NEWS
Follow UsSunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) were in a good position to secure the two points against Gujarat Titans (GT) in Ahmedabad on Sunday (March 31), and leg-spinner Mayank Markande was handed the ball in the 16th over of the chase, with Sai Sudharsan and David Miller at the crease. GT needed 49 off 30 at that point, but after Markande's over, the equation came down to 25 off 24, with Miller taking on the spinner.
SRH spin bowling coach Muttiah Muralitharan reckons that the gamble to toss the ball to Markande eventually cost his side the game.
"The wicket was a little slow and low, and there was a bit of spin. We thought about getting close to 170-180. We missed by 10-15 runs because they bowled well, and we couldn't capitalise. When you have a wicket like this, 170, 180, even 160 [168] was a manageable total. We were in the game till the 15th over. 16th over, we had to take a gamble because they had lost just three wickets," Muralitharan said at the post-match press conference.
"We took a gamble with two-left-handers [to go] with Mayank because we knew they would go hard in that over, and if they go hard, they might mistime and get a wicket, we can get in. So, it didn't work. Sometimes, when you do these things, it works.
"Fast bowlers were bowling because hitting the wicket and bowling slower - the way Mohit [Sharma] bowled - it was difficult for our batters. We also thought that our bowlers adjusted. Pretty good game. We can't expect every game to go our way. Our boys tried really hard. There will be small mistakes. So, we have to make sure we don't do that in the next game so we can get into a winning momentum."
Muralitharan also revealed that the team quickly noticed how Mohit Sharma took the pace off the ball at the death and looked to replicate the same.
"We thought tall fast bowlers, like [Jaydev] Unadkat, keeping them in the middle overs and the latter part will help on this wicket looking at bounce and the spin they get when they bowl the slow balls," Muralitharan, who last played in the Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2014, said.
"That's why Bhuvi [Bhuvneshwar Kumar] we gave earlier and only one over left later. Strategically, we have decided to do that, and it worked. But at the end of the day, it is that 16th over they took [the game] away from us."
Despite reports of Wanindu Hasarnaga being ruled out of IPL 2024, Muralitharan is hopeful of having him back at some point. However, the 51-year-old coach believes that his absence has hampered the balance of the side to a certain extent.
"In the auction, we bought one of the best leg-spinners, Hasaranga. He is struggling with some niggles. He is hoping that he will join on 4th or 5th [April]. We don't know," Muralitharan said.
"That is one area, [Daniel] Vettori, everybody covered [at the auction]. We couldn't get any Indian spinners because we had what we had, and also because no other team would put out [release] the best Indian spinners out. The only option was Hasaranga. We took him. But unfortunately, he is saying he has some niggles.
"So, that's why our balance is a little bit here and there. It's unfortunate, it happens to teams. We didn't neglect, we got a spinner. But at the end of the day, it happens."
SRH have now lost two of their three games this season so far and will hope to turn things around when they take on Chennai Super Kings (CSK) next on April 5 (Friday).
