Hyderabad losing pace and plot in the business end?

 Many of Sunrisers Hyderabad’s good outings in the last few seasons have been attributed to their bowling attack.
A win against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Monday will put Kings XI Punjab in a good spot in the race for playoffs. The teams are level on 10 points | R SATISH BABU
A win against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Monday will put Kings XI Punjab in a good spot in the race for playoffs. The teams are level on 10 points | R SATISH BABU

HYDERABAD: Many of Sunrisers Hyderabad’s good outings in the last few seasons have been attributed to their bowling attack. Led by Bhuvneshwar Kumar, they saved many a small total from being chased down while facing some of the biggest teams. This season, however, has not been as successful. After leaking runs at the death, Bhuvneshwar has gone back to his old ways and Rashid Khan has been his usual, economic self. 

But his support pacers, especially Siddarth Kaul (who had an excellent 2018), have not been able to replicate their form. Last season, Kaul had finished as the third-best bowler, with 21 scalps in 17 games at 8.28. This time, he’s 38th with six wickets in seven matches at 8.96. 

In their last two matches, Hyderabad surrendered easily after scoring 175/3 and 160/8. If Kaul (48/0) was expensive against Rajasthan Royals, Sandeep Sharma (1/54) leaked many against Chennai Super Kings. 
Sandeep has been the preferred partner for Bhuvneshwar this edition. He does have 10 wickets in 10 matches, but each over has cost 8.25.

A silver lining for Hyderabad has been left-arm pacer Khaleel Ahmed’s inclusions in the playing XI. He has eight wickets in five matches at 7.20. The team will play its last home match on Monday, against Kings XI Punjab. The visitors have some of the hardest hitters of the game in their ranks.

Asked whether a “weaker” Hyderabad bowling attack will play in their favour, Punjab bowling coach Ryan Harris said: “I am not going to say too much about that. If I go on and say that they have not been good, they are probably going to bundle us out tomorrow. I just know that they have some really good bowlers. And our batsmen have plans for them.”

Punjab’s concern is also related to their bowling. Besides Mohammed Shami (14 wickets in 11 matches) and skipper Ravichandran Ashwin (12 in 11), none of their other bowlers have been able to make an impact. With just three matches to go, both teams will have their task cut out to reach the playoffs, as they have an identical 10 points in their bags. Sunrisers will bid adieu to David Warner after this match. 
Canopy not an issue

The canopy at Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, which was supposed to be removed after suffering damage in a rainstorm on April 22, is still present. However, HCA officials say that would not create any problems. “The concerned people checked everything, and there is no problem. We have removed the damaged bit,” HCA CEO Panduranga Murthy said.

Related Stories

No stories found.
The New Indian Express
www.newindianexpress.com