JOIN USSunrisers Hyderabad passed the Kolkata Knight Riders’ test with flying colours but face another challenging contest against Gujarat Lions. Captain David Warner acknowledges Lions to be a tough opposition and feels a good start will be crucial to their chances in the Indian Premier League Qualifier 2 at Feroz Shah Kotla stadium on Friday.
"We know who their key players are. They have got very good fire power. Dwayne Smith, doctor, has been playing very well. He has been coming in and playing his game. And we know the two boys up front are going to come hard, and that’s their game. That’s how they play. For us it is about starting well as a unit whether we bat or bowl," he said after their 22-run victory over in Eliminator against Kolkata Knight Riders.
Warner was particularly pleased with the way the team fielded against Knight Riders.
"The pleasing thing is the way we fielded today (against Knight Riders). We have been pretty sloppy the whole tournament. But the way the guys came out today and took good catches minus “Fizz” (Mustafizur Rahman) – you can’t always catch him – that was exceptional from us."
Bowling has been the strength of Sunrisers but losing Ashish Nehra in the middle of the tournament dealt a blow to their aspirations.
Warner gives credit to Bhuvneshwar Kumar for putting on the role of a mentor and guiding the likes of young Barinder Sran.
"The experience of Nehra was a big miss for us. The guys have stepped up, and Barinder Sran has been bowling very well. He is still learning, he is still a bit green, but he is always willing to learn. I think the big credit goes to Bhuvnesh because he has been helping him a lot. He has been talking to him day in and day out about what plans to have for different players,” Warner said.
Warner admitted that on a tricky wicket like at Feroz Shah Kotla stadium and in big matches chasing is always a gamble.
"I am a believer of runs on the board. I felt we were 10-15 runs short. I have always felt that playing here in the past when you get good runs on the board and put pressure on the opposition, it is hard to get going. In these pressure situations runs are a lot handier. When you see a total of 160, you can be in two minds as a batting unit. You can either get off to a good start and have positive intent or you can try to get through the first six and set a platform to the end. But with runs on the board you can always feel a little bit ahead of the game. "
He, however, praised the Delhi pitch which had something for the fast bowlers too.
"I have played here in the past where it has been pretty low and slow where there is no grass on the square. I feel they have done a very good job,” he said.