The Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) vs Punjab Kings (PBKS) match was decided by fielding, and although both sides dropped their fair share of catches, the visitors giving lives to key in-form SRH batters: Heinrich Klaasen once and Ishan Kishan twice proved expensive for them in the end. The former made 69 off 43 deliveries, and the latter scored 55 off 32 balls. The missed opportunities cost PBKS dearly as they lost to SRH by 33 runs and moved to second place on the points table. Bowling coach Sairaj Bahutule cited the ball coming out of the crowd and gravity as potential reasons for the dropped catches. “Fielding under lights is not easy because the ball comes out from the lights as well as from the crowd. And you know, the higher it goes, obviously, it’s going to fall as quickly as possible, and gravity will obviously take its toll,” Bahutule said at the post-match press conference. PBKS had their plans in place. They had fielders on either square boundary and bowled lengths and did manage to trap the batsmen. The short-ball tactic worked against Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma. Bahutule revealed that they had planned for the top three and executed well, but Kishan got away. “Unfortunately, catches were dropped, and I think that hurt us,” he said. “I think it was very important to take those catches because they are such players that if you drop catches, they will score and score quickly. There would have been fresh batters on the ground, on the pitch, and we could have executed our plans more effectively, perhaps giving away 50 fewer runs,” the 53-year-old added. However, this was not the only occasion where PBKS have been poor on the field. The fielding lapses have become a habit that has crept into their game mid-way through the season and has now started to cost them games. Bahutule philosophically said, “Sometimes a player is not getting runs; there are a few innings in which he doesn’t get runs, and he starts thinking as to why he’s not getting runs. A bowler also starts getting hit. And he still wonders why I’m getting hit despite being, you know, one of the best bowlers.” “If you keep dropping catches, there is a sort of maybe a doubt created in the mind in terms of whether I can be, you know, I’m catching properly or am I taking the pressure, or I’m being too anxious, things like that come creeping,” he added.Story continues below this ad “But I think all our players are well-equipped to handle pressure. Their exceptional fielding performance in the first half demonstrates this. So again, I think, you know, it’s important that we go back and reflect on things as to how we can see we can have the right person at the right place or tweak it around because all players are good cricketers and good fielders. You cannot pick one and say, ‘This is the guy who’s been doing it, ‘ because the values created by Ricky (Head Coach Ricky Ponting) are that we support each other and back each other,” Bahutule concluded. PBKS next take on Delhi Capitals in Dharamsala on Monday.
PBKS coach speaks on 3 dropped catches in IPL clash against SRH
