Cummins enjoys another fine Head start for Sunrisers

Australia skipper Pat Cummins has been left impressed by the way his international teammate Travis Head is helping lead the way for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League.

Cummins, the only Aussie captain in this year’s edition of the IPL, enjoyed his second win of the campaign on Friday as his side downed Chennai Super Kings by six wickets.

The Sunrisers’ pursuit of 5-165 in front of their home fans at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium was made to look fairly straightforward, thanks again to another fine ‘Head start’ given to them by the rejuvenated left-hander.

It wasn’t in the league of the 18-ball half-century he clouted against Mumbai, but Australia’s World Cup final matchwinner Head was again in sprightly mode as he cracked 31 off 24 balls, with three fours and a six, to help launch his side’s response.

This time, Head was somewhat overshadowed by his opening partner Abhishek Sharma, who hit his whirlwind 37 off just 12 balls, but the pair collected 46 between them inside the first three overs.

Aiden Markram, with a half-century off 36 balls, continued the rollicking start as he added another 60 for the second wicket with Head, who looked annoyed to eventually hole out on the boundary.

Not for the first time in this year’s IPL, Head had taken advantage of being dropped early in his innings, this time being spilled at slip by Moeen Ali in the first over before he’d even scored.

Cummins, who had earlier bowled impressively again, going for just 29 off his four overs while sending down nine dot balls and getting the dangerous Shivam Dube caught for 45 at backward point from a superb slower bouncer, couldn’t help but be impressed again by his Aussie colleague.

“It looks pretty fun at the moment, doesn’t it? I wouldn’t want to be bowling to Abhishek and Trav Head at the top. They’re playing with real freedom, and that’s what we want from them, they’re doing it brilliantly,” said Cummins.

Sharma was the real destroyer this time, smashing three sixes and two fours off Mukesh Choudhary in the second over, before holing out at backward point next over trying to slice Deepak Chahar over cover.

Earlier, fast bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar had earned his first wicket of the campaign for Hyderabad, getting rid of Kiwi Rachin Ravindra for 12 as he sliced a catch to Markram at mid-on.

Chennai captain Ruturaj Gaikwad (26) and Ajinkya Rahane (35) couldn’t push on from good bases, and when Cummins fooled left-hander Dube with his change of pace, it needed Ravindra Jadeja to inject a bit of late impetus with an unbeaten 31 off 23 balls.

But Sunrisers, who reached their target on 4-166 with 11 balls to spare, never looked in any trouble as they moved into fifth place in the 10-team table.