Form is temporary and class is permanent is what the message conveyed by Sunrisers skipper Kane Williamson, who was pivotal in his team halting the unbeaten run of Gujarat Titans with a clinical eight-wicket win at the DY Patil Stadium on Monday.
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00:00Well, you can say the match would have been tight had they probably lost Puran also.
00:05But that's the way Sunrisers have been chasing. They start off slowly. They've been playing the traditional cricket.
00:21Hello, good evening and welcome to another very special edition of Straight Back with Mr. Cricket UAE.
00:27It's an IPL special show. With me, I've got Mr. Anish Sajjan, the man himself and we've got two
00:34very special guests with us. The two fans of the two sides who were involved in the day's match
00:40today, Manish Shah of Gujarat Titans and Samruth Raikar, who will be a happy man today with the way
00:49Sunrisers Hyderabad have pulled back with two back-to-back wins. And we have got our cricket
00:55expert, A.K. Satish, the sports editor of Gulf News. This is Gautam of Gulf News.
01:00Hi. First up, my question to Anish Bhai is, in the end, it was a tight match, but I
01:11personally enjoyed it quite well. But yes, Gujarat, they were about 10-15 runs too short,
01:17little short on this track. Good evening, Mr. Gautam. Good evening, Satish. And hello to both
01:23the fans from Gujarat as well as Hyderabad. Well, you can say the match would have been tight
01:30had they probably lost Puran also. But that's the way Sunrisers have been chasing. They start
01:36off slowly. They've been playing the traditional cricket. So when it works, it looks good when you
01:40get the two points. When it doesn't work, then fingers will be pointed. Because I remember when
01:45Williamson started, they were going very slow. Some streaky shots by Abhishek went through the
01:50gaps. But in the end, what matters is two points. So nobody would be complaining.
01:55I'll come to Samruth as the winning team fan today. Yes, as Anish Bhai said, nothing
02:02succeeds like success. Two points again, that will take them a little off from that 8th position
02:07where they were. But this decision of the captain playing still as an opener. And when you've got…
02:15I think they were a simple solution at hand. You're getting Rahul Tripathi at number three,
02:22who can be such a busy player who has done well as an opener for KKR. What do you think? I mean,
02:27what about making it Rahul and Abhishek Sharma? Or this is going to work the way they're doing it?
02:34Well, I think not only Rahul Tripathi, we also have Aiden Markram, who's also a successful
02:38opener for South Africa. So we as fans, we also discuss with among ourselves sometimes,
02:44whether Aiden Markram can open the batting and Kane Williamson can bat four and Rahul
02:49Tripathi at three. But I think Kane Williamson as a captain, I think the earlier he goes,
02:53he's one of the best players in the world. And he can just go out there and he can take control
02:57of the match. And that is the… I think that is the way that the team management is looking forward.
03:03And in the auction, they were very particular that Muthai Muralidharan, immediately after the
03:07auction, he said that Abhishek Sharma and Kane Williamson are going to be our openers. So I
03:11think that is a good way forward for Sunrisers. I think they will continue with Kane Williamson
03:17and Abhishek Sharma as openers. Right. I'll come to Manishji. One loss after three wins,
03:26still a very good start for a newcomer team. The plus point about them is they don't look
03:33like newcomers. They look a very settled team. Today also, they were fighting tooth and nail.
03:38The loss early on, Shubhman Gill, was such a brilliant catch. What do you feel about your
03:43team's performance overall? Yeah, actually, Gujarat Titans is doing really very well in this
03:48tournament. Even if it's a newcomer, it doesn't look like that it's a newcomer. It's a playing,
03:54all the players are playing in such a way that the team will go ahead and ahead in
04:00programmes. You know that Hardik Pandya, being a captain, he's doing very well.
04:05Good techniques, good strategies, he's applying over there. Even he's in a good form.
04:11Batting, of course, today he came in an earlier number, but he played very well.
04:15Patiently, he could perform well and make a good score for himself. And even his bowling
04:23was good today. So I think that Gujarat Titans will do more and more better in upcoming matches.
