IPL 2023, SRH vs RR: Sunrisers coach Lara backs decision to bowl first

Sunrisers Hyderabad’s coach Brian Lara backed their decision to bowl first after their side’s 72-run loss in their opening match

Hyderabad: Sunrisers Hyderabad’s coach Brian Lara backed their decision to bowl first after their side’s 72-run loss in their opening match at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Uppal, on Sunday.

“We played a lot of practice sessions alongside the actual pitch. Those were a little bit bouncy and had a bit of pace on them. When we looked at the track for today we felt it was a good track and it was the first game of the tournament. We thought let’s see if we can, with bowling being our strong suit during the camps, if we can put the opposition under pressure,” Lara said after the match.

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“It did not work out that way, but I still felt that it was a very good track throughout. Obviously with a little bit of rough marks and with the class of Yuzvendra Chahal and Ravichandran Ashwin… We did not bowl as well as we should have in the opening overs and the guys put their hands up and said we got to improve in that area.”

The West Indies legend further said SRH did poorly in both the powerplays. “If you split the game into two halves, we lost the first powerplay with the ball in our hands. And when we had the bat in our hands, we also lost power play. They got 85 and it obviously becomes tough when you lose two wickets in the first over chasing over 200,” added the West Indies legend.

Meanwhile, Royals’ captain Sanju Samson said Buttler has a big influence on the team. “His presence brings a lot of positive energy to the team. You can see the way Yashasvi Jaiswal is batting this season. It has to rub on to the youngsters, and his role, like everyone’s, is equally important.”

“He looks a little bit of a serious kind of a guy but he has a lot of fun on the inside, in the dressing room as well as in the (team) bus. He likes to talk to people and people are learning a lot (from him),” Samson said.

“A lot of youngsters in our team, such as Yashasvi Jaiswal, Riyan Parag, and Dhruv Jurel are really pumped up because they have had a really strong domestic season.

“You can make that out from the way to Yashasvi Jaiswal batted today. Definitely he has had a good start and he is going to have a great season,” Samson said.