IPL 2019: When Warner smashes, there's little margin, says Rahane

RR skipper Ajinkya Rahane admitted that it is very difficult for bowlers to defend any total against an opposition which has an in-form batsman like David Warner up their ranks

Sanju Samson's first century of the ongoing IPL went in vain as David Warner and Jonny Bairstow set up the platform while chasing a mammoth 199-run target Friday night. Their century stand for the opening wicket helped the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) registering their first victory of the season. Despite putting up a fighting score, Rajasthan Royals (RR) lost the game by 5 runs. Losing skipper Ajinkya Rahane admitted that it is very difficult for bowlers to defend any total against an opposition which has an in-form batsman like David Warner up their ranks. “I think, first of all, we thought 190 plus was a very good score. The wicket was stopping a bit and we were aiming to get 150 plus. But credit to Sunrisers for the momentum they got in the powerplay. When someone like Warner bats like that, it's very fewer margins for the bowler,” Rahane said. “They didn't lose momentum throughout. When he (Warner) got out, Vijay Shankar batted well too. Sanju's been fantastic for us. We all know how talented he is. I'm sure he's also hurt but he'll go miles. Consistency is the key for him,” he added. On the other hand, Sunrisers captain Kane Williamson credited Warner and Bairstow for setting up the platform for the win. “It was a tough game, but Rajasthan Royals played really well. The openers set it up for us. It was a good collective effort. It certainly wasn't easy. There are some areas we want to touch upon. We needed many parts to fire to chase near 200 and it was a good experience for us,” Williamson said. With this victory, SRH has now acquired the 4^th spot on the points table with 2 points while RR remains at the bottom. Kolkata Knight Riders are leading the charts with 4 points.