04:31And he's very good. Gujarat Titans is a very good batsman in a row. Of course, today he could not
04:38do well, but he's a very good batsman. Shubhman Gill, you know, today he could not play very
04:44well. But in the last two matches, his performance was very good. Now Hardik Pandya, today he played
04:50very well. Miller, Miller is like a killer. So he's a very good batting line-up. And ballers
04:56are also very good. Shami, Pargushan, they are very good. And Rashid, you know, is a magic spinner.
05:02So I think that Gujarat Titans will do very well in upcoming matches.
05:10Pandya, I'll come to Satish with this first up. You know, he seems to be growing
05:16from strength to strength as a captain and a performer in this fourth match. So what's your
05:23take? I mean, is there something in his game that he has changed, Satish? Or you know,
05:30can he sustain this? That's my question to you. His fitness is what was lacking,
05:37Gautam. Before the injury, he suffered in Dubai during the Asia Cup. He was probably one of the
05:43best players in India. Or rather, he was almost compared to Kapil Dev, one of the greatest
05:48all-rounders or the benchmark of all-rounders in Indian history. So I wouldn't say that his
05:55game has grown or his game has gone anything. Maybe he'll have confidence, more confidence
06:01going up front. Because maybe his body is holding up. With a couple of matches,
06:06he's batting as well as bowling and the fitness. He's likely to gain in strength as he goes by,
06:13which is very good for the Indian team. Because later in the year, we will be playing
06:17in Australia, the T20. So that is a very good sign. Regarding his captaincy, I would say he's
06:25been a very cool captain and I was quite impressed. But today, I was not quite happy in the sense…
06:31Yes, of course, it's a bad day. His main bowler, Lockie Ferguson, was leaking runs.
06:36So had the match gone to the last over, which is in a way, yes. But there was only about five runs.
06:41They were equal on the scores and they didn't need the match. The last over should have been
06:45bowled by a bowler who is not the best of the bowlers. So this is a miscalculation,
06:52which he could have avoided. So as he goes by as a captain, if he could get all these small,
07:01small errors out, it will do well for India because he can come in as another
07:06possible candidate for the Indian captaincy as well.
07:10This is why, yeah. See, if cricket is a game of winning moments, the way when Hardik came into
07:19bat and the first delivery from Umar Malik, he got struck on the helmet. Next delivery,
07:26he replied with a lovely drive through the extra covers. Do you think he made a point there?
07:33Well, you can say that, to be very honest, but that was quite a nasty hit. And just that the
07:38boundary came off, you can say that he made a point. But let's accept it that Gujarat were 10-15
07:43runs short. He said in the post-match that 5-7 runs short. No. In spite of sunrises going off
07:50very slowly, they knew what they had to chase. And 160 in today's day and age, if you have wickets
07:55in hand, can be chased. But yes, let's accept today's sunrises were less than 5-7 runs short.
08:01Today's sunrises were lucky. The shots which Abhishek and Williamson paid in the
08:05powerplay or rather when they got the boundaries, they were streaky.
08:13Williamson was a plum in front early in the game. There was no replay. Had he gone out,
08:18maybe things could have been different. Very valid point. To be very honest, I missed out on that.
08:23But the fact remains is sunrises were very lucky today. I mean, I don't want to take away the
08:29credit. But sometimes there are days when there are such balls which went, you know, I liked the
08:34over with Ferguson-Bowl, the first over. They were all fast-paced balls, but it was going into the
08:38gaps. Some of the questions for you, Nicholas Puran, I mean, see, the hype which accompanies
08:48him or the way he performs for the West Indian team. Today, he showed a bit of his class that
08:55you know, that pull shot of him, where he guided a bowler like Lockheed Ferguson to
09:01back of the square for that six. What do you think? The team is gradually coming together.
09:07The new ball attack is looking good. They've added Jenson to that. Spin-wise, Abhishek Sharma is
09:13there. Aiden Markram can act as their fifth bowler or the sixth bowler as need be. So,
09:20are they getting their combination right slowly in the fourth game, by the fourth game?
09:26I think so, yes. I think it is probably the best-playing 11 that sunrises can put forward.
09:30I think we have a lot of variety in our bowling attack. You have the swing of Bhuvaneshwar Kumar,
09:34you have the extra pace of Umran Malik, extra bounce of Marco Jansen. And towards that,
09:39you have probably one of the best dead-ballers in the IPL going around with Kumaran Natarajan.
