Date: April 22, 2014
Location: Sharjah Cricket Stadium, United Arab Emirates
Event: Match 9, IPL Season 7 – Sunrisers Hyderabad vs. Kings XI Punjab
The 2014 Indian Premier League caravan rolled onward across the Arabian desert, leaving the massive, sprawling outfield of Abu Dhabi behind for a completely different kind of battlefield.
The Sharjah Cricket Stadium was an iconic, historic venue, steeped in decades of legendary subcontinental clashes. But for modern T20 bowlers, it was nothing short of a graveyard.
Unlike the massive stadiums in India or the wide expanses of Abu Dhabi, Sharjah was incredibly compact. The stands felt like they were sitting right on top of the players, and the square boundaries were notoriously, laughably short. It was a ground designed for absolute carnage, where even mis-hits frequently sailed into the second tier.
In the Sunrisers Hyderabad dugout, Siddanth Deva was in deep conversation with Head Coach Tom Moody and Team Mentor VVS Laxman.
"It's a concrete block, Sid," Moody noted, looking down at the 22 yards baking under the intense UAE sun. "There is absolutely no grass on that pitch. It's hard, it's flat, and the ball is going to come onto the bat like a missile. If we pitch it up today, the Punjab top order is going to hit us into the parking lot."
"We can't rely on the spinners to control the middle overs here," Siddanth agreed, his eyes scanning the incredibly short square boundaries. "If Mishra or Karn toss the ball up, Glenn Maxwell and David Miller are going to sweep them into the stands. We need to adapt the eleven for this specific pitch."
Laxman nodded. "What are you thinking, Sid?"
"We strengthen the pace and the batting depth," Siddanth stated, making the tactical call. "We drop Karn Sharma today. We bring in Ishanth. Ishanth gives us the extra seam-bowling option, which is harder to hit here than spin. With Mitchell Johnson breathing fire for Punjab, we need all the batting insulation we can get."
"Done," Moody agreed, marking the change on his clipboard. "Finch is resting his hamstring, so Warner and Dhawan open. Williamson at three, you at four, Rahul, Henriques, Naman Ojha, Mishra, Bhuvi, Steyn, and Ishant."
Siddanth grabbed his orange cap and walked out into the sweltering heat for the toss.
Waiting for him at the center of the pitch was the Kings XI Punjab captain, the perpetually smiling Australian, George Bailey, alongside Ravi Shastri.
"Welcome to Sharjah, ladies and gentlemen!" Shastri's booming voice echoed around the historic ground. "We have a mouth-watering clash tonight. The Sunrisers Hyderabad taking on the Kings XI Punjab. Both teams love to play aggressive cricket. Siddanth, you have the coin. George, you will call."
Siddanth spun the gold coin high into the air.
"Heads," Bailey called out.
The coin landed flat on the baked earth. "It is tails. Sunrisers win the toss," the match referee confirmed.
"Siddanth, you've won a very crucial toss here at Sharjah. What's the decision?" Shastri asked, holding the microphone out.
"We are going to field first, Ravi bhai," Siddanth answered without hesitation. "This ground is incredibly small, and the pitch looks like an absolute highway. With the dew expected to come down heavily in the second innings, defending any total here is going to be a nightmare. We want to know exactly what we are chasing, and hopefully, our seamers can extract some early life out of the new ball."
"Any changes to the side today. Can you take us through it?"
"Yes, we are swapping out Karn Sharma for Ishanth Sharma," Siddanth explained. "Given the dimensions of this stadium, we felt an extra seam-bowling all-rounder was the right choice to keep the scoring rate in check, while adding a bit more depth to our lower-middle order."
"Thanks, Siddanth. George, batting first. Happy with that?"
"We would have chased as well, to be honest," Bailey smiled. "But we have an incredible batting lineup. If our boys get going, no boundary is too big. We just want to put a massive total on the board and let Mitchell Johnson loose in the second innings."
---
As the umpires walked out to the middle, the roaring Sharjah crowd settled in for a spectacle. Virender Sehwag and Cheteshwar Pujara strode out to the crease to open the innings for Kings XI Punjab.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar took the new ball. Despite the flat pitch, Bhuvneshwar's immaculate wrist position found a hint of away swing. In his second over, he completely squared up Sehwag, finding the outside edge, but the ball fell agonizingly short of the slip cordon.
