Need to be more cohesive in our run chases, Hayden after GT squander advantage
Run-out, middle-order slips cost Titans despite solid opening stand
Gujarat Titans batting coach Matthew Hayden wants a more cohesive effort from his batters following the team’s second loss in as many games in the Indian Premier League here.
Gujarat Titans, a team that over relies on its top-order, could not chase down 211 against Rajasthan Royals at home on Saturday night despite being at 107 for one in the 11th over.
The 78-run opening stand between Sai Sudharsan (73 off 44) and Kumar Kushagra (18 off 14) provided the hosts an ideal launchpad but a cluster of wickets in the middle saw them slip to 161 for seven.
“Washy Sundar, he had a pretty big decision to make at that point around if you’re going to attack someone like Bishnoi, who was on a roll.
“That was maybe a choice that he can look at and will look at as well in terms of just trying to be a little bit more cohesive in our run chases, because it has to be said there wasn’t a lot that went wrong in that first 12 overs,” said Hayden in the post-match interaction.
After Washington fell to Ravi Bishnoi, the run out of Shahrukh Khan also cost Gujarat Titans dearly.
“The run out (of Shahrukh Khan) was something that, again, was a decision which Shahrukh and Rashid had to make at the time. I haven’t broken down that play because as a coach you tend to kind of look at the ball, but I’ll be interested also to see the approach when we get back to vision of how that run was executed.
“It certainly looked at from the sideline that Jaddu (Ravindra Jadeja, at the extra-cover boundary) bumped the ball quite a long way away from him and to regather, as we know, he’s so quick and he’s so good at getting and releasing the ball.
“But there’s two wickets straightaway that would have been the difference. Again, we’re talking about six runs. So those little things in T20 cricket, when you’re chasing down a big total, which we were, they become vital in the decision-making process of a batting unit,” added the Australian.
Searching for their first win of the season, Gujarat Titans take on undefeated Delhi Capitals in an away game on Wednesday.
