Lucknow: Sunrisers Hyderabad have suffered their second consecutive defeat in the 16th season of the Indian Premier League. Hyderabad were embarrassed by Rajasthan Royals in the first match and lost to Lucknow Super Giants by five wickets in the second match. All the plans of Hyderabad, which came out with drastic changes, are falling apart.
In the match held in Lucknow, Hyderabad, who batted first, reached 121 for the loss of eight wickets, while Lucknow, who came in reply, crossed the target with the loss of five wickets with 24 balls to spare. Despite the return of captain Aiden Markram to the team, there is no escape for Hyderabad. Losing in two consecutive matches will surely put pressure on Hyderabad.
Where did Hyderabad go wrong against Lucknow? Let’s examine three reasons for failure. Hyderabad’s batting line was the main reason for the defeat. None of the team’s high hopes rise to the occasion. Hyderabad doesn’t get off to a good start. The fact is that the team is unable to capitalize on the powerplay. Mayank Agarwal cannot shine in the opening.
The seasoned opener’s poor form is holding Hyderabad back. Rahul Tripathi has been the star performer for Hyderabad in the last season. But this excellence cannot be shown now. Harry Brook, who joined the team with a huge salary, also turns out to be a disaster. It can be said that Brooke had a disappointing batting performance in both the matches.
Aiden Markram came to the IPL after performing well with the national team and became a golden deck against Lucknow. All the bigs flopping in batting has become a big headache for Hyderabad. Hyderabad’s spinners were not able to show much excellence which also contributed to the defeat. Lucknow Hyderabad’s batting line was overwhelmed by the spin attack.
Krunal Pandya took three wickets, Amit Mishra two wickets and Ravi Bishnoi one wicket. Spinner Adil Rasheed took two wickets for Hyderabad while Washington Sundar became the batter. Hyderabad’s spinners did not perform well on the spin pitch and became the main reason for the team’s defeat against Lucknow. But the fact is that Hyderabad could not get a score to fight for.
Hyderabad’s bowling line-up unnecessarily yielded extras which also contributed to the team’s defeat. Hyderabad bowlers conceded 17 extras in 16 overs. This is a bowling figure that will never be accepted in T20. He bowled 15 wides and conceded two byes. At the same time, Lucknow made only three extras. Indiscipline in bowling backfires for Hyderabad.
The disappointing thing is that despite having a strong coaching staff like Brian Lara and Dane Steyn, Hyderabad are not able to do much. Batting line and bowling line need to improve more. Bhuvneshwar Kumar is not able to find good swing in the new ball like he used to. Can also be beaten in death overs.
Umran Mali still needs to be in control in conceding runs even when he bowls fast. T Natarajan is controlling the flow of runs through yorkers, but he can’t show his old prowess anymore. Fitness is also an issue. If the batting line of Hyderabad does not improve with the opportunity, the upcoming matches will be difficult for the team.