CHENNAI: The Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) have shown very little of what they've done last season, this year. Despite SRH' elimination from the playoff race of the IPL on Monday, Head Coach Daniel Vettori thinks he saw 'probably the best performance of the season.'
"It's something (fielding and bowling) that we really talk long and hard about in training and in the meetings. So, to come out there and start so well, it was a very good performance. So, it's frustrating that we couldn't finish it, but that's cricket," he said in the post-match presser following the abandoned match against Delhi Capitals.
Vettori opened up about the high expectations this season, all due to their journey to the final last year.
"Obviously it's disappointing. We came (into this season) with high hopes, But we just haven't been consistent enough with our performances and just not being able to put complete performances together," he added.
SRH skipper Pat Cummins was the pick of the SRH bowlers with figures of three for 19, running through DC's top order with the new ball. Karun Nair, Faf du Plessis, and Abishek Porel were his victims.
"Pat's a tremendous new ball bowler. Normally, he sort of plays the Mr. fix-it role for us in being able to bowl at the power play, the middle phase and at the death. It felt right to give him the new ball and go at them and he was fantastic," complimented Vettori.
Cummins has played different roles this season, based on the game-situation. Vettori hinted that he may be given the new ball in SRH's next three games. "I think (Monday was) the first time he took the new ball, and you can see why he's such a dominant Test match bowler when he gets that opportunity," he added.
Vettori also pointed out that change in surface in the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium has made it 'tricky' for batters, keeping in mind their aggression to go big.
"I definitely didn't say after every match I was backing an aggressive approach. I said about assessing conditions and this year, they weren't as expected. If you look at last year, there were a lot of high-scoring games here. I think the guys are innately aggressive, but certainly, this season has been about trying to establish what's been required on the day," he concluded.