IPL 2023 - Live Report: Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Delhi Capitals, Hyderabad

For a large part of the contest, Sunrisers Hyderabad seemed to have a hold on Delhi Capitals. Like when Washington Sundar picked up three wickets in an over. Or when Bhuvneshwar Kumar gave away almost nothing through his four-over spell – split into two each in the powerplay and at the death. Or when despite his stuttering innings, Mayank Agarwal was laying a platform for the chase.

Or in the last over with 13 needed and Washington Sundar, striking it well, on strike against the unheralded Mukesh Kumar. But the right arm seamer exuded calmness as he nailed his yorkers and gave away only five, helping Capitals eke out a seven-run win. It was the lowest total they have successfully defended in the history of the IPL

Capitals gave it back as they received, using spin to stifle and snuff out the life of the chase. Their spin duo of Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav shared three wickets with each going at under a run a ball to help Capitals down Sunrisers at the latter’s home in Hyderabad and notch up successive wins after losing five on the trot.

Mukesh had only 12 in the bank. He was coming into IPL 2023 on the back of a fantastic domestic season across formats. Against a marauding Washington and Jansen, he nailed his yorkers calmly one after the other and helped Capitals eke out a seven-run win. Clear plans, unwavering effort, perfect result. Where 'em nails at!

He gave them hope. With 51 needed off the last four overs, Klaasen went from being on 9 off 8 to making 31 off 18. He managed to smack his fellow South African fast bowler Nortje for a massive six over the on side before hitting Mukesh for two overs in the 18th. But in a bid to smack Norjte for another maximum over the off side, he picked out sweeper cover on the longer side of the ground.

Eight overs of spin cost Capitals only 43 for three wickets. With 51 needed off the last four overs, Warner went to Nortje and Mukesh. It played nicely into Washington and Klaasen's hands, with the latter flicking fellow South African Nortje well over deep midwicket. He then timed a flick off Mukesh, only for Warner to misfield it after running well to his right from long-off before slashing the same bowler over backward point.

On the last ball, Washington managed to get enough bat on the scoop, despite losing balance and falling over.

Sunrisers 88 for 5 after 15, 56 needed off 30 balls. Capitals' win probability up to 72.86%

In 54 balls across eight innings, Agarwal has scored only 43 against Axar. Having broken the boundary-drought since the powerplay in the 11th over, Agarwal looked to take the aerial route against Axar to get to his half-century but only found Aman Khan at long-on.

In the next over, Ishant returns to send back a struggling Tripathi for 15 off 21.

Axar Patel's two overs have gone for 11. Kuldeep Yadav has bowled his two for just nine. Rahul Tripathi and Mayank Agarwal are struggling to find the boundaries - they last hit one in the last over of the powerplay.

In IPL 2023, Agarwal has struck at a run a ball against spin while going at 117.64 against pace. So far today, he's managed only 10 off 13 balls from Axar and Kuldeep. Capitals are well and truly keeping a stranglehold on the proceedings.

Harry Brook's lean run in his maiden IPL season continued. Save for his century against KKR, these are his scores (latest first): 18, 9, 13, 3, 13. He struggled against each of Ishant Sharma, Mukesh Kumar and Anrich Nortje, before falling to Nortje.

Bad form makes you do funny things. It did that to Brook, who is quite strong in front of the wicket anyway. Despite the fine leg being on the boundary, he looked to get inside the line and play the scoop against Nortje. He failed to read the legcutter and missed it completely to be bowled.

First up, it's another change at the top for Sunrisers - Mayank Agarwal partnering Harry Brook.

Agarwal has a favourable match-up against Ishant Sharma - a strike rate of 156 in five meetings. Fresh off 2-19 against KKR, Ishant got one to land on a length outside off against Brook and got it to swing perilously close to the off stump. His first three balls of the over went for just one, with Brook getting to the other end.

Off the fourth, Ishant managed to have Agarwal poke at a length ball at sixth-stump line. Sadly though, the outside edge was grassed by Marsh at slip. On the next ball, Agarwal found the gap through cover-point for four. Ended the over with three. Seven for none could have been one or two for one on another day.

Pandey and Axar had given Capitals a semblance of a platform to be on 128 for 5 with three overs to go, from being 62 for 5. Axar took Mayank Markande's legspin for 15 in the 17th, hitting him for three fours. But Sunrisers managed to pull things back, picking up four wickets in the last three overs. As a result, Capitals have been kept to 144 for 9.

After Washington's three-wicket over, Axar Patel and Manish Pandey added 69 together for Capitals. But they did find the going tough, taking ten overs for the same.

Bhuvneshwar returned for his third over in the 18th and got a seam delivery to dip on Axar, while bowling the perfect yorker. A couple of balls later, Pandey was run out going for the second to give Sunrisers the control again.

Cricket can be a cruel game. And a funny one, depending on how you look at it. Washington Sundar was wicketless for 14.5 overs in IPL 2023. Add to it, he has been very expensive in the powerplay, a phase where he used to revel until not to long ago. But like in most aspects of life, when it rains, it pours.

Washington first had Warner, who incidentally ended his six drought this season off Washy, caught at deep midwicket via a slog. Then he bowled one in line of the stumps, which Sarfaraz tried to sweep along the ground but ended up getting a top edge to deep backward square leg. And then Aman Khan fell to an inexplicable attempted slog, only top-edging it towards cover-point. Three wickets in five balls after having none for 89!