Ishant Sharma, utilizing his height, struck the first blow in the fourth over. He bowled a sharp, rising delivery that got big on Pujara, catching the shoulder of the bat and lobbing to Moises Henriques at point.
Cheteshwar Pujara: c Henriques b Sharma 10 (14)
The crowd erupted, not for the wicket, but for the man walking down the pavilion steps.
Glenn Maxwell, famously known as 'The Big Show', took his guard. In 2014, Maxwell was arguably the most feared, destructive T20 batsman on the planet. He was in the form of his life, completely unbothered by reputations, pitches, or bowling plans.
Siddanth immediately recognized the threat. He brought Dale Steyn into the attack to bounce the Australian out early.
But Maxwell was operating on a different frequency. Steyn bowled a 148 kmph bouncer aimed at the helmet. Maxwell didn't duck. He violently arched his back and executed an audacious, tennis-style overhead smash, sending the ball rocketing over the third-man boundary for a flat six.
"What an incredible shot!" Ian Bishop roared from the commentary box. "He has just swatted Dale Steyn away like a fly! Maxwell is in a punishing mood tonight!"
That shot opened the floodgates. Sehwag found his rhythm at the other end, slicing Ishant Sharma for consecutive boundaries before eventually falling to Amit Mishra in the 9th over for a rapid 30.
But Maxwell simply refused to be contained.
When Mishra tossed the ball up, Maxwell brought out his trademark reverse-sweep, hitting the leg-spinner out of the stadium for a 95-meter six. When Moises Henriques bowled full, Maxwell lofted him effortlessly over long-on. The short boundaries of Sharjah made his mis-hits land in the front rows of the stands.
By the 13th over, Punjab had raced to 125 for 2. Maxwell was batting on a terrifying 68 off just 28 deliveries. He was single-handedly threatening to take the total well past 220.
Siddanth stood at mid-off, wiping the sweat from his forehead. He had bowled two incredibly tight, restrictive overs in the Powerplay, conceding just nine runs, but he had taken himself out of the attack to save his overs for the death.
Now, he couldn't wait. He had to stop the bleeding.
He walked up to the umpire and took the ball.
"And the Captain brings himself back into the attack for his third over," Harsha Bhogle noted. "This is the ultimate contest. Glenn Maxwell, against Siddanth Deva. Deva knows that if he doesn't get Maxwell out right now, this game will slip entirely out of Hyderabad's grasp."
Siddanth marked his run-up. He knew bowling standard lengths to Maxwell was suicide on this pitch. Maxwell was anticipating the line and pre-meditating his unconventional shots.
Siddanth steamed in.
His first delivery was a searing, 145 kmph wide yorker, pushed to the absolute edge of the tramline. Maxwell, having shuffled across his stumps to play it on the leg side, couldn't reach it. Dot ball.
On the second delivery, Siddanth followed the batsman. As Maxwell backed away to make room, Siddanth fired a heavy, 146 kmph bouncer aimed directly at his ribcage, cramping him entirely. Maxwell fended it awkwardly into the pitch. Dot ball.
"Brilliant bowling from Deva," Sunil Gavaskar praised. "He is not giving Maxwell an inch to breathe. He is following him, reading his footwork."
Siddanth walked back to his mark for the third delivery. He knew Maxwell's ego wouldn't allow a third consecutive dot ball in a T20 match. Maxwell was going to try something outrageous to break the pressure.
As Siddanth hit his delivery stride, he noticed Maxwell's bottom hand shifting its grip on the bat handle entirely a split-second before release.
Recognizing the grip change for a massive switch-hit, Siddanth instantly killed his arm speed. He rolled his fingers aggressively over the seam, completely taking the pace off the ball.
It was a dipping, 115 kmph slower off-cutter.
Maxwell, committed to the violent left-handed swing, was through his shot an absolute eternity before the ball arrived. The ball dipped sharply, gripped the dry Sharjah surface, and took a thick top edge off the bottom of the bat.
