If the Indian Premier League is mostly, if not entirely, about impulse, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) should take a leap of faith against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy international stadium here on Wednesday.
Having come within hand-shaking distance of victory on its two most recent outings at this very venue against Delhi Daredevils and Rajasthan Royals may just be the ideal impetus.
Now ‘at home’ perhaps with the cauldron-like conditions of this port city, being stationed here for about a week, the home side owes its fans a much-awaited if not an overdue victory. The 4 p.m. contest should test the best — not just their fitness but their will to win as well. Interestingly, on the eve of the contest, thick clouds gathered, which looked quite threatening too.
Moody optimisticFrom the thrashing at the hands of Chennai Super Kings, counterpoised by an authoritative win over Royal Challengers Bangalore, victory should be round the corner for Sunrisers. Coach Tom Moody was his usual optimistic self.
“We had a complete day of rest after the last game, followed by two days of training,” said the strapping Australian at a media conference, after he had overseen the side’s pre-match preparation and nets alongside V.V.S. Laxman and Muttiah Muralitharan.
Regardless of who batted in the top order, whether it was David Warner or Shikhar Dhawan, it was absolutely crucial to press on to get a 50-plus score, he stressed. He seemed pleased with the wicket saying it looked good.
Assessing the opposition for the contest on the morrow, he said, “KKR is a good all-round side. It will be a tough challenge for us,” when acknowledging its recent run of success. “We’ve been on the wrong side of the results until now and we hope to get on the right side,” he said.
Changes in the SRH line-up looked likely.
“There could be possible changes in the composition of the squad,” he suggested. He had however no worries on the fitness front, saying the team was fit and ready to go.