Which side of the wicket will the batter hit the next ball? If you're in India, you can Play and Watch with ESPNcricinfo's new game. Play ESPNcricinfo's first AR-based game - just aim and hit the stumps.

Mitchell Marsh is no newbie to T20 cricket. He has already played 160 T20s and is no stranger to the IPL as well. Began with disdain against left-arm pace of Marco Jansen today but it is another left-arm pacer in T Natarajan who got the better of him today. He missed an inswinger from a length delivery from Natarajan and was rapped on the back leg. Seemed to be high, which is perhaps why the on-field call was not out. But Sunrisers reviewed it and were proven right as the Ball-Tracker returned three reds.

Zooming out on Marsh's career a bit, the general perception is that he clobbers fast bowling like a monster. Not entirely wrong but he also smacks spin around. He averages over 24 against spin. But against left-arm seam, his average is only 17.37. He's been dismissed 16 times by that type of bowling in the format, too.

It's been a weird season for the David Warner we know. He has faced the most dot balls in the powerplay in IPL 2023. He is Capitals' leading run-getter in the tournament but was yet to hit a six. Unsurprisingly then, he had the most runs without a six. Up until he faced Washington Sundar today.

Warner first swept a Washington full ball through square leg. And then, when he got another full ball on the pads from the offspinner from around the stumps, he took full toll. Quickly got down on a knee and slog swept him high and long over deep midwicket. Washington is suddenly not the bowler we knew. Not long ago, he was a bankable asset with the ball in the powerplay. But in this season so far, he has gone at over 14 an over in the first six overs, easily his worst economy rate. In eight overs across six innings in the powerplay in IPL 2022, he went for only 7.75.

How long a rope could Capitals afford to Marsh was a point to ponder ahead of the clash. He had, after all, just six runs in four outings with the bat. Marsh has come out all guns blazing today, helped in part by some wayward bowling.

Marsh meted out some special treatment to Marco Jansen, who shared the new ball with Bhuvneshwar. He first played as authoritative a flick as can be off the first ball of the over. Then just tickled a full ball down leg to fine leg. Made Sunrisers attack less by taking a slip off. No effect. Thrashed the next ball through cover-point before leaning into one and caressing it through extra cover. Takes 19 off the second all by himself.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar draws first blood. It is not David Warner, who was off the mark on the second ball, but his opening partner again. Capitals benched Shaw and Phil Salt walked out to open with Warner today. But he couldn't resist from nibbing at an awayswinging delivery and gets a nick behind. Almost a belated appeal from the wicketkeeper and slip but Bhuvneshwar was confidence. And so was the umpire.

A reminder: You can also follow the live commentary in Hindi or in Tamil, too.

Which side of the wicket will the batter hit the next ball? If you're in India, you can Play and Watch with ESPNcricinfo's new game.

Play ESPNcricinfo's first AR-based game - just aim and hit the stumps.

David Warner is the first captain to opt to bat in Hyderabad in IPL 2023. In two out of the three games at this venue this season, teams batting first have won the games. Aiden Markram said that Sunrisers wanted to bowl first anyway.

Prithvi Shaw has been dropped. Sarfaraz Khan and Ripal Patel are in for Capitals. Only one change in the 16 for Sunrisers.

Sunrisers Hyderabad: Mayank Agarwal, Harry Brook, A Markram (c), Abhishek Sharma, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mayank Markande, Marco Jansen, Umran Malik, Washington Sundar, T Natarajan
Subs: Nitish Reddy, Vivrant Sharma, Glenn Phillips, Mayank Dagar, Rahul Tripathi

Delhi Capitals: David Warner (capt), Phil Salt (wk), Mitchell Marsh, Sarfaraz Khan, Manish Pandey, Axar Patel, Ripal Patel, Aman Khan, Anrich Nortje, Kuldeep Yadav, Ishant Sharma
Subs: Mukesh Kumar, Lalit Yadav, Praveen Dubey, Chetan Sakariya, Yash Dhull

Sunrisers and Capitals are at the bottom of the points table. And much of that has to do with batting line-ups that haven't regularly come to the party. Understandably, the spotlight is on one each of their overseas players in Mitchell Marsh and Harry Brook, both of whom are exciting names in world cricket.

In four games in IPL 2023, Marsh has six runs to show. Yep. And you can well leave out his first innings this season, when he was cleaned up by a snorter from Mark Wood, one that would perhaps get most batters out. Plus the stop-start nature of his appearances hasn't helped - he had flown back home for a short while for his wedding before rejoining Capitals. He's bowled a shade over seven overs in three innings and has three wickets to show. And it is his second string that has kept him in the fray. Should Capitals go full volley and open with Marsh to give him the best chance of being among the runs?

Brook, on the other hand, was pushed up to open the batting by Sunrisers after a couple of innings in the middle order. He has a century to show at that spot. But the move has meant that Mayank Agarwal, who is also battling form, has to bat out of his preferred position with Sunrisers opting for Abhishek Sharma at the top. So far, Brook has been kept quiet by spin and almost gobbles up pace, whenever he gets going. Will Sunrisers be better off by having Brook bat at No. 5, where he averages over 42 and strikes close to 150 in T20s?