"RR's Prasidh Krishna and Trent Boult gave a masterclass on how the SRH bowlers needed to bowl" - Wasim Jaffer
Wasim Jaffer feels that the SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) bowlers failed to hit the correct areas in their season-opener against the Rajasthan Royals (RR) on Tuesday.
Speaking on ESPNCricinfo, the former Indian owner highlighted that RR pacers Prasidh Krishna and Trent Boult showed the way on the night. They made the most of the seam-friendly conditions by bowling in the right areas.
Jaffer was of the opinion that the bowlers should have targeted the top of off-stump on such a wicket. He urged SRH to change their tactics in the bowling department for the upcoming matches and recommended them to use off-spinner Washington Sundar during the powerplay overs.
Jaffer said:
"Prasidh Krishna and Trent Boult gave a masterclass on how the SRH bowlers needed to bowl. They needed to bowl at the top of the off, hitting the hard length as there was enough help off the pitch. But the Hyderabad bowlers couldn't do that. Washington Sundar didn't bowl much in the powerplay, which he normally does. They need to reshuffle and get that combination right"
As for RR, both Krishna and Boult troubled the opposition top-order with their opening spells. They claimed two wickets each to significantly lower SRH's chances of chasing down 211.
Check out who is at the top of the IPL points table 2022 here.
"That's why they went for 58 runs off their 6 overs: - Ben Cutting pinpoints area where SRH bowlers went wrong
Australian cricketer Ben Cutting was also of the same opinion that the conditions at the MCA Stadium are conducive to seam bowling. He further added that SRH bowlers did not hit the correct lengths during the match.
While RR pacers picked up wickets in their opening spell, SRH seamers went for 58 runs in their first six overs.
Discussing this issue on ESPNcricinfo, Cutting said:
"The ball was swinging around and there was enough bounce and seam if you put the new ball in the right areas. But that's what SRH failed to do when they bowled. That's why they went for 58 runs off their 6 overs. Whereas RR picked up a handful of wickets in the powerplay."
RR ultimately secured a comprehensive 61-run victory over SRH in their inaugural match of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL 2022). With a net run rate of +3.050, they currently hold the top position in the IPL points table.