The ball looped high into the hot desert sky.
Dale Steyn, stationed at long-off, ran inward, keeping his eyes locked on the dropping ball, and took a safe, two-handed catch.
"CAUGHT! THE BIG SHOW IS OVER!" Ravi Shastri screamed into the microphone, the sound of the Hyderabad fans erupting in the background. "Siddanth Deva has done it again! He spots the grip change, takes all the pace off the ball, and completely outfoxes Glenn Maxwell! An absolute masterstroke of a delivery when his team needed it the most!"
Glenn Maxwell: c Steyn b Deva 68 (31)
Maxwell stood at the crease for a second, shaking his head in sheer disbelief at how perfectly he had been read, before dragging his bat off the field.
Siddanth offered a firm high-five to Steyn and KL Rahul, letting out a sharp breath of relief. The danger man was gone.
The wicket completely broke Punjab's momentum. George Bailey and David Miller walked out to the middle, but the SRH bowlers, re-energized by their captain's breakthrough, executed their death bowling plans flawlessly. Bhuvneshwar Kumar nailed his wide yorkers, and Steyn was unhittable in the 19th over.
David Miller managed to hit two late boundaries off Ishant Sharma in the final over, pushing the total to a highly competitive, but manageable score.
KINGS XI PUNJAB: 184/6 (20 Overs)
"184 for 6," Simon Doull summarized during the innings break. "It is a very good score, but given that they were 125 for 2 in the 13th over, Punjab will feel they left twenty or thirty runs out there. Siddanth Deva's wicket of Glenn Maxwell completely changed the trajectory of the innings. However, chasing 185 against Mitchell Johnson on this pitch is not going to be easy. We are in for a fantastic second half."
---
Inside the SRH dressing room, the atmosphere was serious. Chasing 185 meant maintaining a run rate of over nine runs an over from the very first ball.
"The ball is going to skid under the lights," Siddanth told his openers, Shikhar Dhawan and David Warner, as they strapped on their pads. "Mitchell Johnson is going to come out breathing fire. Don't throw your wickets away trying to hit him out of the ground. Take the singles, punish the loose balls, and get us through the Powerplay."
Warner and Dhawan walked out to the middle, greeted by a massive roar from the crowd.
Mitchell Johnson, the terrifying Australian left-arm fast bowler, was in the absolute prime of his career, fresh off destroying England in the Ashes. He took the new white ball, his eyes locked onto his Australian teammate, David Warner.
Johnson steamed in. His very first delivery was a blistering 150 kmph inswinger that pitched on middle stump and darted back in. Warner, attempting to punch it down the ground, was beaten for sheer pace. The ball ripped through the gap between bat and pad and shattered the middle stump.
"BOWLED HIM! FIRST BALL!" Ian Bishop roared, genuine shock in his voice. "Mitchell Johnson produces an absolute thunderbolt! David Warner is gone for a golden duck! What a start for Kings XI Punjab!"
David Warner: b Johnson 0 (1)
The stadium fell into a stunned silence. The prized overseas opener was back in the dugout before the sweat on his brow had even dried.
Kane Williamson walked out at number three. He played a beautiful, textbook straight drive for four to ease the tension, but the hostility from the Punjab pacers was relentless.
Sandeep Sharma, operating from the other end, utilized his beautiful wrist position to swing the ball away from the left-handed Dhawan. In the third over, Dhawan tried to break the shackles, stepping out to slash Sandeep over the off-side. The ball swung late, took a thick outside edge, and flew straight to point where George Bailey took a sharp catch.
"Edged and taken! Another one bites the dust!" Harsha Bhogle called out. "The Sunrisers are completely rocked here in Sharjah! Dhawan departs, and both openers are back in the hut within three overs!"
Shikhar Dhawan: c Bailey b Sandeep 12 (10)
The scoreboard read a dismal 18 for 2. The required run rate had already spiked to nearly ten an over.
Siddanth Deva picked up his bat, pulled on his helmet, and walked down the pavilion steps.
