Standing 5th in table, Sunrisers are having a topsy-turvy tournament this season, losing and winning three matches apiece
As the IPL 2016 enters it's mid-season time, the reverse fixtures have started. With Mumbai and Gujarat getting the same results as in their first encounters with Kolkata and Pune respectively, Sunrisers Hyderabad will look to change fortunes when they face Royal Challengers Bangalore on Saturday.
The destructive show of Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers during their first meeting of IPL 9 still fresh in his mind, Sunrisers Hyderabad coach Tom Moody said he has a few ideas up his sleeve to stop the marauding RCB duo in their return leg match on Saturday.
Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper Kohli (75) and De Villiers (82) steamrolled the hapless Sunrisers bowling attack and shared a brisk 157-run stand for the second wicket to power RCB to a mammoth 222 for four, a target which Moody’s men fell short by 45 runs.
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“They (Kohli and De Villiers) are world class players. We know that they can be destructive on any given day on any surface. So it is important for us to break that partnership. We got a few ideas,” Moody said on the eve of the match.
“But that (Bengaluru) is one venue where it is very hard to stop world class players on such a good batting surface.
The surface here is different, the shape of the ground is also different.”
Come Saturday, Sunrisers would be looking to return to winning ways after losing to Rising Pune Supergiants by 34 runs via Duckworth-Lewis method. “Our last outing was disappointing but as a group we are feeling confident. We are looking forward to the tough challenge against RCB tomorrow,” Moody said.
Moody is also not too much bothered about the failure of his middle-order batsmen in the last match against Pune.
“David (Warner) batted exceptionally well. When he gets his runs, he gets them quickly. Our middle-order have not had a consistent opportunity, perfect opportunity in the last game. They misfired there. But we have got 100 per cent confidence in our middle-order. We have got quality, we got exciting young players in Deepak Hooda. I am sure they are not far away from contributing,” he said.
Noting that Sunrisers boasts of a strong bowling attack, Moody said execution of plan is important to win a match.
“We are confident with our bowling attack. We got a number of options. When Ashish Nehra was injured, Barinder Sran came and did a terrific job. We have got the depth. But names on paper mean nothing when it comes to the contest in the middle. We are glad we have got the experience and a formidable bowling attack,” he said.
Moody said he was never worried about opener Shikhar Dhawan’s form as there are always phases of up and downs in every cricketer’s career. “Shikhar is no different than most other players out there. Your game goes through cycles where you have ups and downs. He has put together some good knocks. He is working hard on his game and constantly looking to improve. He is on the way up,” he said.
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