sid. When you come to the Chinnaswamy in a few days, I'm putting you in the stands."
"Looking forward to it, Cheeku," Siddanth laughed, patting him on the back.
The banter was over, but the message to the rest of the IPL was crystal clear. The Sunrisers Hyderabad weren't just winning games with ball and bat; they were winning the psychological warfare on the pitch, and fighting until the very last delivery.