Miller steers Gujarat to IPL win over Hyderabad
|| AFP ||
Mohit Sharma's bowling figures of 3-25 and an unbeaten 44 by David Miller powered Gujarat Titans to their second IPL win with a thrashing of Sunrisers Hyderabad on Sunday.
Gujarat restricted Hyderabad to 162-8, a total they overhauled with seven wickets and five balls to spare at their home Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Hyderabad skipper Pat Cummins came to the venue with happy memories after he led Australia to an ODI World Cup triumph at the 132,000-capacity stadium last year, but this time, the home team ruled.
"Winning two matches at home is great, two more to go and then we go on the road," Gujarat skipper Shubman Gill said.
Gill added, "Credit to the bowlers to restrict them. Everyone knows their roles in terms of batting or bowling...Miller's gotten in form too."
Gill made 36 to add to his team's attacking start after fellow opener Wriddhiman Saha smashed a 13-ball 25 and set up the chase.
Sai Sudarshan then came in as impact substitute in place of Mohit and put on a key 64-run third-wicket stand with fellow left-hander Miller, who struggled in the middle with his running and Gill said it was "just a cramp, I think".
Sudarshan fell for 45 off Cummins but Miller stood firm to steer the team home with Vijay Shankar at the other end in an unbeaten stand of 30.
Gujarat needed 49 from the last 30 balls before Miller and Sudarshan smashed Mayank Markande in a 24-run 16th over to ease into the chase.
Mohit, 35, set up victory with his medium-pace bowling as he struck three times including the key wicket of Abhishek Sharma, who made 29 off 20 balls.
Afghanistan spin wizard Rashid Khan made his presence felt when he bowled Heinrich Klaasen, who trudged back to the pavilion after his 13-ball 24.
"Good match but we got 10-15 less," said Cummins. "They bowled well. Losing a couple of wickets meant we couldn't get a batter not making fifty plus."
Hyderabad, who won their only title in 2016 under David Warner, suffered their second loss in three matches.