09:44So, I think the bowling enough looks settled. But I'm a bit worried about the middle order
09:48because Nicholas Puran, yes, he is a brilliant player and he's been an exception for the West
09:52Indians. But somewhere down the line, even today, Lockie Ferguson dropped the catch and he was a
09:56bit rusty only in the last over and he hit a couple of sixes. But a little bit worrisome for
10:01me as well because Aiden Markram and Nicholas Puran are not that great players of spin. And
10:06as the tournament goes forward, I think the pitches will get slower and it will be difficult
10:10for them. So, that's a bit of a worry. And if Ken Williamson can bat like this throughout the
10:15tournament, that will be good for us. But in terms of the perfect playing XI, I think this
10:18is the best playing XI that Sunrisers can play.
10:23Closest to that. Right. Yeah. So, overall, a pretty absorbing game where it was evenly
10:31contested, I would like to believe. Before we close shop, we come back to another intriguing
10:37game tomorrow where Chennai, they're yet to log their first points on the board. Very,
10:43very unusual situation. And they're playing a team who are on a high. The news that's coming
10:48in is now Josh Hazalut is also available for selection for RCB. So, I'll start with Satish
10:53about tomorrow's game. It's high time for Chennai. And it's a question of things
10:59falling into place, isn't it? I mean, they haven't overnight become a bad team.
11:04What's your take, Satish? Gautam, it's just the momentum. They don't still have the momentum.
11:11So, what happens is, when you don't have the momentum, you don't have that extra confidence.
11:16With the confidence comes the winning habit. So, it's a chain reaction. I'm sure Dhoni is there.
11:23And he might not be the captain, but he is still there as a mentor who's guiding the team
11:30and Jadeja, everybody. So, I think it's round the corner. My only worry is, the richest or
11:37the biggest purchaser, Deepak Chahar, is still, we don't know about his injury status and when is
11:44he going to return. The sooner he returns, the better for Chennai. Otherwise, I think it'll be
11:49little too late and Chennai might not… Because the one or two slots, that hole can sink a ship
11:57in IPL. That's what we have seen with the RCB. That's what we have seen with the Punjab.
12:03For many years, these are one or two holes can sink the ship,
12:06which is exactly happening with Chennai's case.
12:10Manish, what do you feel? Tomorrow's winners, in your words,
12:13Chennai can have their first win or will it be RCB?
12:17I think it will be Chennai. Because they have to struggle very well. They have to work hard
12:23and they are seeking for the victory. So, I think that Chennai will win tomorrow.
12:28That's good to hear. I'll come to Samruth with that. Samruth, your take, prediction.
12:36I think I'm also rooting for Chennai tomorrow because I think just for the sake of the
12:40tournament and you don't want a team to be thrown out of tournament so early. You want a bit of
12:45competition and some fun element as well. So, I think all the Chennai fans will be hoping that
12:50Chennai will be playing good cricket tomorrow. And also, I don't think there'll be Harshal
12:54Patel tomorrow for RCB. So, that is one area where CSS can target and Mohammad Siraj has not
12:59been the best of forms for RCB. So, I think that is one area where they can target. So,
13:03I think Chennai will start favourites tomorrow.
13:06Right. Yeah. Our thoughts and prayers with Harshal, actually. He had to leave after the
13:10last game to be with his family after the terrible mishap. Yes, and Ismail, your take
13:17about tomorrow's match.
13:19I would definitely go with RCB. The momentum is with them. CSK, even though we'll be playing
13:26without the opposition, Harshal Patel, I don't see them doing anything because they don't have
13:31that fire in the batting, not with the bowling. I can't see anything happening unless they get
13:37to field first and probably bowl the opposition out for 150, 160. If they're chasing 180, 190,
13:43I don't see them chasing. But Maxwell and everybody, this team now is the top contender
13:49along with Delhi for me. Right. Yeah, but they're going to play on the same venue here. I mean,
13:56you need to, even if they're batting first, they need to put the runs on the board and then put
14:01pressure on RCB and they've got, you know, RCB batting lineup now really looks menacing with
14:06Maxwell joining them. I would also say the skills are tilted a little towards RCB,
14:12but let's see, hoping that, you know, Chennai pull one back to make this tournament more
14:17interesting. So that's it from us tonight. We will be back again after the match tomorrow.
14:23Please stay tuned with us. Thank you.