"And here comes the Captain," Sunil Gavaskar noted. "Siddanth Deva. He is walking into an absolute crisis. Johnson is bowling with extreme hostility, and the pressure of the scoreboard is immense. He and Kane Williamson need to build a massive partnership, but they cannot afford to let the required rate climb any higher."
Siddanth walked to the crease, feeling the intense pressure radiating around the stadium.
Kane Williamson met him mid-pitch. The New Zealand batsman looked entirely serene, completely unaffected by the chaos of the falling wickets.
"They're bowling well, Sid," Williamson said mildly, tapping his gloves with his captain. "Let's just knock it into the pockets for a few overs. No need to rush."
Siddanth took a deep breath, nodding in agreement. He took his guard against Mitchell Johnson.
Johnson, riding a massive wave of adrenaline, stared down the pitch at Deva. He ran in and hurled a 148 kmph bouncer straight at Siddanth's badge.
Siddanth simply swayed his head backward by two inches, letting the ball fly past his grill, keeping his eyes entirely locked onto the bowler.
After his follow-through, Johnson marched all the way down the pitch, stopping just inches from Siddanth and offering a cold, silent stare to intimidate.
Siddanth just smiled slightly, tapped the pitch, and casually looked up.
"Pace is down today, Mitch," Siddanth noted calmly across the pitch, his voice perfectly picking up on the stump mic. "Did you forget to eat breakfast?"
Johnson glared at him, snatched the ball from the fielder, and marched back to his mark furiously.
For the next six overs, Siddanth and Kane Williamson orchestrated a brilliant, desperately needed rebuilding phase. They didn't panic. Williamson played the role of the classical anchor to absolute perfection, using his soft hands to guide the ball into the gaps for singles, constantly turning the strike over to his captain.
Siddanth, recognizing that survival wasn't enough in a 185-run chase, took the calculated risks.
When L. Balaji was introduced into the attack, Siddanth stepped down the track and launched him effortlessly over the long-off boundary for a massive six. When the left-arm spin of Akshar Patel came on, Siddanth used his feet brilliantly, hitting two consecutive boundaries through the covers.
The partnership pushed the score to 85 for 2 by the 11th over. The ship had been steadied, but the required run rate was hovering near 11 an over.
In the 12th over Kane Williamson tried to sweep a flatter delivery. The ball skidded on the pitch, missed the bat, and trapped him plumb in front of the stumps.
"Given! Maxwell gets the breakthrough!" Ravi Shastri announced. "Williamson played a very good anchoring knock, but he falls for 34. The 67-run partnership is broken!"
Kane Williamson: lbw b Maxwell 34 (30)
KL Rahul walked out to the middle. The young wicket-keeper batsman was highly talented, but walking into the middle of a massive chase against an international bowling attack was a severe test of nerves.
Siddanth walked down the pitch and anchored him. "Don't look at the required rate, Rahul," Siddanth advised firmly, tapping gloves with the youngster. "Just watch the ball. If it's in your arc, hit it. I'll take care of the big overs."
Rahul nodded, taking a deep breath and marking his guard.
---
The score was 88 for 3 at the end of the 12th over. Sunrisers Hyderabad needed 97 runs from the final eight overs.
Siddanth realized that waiting for the death overs was no longer an option. The required rate was too high. He had to break the back of the bowling attack right now.
In the 13th over, bowled by Akshar Patel, Siddanth flipped the switch.
He didn't just hit boundaries; he humiliated the spin attack. He reverse-swept Akshar for a boundary past short third man, and then rocked onto his back foot to pull him violently into the deep mid-wicket stands for a 90-meter six.
He brought up his half-century off just 31 balls.
"Fifty for the Captain!" Ian Bishop praised as Siddanth offered a quick raise of his bat. "A spectacular innings under immense pressure. But his job is only half done."
KL Rahul caught the momentum, playing a beautiful inside-out lofted drive off Maxwell for four, providing crucial support from the other end.
The score reached 140 for 3 by the end of the 16th over.
George Bailey, the Punjab captain, was looking visibly stressed. The required run rate had dropped, and Siddanth Deva was looking entirely unstoppable, batting on 76.
Bailey played his ultimate trump card. He brought Mitchell Johnson back into the attack for the 17th over.
