DC, SRH eye collective batting effort

HYDERABAD: Its first win secured, Delhi Capitals would expect more from its batters when it takes on a stuttering Sunrisers Hyderabad, which will be eager to return to winning ways, in the IPL here on Monday.
The Capitals has had a tough season so far. It has struggled in all departments and, as a result, lost five games on the trot. However, David Warner and his troops finally managed to eke out its maiden victory as it scrapped its way to a four-wicket win over Kolkata Knight Riders on Thursday.
The bowling unit got its act together and put up a stellar display to restrict KKR to 127 but the Delhi batters, barring skipper Warner and deputy Axar Patel, failed once again as the host huffed and puffed to the win. Much was expected of Prithvi Shaw and Mitchell Marsh but the two have been huge letdowns so far this season.Scores of 12, 7, 0, 15, 0 and 13, in the six outings have highlighted Shaw’s inability to tackle pace and spin, and a quick-fix is unlikely.Australian all-rounder Marsh has also had a woeful run with the bat, that includes two ducks in the four games and a highest score of four. He hasn’t fared well with the ball either, and it is to be seen if the management persists with him or the likes of Rovman Powell and Rilee Rossouw are given another chance.With the young Indian batters struggling, the onus is also on Manish Pandey, a seasoned campaigner, to bat more responsibly in the middle so that Axar has the freedom to play the big shots towards the end.
While the Capitals has a lot of work to do, there are a few positives they can build upon. Playing his first game of the season, veteran Ishant Sharma bowled a brilliant spell, turning back the clock. He bowled with accuracy and produced inward movement to fashion the team’s first win. Ishant was complemented well by the rest of the Delhi bowlers, who had been underwhelming so far.
Under the scanner for his below-par strike rate, skipper Warner also looked at his fluent best against KKR. He will hope to continue in similar vein against his former team, come Monday.
Sunrisers Hyderabad has slumped to back-to-back defeats after it seemed its campaign had taken off. It currently occupies the penultimate spot on the table with four points from six games.
The Orange Army has looked good on paper but its batting has failed it. Its batters have neither been able to chase nor put up a good total in the previous two games it lost. With plenty of match winners in the side, it would hope to get its campaign back on track.