Archer after dismissing Warner
Jofra Archer had entered a deal with the Xbox UK with their official Twitter handle wanting him to dismiss David Warner in the upcoming IPL 2020 in a bid for the cricketer to win the new Xbox edition. That was a deal talked over Twitter on September 18, a day before the start of the 13th edition of the tournament. Three weeks later, in Rajasthan Royals' clash against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday, Archer did not just get his man, he earned himself the new Xbox.
It wasn't a surprise when Warner's compatriot and opposition captain Steve Smith handed the new ball to Archer. Warner has been dismissed four times in the recently-concluded limited-overs series between England and Australia. On Sunday, Warner's struggle against Archer continued as the Aussie managed only three runs in eight balls against him before being dismissed.
"@xboxuk how many wickets this tournament for a new Xbox ?" Archer had asked before the tournament.
"just 1... @davidwarner31," returned a cheeky reply.
And moments after the end of SRH's innings in Dubai, Xbox UK replied to Rajasthan Royals' post on Archer-Warner rivalry asking the English cricketer to send his address.
"okay @JofraArcher, DM us your address then"
Overall, across formats, Archer's record against Warner in 2020 now stands - 6 innings, 41 balls, 5 dismissals.
Talking about the match, batting seemed to be a lot harder on Dubai on Sunday. After early dismissal of Jonny Bairstow, both Warner and Manish Pandey put up a gritty stand amid their struggle on the pitch. But after the captain's dismissal, Manish increased his scoring rate before falling off a desperate attempt for a boundary. Kane Williamson and Priyam Garg, with their final flurry, the ensured a 150-plus total for SRH, scoring 35 runs off the last two overs.
