IPL 8: Rajasthan Royals bowlers restrict Hyderabad to 127/5

Rajasthan Royals' bowlers put up a clinical show to restrict Sunrisers Hyderabad to 127 for five, the lowest team total in the tournament so far, in the IPL cricket match in Visakhapatnam on Thursday.

Backing Steven Smith's decision to field first on a slowish track, RR bowlers not only picked wickets at regular intervals but also bowled a tight line and length to never allow the SRH batsmen get going.

SRH did not have the best of starts after losing their top four batsmen for just 35 runs but a 52-run fourth wicket partnership between Naman Ojha (25) and Eoin Morgan (27) did put a stop to the wicket-fall though only for a while.

Opener Shikhar Dhawan was the first to go after being caught behind off Dhawal Kulkarni (2-9) post a scratchy 10-run stay at the crease. Skipper David Warner (21) was unlucky after Ajinkya Rahane ended the in-form openers blitz in the middle with a direct throw to run him out.

Kulkarni kept the good work going after trapping Lokesh Rahul LBW for 2 as SRH looked wobbly on their second home ground.

SRH nearly lost another wicket in the 11th over when Ojha mistimed a pull to be caught by Sanju Samson, but the TV replays showed that James Faulkner had bowled a no-ball.

To add to the misery of the bowler, Ojha hit the next ball for a six and also got a boundary in that over. Ojha though was done in by leg-spinner Pravin Tambe (2-21) in the 15th over. Tambe struck in his very next over, after Morgan was trapped LBW while attempting a reverse sweep.

In the end, Ravi Bopara (23 not out) and Ashish Reddy (11 not out) did try to get maximum hits in the bag but the RR bowlers did well to allow SRH only 37 runs in the last five overs.