Hyderabad’s dreams of an Indian Premier League playoff berth evaporated in the blink of an eye. 454—coupled with rain washing out their crucial match against the Delhi Capitals. It was the captaincy and brilliance of pacer Pat Cummins that secured the title for his side. He ripped through Delhi’s top order and restricted them to a mere 133 runs for seven wickets. However, just as Hyderabad were set to chase their target, the rain came crashing down. As a result, the game was declared a no-contest, leaving Hyderabad as the third team to get eliminated from the tournament.
Hyderabad’s season has been defined by their Jekyll and Hyde show of performances. They’ve lost eight of their 11 matches this season. This is a remarkable turnaround from a year ago, when they were able to reach 200 only seven times in their first 12 innings played. This season, Hyderabad has played in four games where the total score has topped 200. This trend underscores the frustration of their entire batting order, particularly at home. At their home UPM home base, the team were weak, managing just two wins from six games there. This depressing stat has alarmed everyone from fans to ownership level management.
Struggles of Hyderabad’s Top Order
Hyderabad’s batting woes have been exacerbated by their top order’s penchant for folding like cheap tents. Additional Notes Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, and Ishan Kishan are all struggling hard right now. Despite the high scores, the conditions in Hyderabad this season have not lent themselves to aggressive batting. Those porous surfaces have curtailed their normally rampant offensive production, a stark deviation from last season’s plentiful point totals.
Daniel Vettori, the team’s head coach, couldn’t hide his disgust at what transpired. He noted that the conditions this year pose special challenges. Consequently, batters cannot play at their full potential.
“These surfaces in particular have been a little bit different. It has been tricky, it hasn’t been easy for the batters.” – Daniel Vettori
Beyond structure, Vettori discussed their team’s natural predilection towards aggression. They needed to change their strategy depending on what each game required.
“I think the guys are innately aggressive, but certainly, this season has been about trying to establish what’s been required on the day.” – Daniel Vettori
Home Ground Disappointment
Hyderabad’s home ground The Gachibowli Athletic Stadium has become less of a fortress this season compared to earlier years. Now sitting on only two wins from six home fixtures, the club hasn’t been able to take full advantage of home comforts. Home Performance, Vettori said sadly, has fallen short of the expectations of what that program would achieve.
“This year, the conditions weren’t as we expected,” – Daniel Vettori
The coach’s comments reflect a broader concern regarding the team’s ability to adjust and read the game effectively under varying conditions. He repeated the need to gauge the situation and know how to attack each game best.
“All we’ve talked about is assessing conditions, trying to read the game and understand what to do in certain situations.” – Daniel Vettori
The Road Ahead
After this latest removal, coming on the heels of a washed-out match, Hyderabad will need to put their heads down and recalculate their game plan going ahead. The unprecedented hurdles the team has overcome this season. They’ve shown enough flashes of brilliance, but being able to stay the course and be consistent has been the challenge.
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