Chennai, May 19 (IANS) Ishan Kishan said that belief and patience were key to Sunrisers Hyderabad’s successful chase against Chennai Super Kings. He admitted that the pitch in Chennai was tough for batting, even though SRH managed to win.
Kishan led the chase with a steady 70 off 47 balls as SRH pursued 181 runs. He guided the innings through challenging middle overs and set the stage for victory.
“It was just about being there, believing in yourself,” Kishan said after the match.
“Sometimes the situation is difficult, but we all know how these games are won. You need to believe in yourself. You cannot doubt yourself at any point.”
After 20 overs behind the stumps, Kishan already sensed that the surface would challenge the batters. CSK’s total of 180 came on a tricky pitch where slower deliveries took grip and held up. SRH’s pace attack bowled 39 slower balls across 17 overs.
“When I was wicketkeeping, I felt this wicket is not easy,” Kishan said during the post-match presentation.
“I still thought chasing this total would be tough because the wicket was difficult, especially when the spinners bowled and those slow balls worked well.”
Despite the tough conditions, Kishan kept SRH in control. He started strong with three boundaries off Spencer Johnson early in the chase. Later, he adjusted his approach as wickets slowed SRH’s progress.
The left-hander formed a crucial partnership with Heinrich Klaasen after SRH fell to 56 for 2 in the eighth over, with the required run rate climbing over ten runs per over.
“As a No. 3 batter, my job is to finish the game,” Kishan explained. “Batters coming in late find it hard to take singles and score boundaries, so I had to stay till the last over.”
He eventually got out for 70 when SRH needed only six runs from nine balls, having almost single-handedly brought his team close to victory.
Klaasen quickly realized that cautious batting wouldn’t work on the sluggish pitch.
“Yeah, the first couple of balls I blocked, then I thought, ‘no, I can’t play cricket like this,’” Klaasen said. “I need to be aggressive on this wicket, and it worked out well for me tonight. I’m happy with how I’m hitting the ball. I hope it continues for the rest of the competition.”
The South African focused on CSK spinners Akeal Hosein and Noor Ahmad to keep the chase from stalling in the middle overs.
Reflecting on the conditions, Klaasen said, “[The pitch] stayed low. When we bowled the cutters, they looked much slower and stayed low. When they bowled, it skidded nicely, but it was a bit inconsistent.
“It’s one of the better Chennai wickets I’ve played on, but yeah, it’s not an easy place to play cricket.”
–IANS
hs/