26 April,2023 08:26 AM IST | Hyderabad | N Jagannath Das
Delhi Capitals players celebrate the wicket of dejected Sunrisers Hyderabad batter Mayank Agarwal in Hyderabad on Monday. Pic/PTI
Bewildered and stunned by Monday's harakiri against Delhi Capitals, Sunrisers coach Brian Lara admitted there was no devil in the pitch and his batters could have been a bit more enterprising. As a result, Sunrisers Hyderabad lost by seven runs at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium. Chasing 145 for victory, Sunrisers Hyderabad could post only 137-6. "We could have been more proactive throughout the innings. We left everything for too late. I'd prefer my batters to be a bit more enterprising and take advantage in the Powerplay. We allowed them to take wickets in the middle and cramp us.
"The first 15 overs were crucial and we should have been in a much better position. With the fast bowlers coming back, we could get 12 or 13 per over but these guys - Ishant Sharma, Mukesh and Nortje - are professionals and they put the balls in the right areas. We should have chased down that total comfortably. Our bowlers did a good job and our batters needed to do a better job," said Lara. The West Indies legend said they have seven games left but need to regroup quickly. "Our backs are against the wall and there is no doubt about that. We need to take more responsibility moving forward," he said.
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Meanwhile, Delhi Capitals's Kuldeep Yadav said even though his team scored only 144, they were confident of a win. "Hundred per cent we believed as a team and as a bowling unit⦠this was our chance to show [we can do it]. I thought we bowled really well in the Powerplay, giving away 35-36 runs. Thereafter, Axar and myself kept us in the game in the middle phase and in the last four overs, Nortje and Mukesh bowled really well. We kept the pressure on them by not giving easy boundaries," remarked Kuldeep. Praising Mukesh Kumar, who bowled splendidly in the final over, Kuldeep stressed that bowling at the death is never easy. "He bowled well in the last game as well. He is playing his first IPL, he is improving day by day," reckoned the spinner.