"Mitchell Johnson is back," Harsha Bhogle noted, the tension in the commentary box palpable. "This is the match right here. Johnson against Deva. Pure, hostile pace against pure, clinical timing."
Johnson marked his run-up. He was determined to end the contest.
Ball 1: Johnson steamed in, bowling a searing, 149 kmph bouncer aimed at the throat. Siddanth didn't duck. He rolled his wrists flawlessly, hooking the ball fiercely into the ground, sending it racing past square leg for a boundary.
"Shot! He takes on the fastest bowler in the world and wins!" Gavaskar cheered.
Ball 2: Johnson, furious, overcompensated by bowling a full, 150 kmph yorker. Siddanth opened the face of his bat at the last millisecond, using Johnson's raw pace to slice the ball beautifully past the diving backward point fielder for another four.
Ball 3: Johnson aimed for the body again, bowling a heavy length delivery. Siddanth stepped slightly out of his crease, giving himself room, and punched the ball majestically over extra cover. The ball hit the boundary rope on the full. SIX.
"Absolute carnage in Sharjah!" Ravi Shastri roared. "Fourteen runs off the first three balls! He is dismantling Mitchell Johnson!"
Johnson bowled three wide yorkers to finish the over, conceding only three more singles, but the damage was monumental. 17 runs had come off the over.
The equation was suddenly heavily in Hyderabad's favor.
In the 18th over, Sandeep Sharma managed to dismiss KL Rahul, who chopped a wide delivery onto his stumps after a brilliant, supportive cameo of 22.
KL Rahul: b Sandeep 22 (15)
Moises Henriques walked out to join his captain. Sandeep finished the 18th over tightly, pushing the score to 169 for 4.
The 19th over, bowled by Mitchell Johnson, was a brilliant display of death bowling. Johnson executed flawless wide yorkers, conceding only six runs and refusing to give Siddanth any room to free his arms.
The match had come down to the absolute wire.
Score: 175/4
Target: 185
Equation: 10 runs required from the final 6 balls.
Batsman on strike: Siddanth Deva (92 off 44 balls).*
George Bailey handed the ball to the veteran Indian seamer, Lakshmipathy Balaji, for the final over.
The Sharjah stadium was vibrating with noise. The fans were on their feet, waving orange flags frantically.
"Final over of the match. 10 runs to win," Ian Bishop announced, his voice echoing the immense tension. "Balaji has the ball. Siddanth Deva is on strike, batting on 92. Can the captain finish it?"
Siddanth tapped his bat on the hard pitch. He ignored the noise, the pressure, and the field placements. He engaged his absolute focus.
Ball 1 (19.1 overs): Balaji ran in from over the wicket. He attempted a wide yorker, but missed his length by an inch, bowling a low full toss outside off-stump.
Siddanth didn't try to muscle it. He stepped across his stumps, opened the face of his bat, and sliced the ball perfectly past the short third-man fielder. The ball raced to the boundary for four.
"FOUR! A poor delivery from Balaji, and Deva punishes him instantly!" Harsha Bhogle called out. "6 needed off 5 balls!"
Ball 2 (19.2 overs): Balaji corrected his length. He bowled a brilliant, dipping slower ball on the middle stump. Siddanth, expecting the variation, waited for the ball and pushed it gently to long-on. He ran the first run hard, completely ignoring Henriques at the other end, and sprinted back for a lightning-fast double, beating the throw from David Miller.
"Excellent running! They steal a two! 4 runs required off 4 balls!" Gavaskar noted. "Deva moves to 98."
George Bailey walked over to Balaji. They had a lengthy conversation, moving the fielders. He brought mid-off into the circle and pushed long-on and deep mid-wicket back to the boundary ropes, trying to cut off the big shots.
Ball 3 (19.3 overs): Balaji marked his run-up. He ran in and bowled a sharp, back-of-a-length delivery angled into Siddanth's body, cramping him for room.
Siddanth didn't have the space to swing freely. He tucked the ball softly off his hip toward short square leg.
"NO!" Siddanth yelled instantly, staying firmly in his crease, refusing the single to ensure he stayed on strike for the final runs. Dot ball.
