IPL 2019, RCB vs SH: Warner and Bairstow revel in record-breaking partnership

David Warner and Jonny Bairstow might be unlikely partners-in-crime, as two of the most passionate cricketers of fierce rival countries - Australia and England.But part of the beauty of the IPL is in throwing together players who might otherwise only be opponents, and the resultant combinations can yield some unexpected results. In the case of Bairstow and Warner, it's produced one of the most explosive partnerships in IPL history.Against Royal Challengers Bangalore, the Sunrisers Hyderabad duo were at their destructive best, tallying up 185 runs for the first wicket, the highest first-wicket stand in IPL history. Each made a century, only the second time in IPL history a team has had two centurions in the same game, and they have now passed 100 every time they have batted together, making them the first pair to do so three times in succession.The pair seem to love batting together, and each couldn't help lavishing praise on the other after their stellar knocks. "There's a bit of a rapport there, isn't it? It's fantastic to bat in the middle with him," said Bairstow. "He's a fantastic player, has done it for a long, long time and now has the orange cap."Warner wears the flame-coloured headgear on account of his 254 runs in three innings, making him the leading run-scorer in the competition so far, a feat made all the more impressive by the fact that he is just returning from a 12-month suspension from international cricket for his part in the Newlands ball-tampering scandal."The 12 months has done me well," Warner said. "I'm nice and refreshed. What a terrific innings here by Jonny, and a fantastic partnership by both of us."The sign of an in-tune partnership is how they run between the wickets, and with the pair accumulating 64 runs in singles and doubles, it was clear that they have a good understanding. "This is one of the bigger pitches in India," explained Bairstow. "So, being able to nudge into the gaps, constantly rotating the strike [was important]. I'm absolutely cooked."The high heat may have sapped Bairstow of energy, but it also drained their opponents. It was a supreme performance from the hosts, who notched up the highest total this season – 231/6 – and then dismantled RCB for a paltry 113 to clinch their second win on the trot.

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