With eyes on a play-offs berth, Sunrisers Hyderabad bowlers exploited the conditions well to restrict Kolkata Knight Riders to a modest 130 for seven in their do-or-die IPL match, here today.
Stroke-making was difficult on the slow Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium wicket and the hosts bowlers, specially the spinners dominated the proceedings.
Yusuf Pathan with his calculative 49 run knock off 29 balls gave Kolkata something to fight for after electing to bat. Jacques Kallis (24) was the other notable contributor.
Pathan batted with caution early on and punished the bad balls later on to accelerate as he hit three sixes and as many fours in his unbeaten knock for KKR.
Leg-spinning combo of Amit Mishra and Karan Sharma, who extracted some sharp turn off the wicket, stifled the KKR innings in the middle overs as they gave away just 20 and 15 runs respectively and accounted for one batsman each.
Pacers Dale Steyn (2/24) and Anand Rajan (1/22) were terrific upfront as they straight-jacketed the Kolkata openers with good control over line and length.
The pressure created by Styen and Rajan beneffited Thisara Perera as in his attempt to break free, Manvinder Bisla pulled one off Sri Lankan but managed a top edge, which landed in the hands of skipper Cameron White at short-cover.
Anand could have got Gambhir had White held on to a touch chance in the cover region. Gambhir slashed that one hard but White got his finger tips on that. He was on 8 at that time.
However, he could not cash in on the chance and was run out a few balls later following a mix up with Jacques Kallis.
Not only the pacemen but Hyderabad's spinners too tested the rival batsmen. Both Mishra and Sharma bowled probing line and had Morgan and Kallis in a fix.
At half way mark, KKR were 56 for two. Getting runs was hard work on the slow wicket and Sharma piled on KKR's agony by trapping Morgan (9).
Kallis gathered a few runs by running hard between the wickets but could never provide the innings momentum. He departed in the 16th over even as Pathan was trying hard to get some quick runs from the other end.
Pathan hit first six off the innings when he lofted Perera over his head and then stunned the crowd by smashing one off Steyn into the mid-wicket stands.