(4 needed off 3)
Ball 4 (19.4 overs): The tension was unbearable. Balaji ran in, attempting to bowl another bouncer to tie Siddanth down.
But he dragged it slightly too short. It sat up perfectly on the flat Sharjah pitch.
Siddanth didn't hesitate. He transferred his weight effortlessly onto his back foot, swiveled his hips, and brought his heavy bat around in a violent, horizontal arc.
The sound of the connection was deafening.
The ball rocketed off the absolute sweet spot of the bat. It soared high into the hot, dark desert sky, clearing the incredibly short square-leg boundary by an absolute mile. It didn't just land in the stands; the ball completely left the stadium, crashing heavily onto the corrugated metal roof of a building on the busy street outside. SIX.
The Sunrisers Hyderabad dugout erupted. Dale Steyn and Ishant Sharma threw their arms into the air, screaming in joy.
"HE HAS LAUNCHED IT OUT OF THE STADIUM! AND THAT IS THE MATCH!" Ravi Shastri screamed, his voice booming over the roaring crowd. "Siddanth Deva finishes the game with an absolute monster of a six! Sunrisers Hyderabad win an incredible thriller by six wickets! And what an innings from the captain! An unbeaten 104 off just 48 balls to single-handedly hunt down 185!"
SUNRISERS HYDERABAD: 187/4 (19.4 Overs)
Siddanth Deva: 104 Not Out (48 balls, 11 Fours, 6 Sixes)
Moises Henriques: 1 Not Out (1 ball)
Siddanth pulled his helmet off, a wide, deeply satisfied smile breaking across his face. He raised his bat to the cheering crowd and the jubilant SRH dressing room. It was one of the most dominant, technically flawless T20 centuries of his career.
He walked down the pitch and bumped fists with Moises Henriques, before turning around to shake hands with a visibly disappointed George Bailey and Lakshmipathy Balaji.
---
The post-match presentation was held on the outfield, the stadium floodlights blazing.
Ravi Shastri stood at the podium with the microphone.
"What a spectacular game of cricket we have witnessed here in Sharjah," Shastri addressed the crowd. "Kings XI Punjab posted a formidable 184, but it simply wasn't enough against a masterclass in run-chasing. I have with me the Man of the Match, the captain of Sunrisers Hyderabad, Siddanth Deva!"
Siddanth jogged up to the podium, accepting the award with a polite smile.
"Siddanth, an unbelievable century," Shastri praised. "104 not out off 48 balls. When you lost Warner and Dhawan in the first three overs, and Mitchell Johnson was breathing fire, what was the conversation out there with Kane Williamson?"
"Thank you, Ravi," Siddanth said, his voice calm and grounded. "The conversation was very simple. We couldn't panic. Johnson bowled a brilliant opening spell, and we knew we had to respect that. Kane played a fantastic role. He took the pressure off me by rotating the strike and finding the odd boundary, which allowed me to just settle into my rhythm. We knew the pitch was excellent, and if we took it to the 15th over with wickets in hand, the short boundaries here would make the chase manageable."
"Your battle with Mitchell Johnson in the 17th over was the turning point of the match. You took 17 runs off his over. Did you premeditate that attack?"
"You don't premeditate against a bowler of his pace," Siddanth smiled smoothly. "You just watch the ball and react. He bowled a few deliveries in my arc, and I just backed my timing. It was a crucial over for us to bring the required run rate down."
"And finally, your bowling in the first innings. That slower ball to get Glenn Maxwell... you completely out-thought him."
"Glenn was batting on a different level today," Siddanth admitted, offering respect to the opposition. "He was reading the lengths perfectly. I saw his bottom hand shift on the bat before I released it, and I just knew I had to take all the pace off the ball. Luckily, it gripped the surface and went to Dale in the deep. If he had batted for three more overs, we would have been chasing 220."
"A brilliant all-round performance, Siddanth. Congratulations on the victory and the century."
As the broadcast concluded, Siddanth walked back toward the dressing room. He had executed the perfect chase, dismantled a world-class bowling attack, and kept his team's undefeated streak alive in the UAE.
The Desert Storm had been weathered, and the Captain was already looking forward to returning to India to continue the campaign.