Published: Apr 11, 2013, 10:36 AM (IST)
Edited: Aug 19, 2014, 08:46 PM (IST)
A closer look at the squad will reveal their over reliance on the foreign players. While Dale Steyn is expected to shoulder the responsibility with the ball, it s the likes of Kumar Sangakkara (above), whose performance or lack of it could prove vital in every game © IANS
By Prakash Govindasreenivasan
The debutant franchise Sunrisers Hyderabad have given themselves a good start in the Indian Premier League 2013, with two wins in three matches. They are currently placed third in the points table and have surprised many with their performances in the first week of the sixth season. But, they have a lot of ground to cover before they can become the surprise package of this season.
In both their victories so far, the bowlers have had to do most of the hard work. The first game saw them defend 128 against Pune Warriors India at Hyderabad and in the second one; they skittled out Royal Challengers Bangalore for just 130 before making heavy weather of that chase and eventually winning in the super over.
Their first loss of the season, against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) exposed their woes. On two previous occasions, the bowling department had covered up for the batting frailties but on the day the bowling department failed, they conceded a defeat. If the Sunrisers do not arrest this issue, they will soon find themselves at the bottom of the points table.
Wobbly top-order
A closer look at the squad will reveal their over reliance on the foreign players. While Dale Steyn is expected to shoulder the responsibility with the ball, it’s the likes of Kumar Sangakkara, Cameron White and Thisara Perera whose performance — or lack of it — could prove vital in every game. The Indian contingent, especially the batsmen, does not seem to have the ability to give the Sunrisers a flying start.
Openers Akshath Reddy and Parthiv Patel have failed to set the tone at the start for the middle-order to consolidate first and blaze away to a good total towards the end. When Sangakkara walked in to bat against RCB on Tuesday, his side was 12 for one in the third over. It was a situation where he was required to accelerate as well as stay on and consolidate the innings. In the process, he perished for 23 off 24 deliveries, leaving the floor open for White and Perera to take over.
Sangakkara’s role
The Twenty20 format is often cruel on a captain who is searching for the right combination for his side and also the perfect spot for himself in the batting order. With the rule of just four foreign players in the final line-up, there is a lot of pressure on Sangakkara to define his role in the batting order. Last season, he played with a similar squad and opened the batting for a while and pushed himself down the order in the later stages. With Parthiv and Reddy not showing signs of giving him a good start, he needs to make a few quick decisions. One option could be to open the innings with one of the Indian players and give them the license to go after the bowling while he holds fort at the other end. Akshath showed some signs of aggression at the start against the Bangalore side and with Sangakkara at the other end, it could only get better.
Another option for Sangakkara could be to promote Thisara Perera as the opener with Akshath or Parthiv and retain his spot at No 3. Perera has proved to be an impact player in the three matches so far and the prospect of throwing him up the order should be a tempting one.
More often than not, the key to success in this format of the game has been the team’s ability to mix things up in their batting order. In a tournament where you are expected to do well in just 16 league matches, there is probably no time to wait and figure out the ‘right combination.’
Sangakkara has seen his side earn a good start to the tournament and its upto him to take them further.
Problem of plenty?
The Sunrisers will soon welcome West Indian captain Darren Sammy who can provide stability to the Sunrisers middle-order and chip in as a utility player, if one of White or Perera go out of form. South African youngster Quinton de Kock’s arrival turns the heat on Sangakkara. The 20-year-old De Kock has an impressive record for the Highveld Lions in South Africa’s domestic T20 tournaments. He has already impressed the national selectors who could be tempted to free AB de Villiers of his wicket-keeping duties. The Southpaw is an aggressive top-order batsman and can be a handy option as an opener for the Sunrisers. If they do decide to play him soon, it will be interesting to see which of the four foreign players will make way.
Batting order shake up
Irrespective of who makes way for whom, the Sunrisers Hyderabad are in desperate need of a shake up in the batting order. If the current openers continue to fail, Sangakkara needs to act swiftly and try different combinations.
The league is slowly but steadily moving forward and early wins can only ease the pressure during the business end of the tournament. When the Sunrisers travel to Delhi to take on the Delhi Daredevils on Friday, a change or two in the top-order could augur well for the team in the long run.
(Prakash Govindasreenivasan is an Editorial consultant at CricketCountry and a sports fanatic, with a soft corner for cricket. After studying journalism for two years, came the first big high in his professional life – the opportunity to interview his hero Adam Gilchrist and talking about his magnificent 149 in the 2007 World Cup final. While not following cricket, he is busy rooting for Chelsea FC)
