Yuvraj Singh should be okay for the next game, says VVS Laxman

In a crucial game for hosts Sunrisers Hyderabad, mentor VVS Laxman decided to make a couple of glaring changes as the team locked horns with Mumbai Indians. The in-form Kane Williamson ceded his spot to Afghanistan all-rounder Mohammad Nabi.

Having played six innings, the Kiwi batsman has shown that he can adapt his consistency in the longer formats to T20 cricket as well. Williamson has amassed 232 runs in this season, at a healthy strike rate of 162.23, a figure which trumps the likes of Warner, Dhawan and Yuvraj.

Nevertheless, the many eyebrows which were raised when Nabi took the field in place of Williamson for only his second game, came down in an instant. Meanwhile, VVS Laxman knew that his idea of omitting Williamson for such an important match, was not as much a gamble as it was a well-constructed plan.

“We have players on the bench who can straightaway come into the playing XI and perform. Nabi is someone very good not only after the Powerplay but also in the Powerplay. That was the rationale behind getting Nabi in. To come and straightaway be in excellent rhythm and also execute the strategy which we had for the opposition batsmen was really good to see. Those first two-three overs set the tone for the match,” VVS Laxman said.

The strategy from SRH was clear from the outset – restrict Mumbai’s big-hitting left-handers, namely Parthiv Patel and Nitish Rana, at the top of the order. Mohammad Nabi was the go-to bowler for executing this plan to perfection. On a sluggish Hyderabad wicket, Nabi went through the defence of Lendl Simmons, whose wild swing missed the ball by some distance. Nabi went on to bowl his quota of four overs on the trot, finishing with figures of 1-13. An aggressive MI batting line-up looked stifled at the end of the Powerplay with the scoreboard reading 36/3.

On the other hand, several questioned Moises Henriques’ preference over Kane Williamson. Henriques being an all-rounder, hasn’t had much to show for in the bowling department. Against Mumbai as well, he leaked 15 runs in the only over he bowled. However, Henriques made up for it during the chase as he stitched a 91-run partnership with Shikhar Dhawan. VVS Laxman clarified that despite Henriques’ poor figures in this game, he is an asset for the Sunrisers Hyderabad setup.

“We have to also understand that he came to bowl in the 14th over. As an opposition batting line-up, they will be looking to target the fifth and sixth bowlers. But, I thought he bowled really well the last match. We should be very happy with the way Moises has contributed to the Sunrisers franchise, not only with his batting and bowling but he is a leader within the group. Even on the field, his inputs are very good, and he definitely helps Warner by giving various suggestions,” said Laxman.

“It is very frustrating I am sure for someone like Kane Williamson, because he is in outstanding form. But when you have only four overseas players to play with, you have to work out what is the best combination to go out on that particular day, against that particular opposition, keeping the conditions in mind,” he added.

A fresh cause of worry for the Sunrisers Hyderabad cropped up when Yuvraj Singh was seen wringing his hand in pain during his short stay at the crease. Yuvi had earlier jammed his finger while fielding, which might have caused some damage to his fingers. However, Laxman lauded the fact that Yuvraj Singh gritted it out in the middle despite the pain, and reassured that the injury wasn’t a serious one.

“He should be okay. Just that the hand got jammed into the ground while he was fielding. So there is some confusion, but luckily we are next playing a match after four days, so there is enough time for him to recover. But credit to him to go out there in spite of the pain, taking the responsibility that I will go out and bat and try to win the match.”

The Sunrisers Hyderabad also resorted to some lengthy discussions during their MI encounter last night. Bowlers spoke to the skipper, the skipper spoke to his fielders, and on one occasion, coach Tom Moody was seen yelling instructions from the dugout to execute a quick change in the field.

“I think it’s quite common. Davey is in crucial [fielding] positions, he’s at long-off or long-on. Sometimes it is very clear from the dugout, who is a better fielder in a certain position. If a captain misses out, then the instruction is sent to players saying it is better to swap [fielders]. That happens quite frequently,” Laxman said.

“You’ve also seen that Tom will… Whenever Davey is in front of the dugout, discussing various options [happens]. Just know what Davey is thinking about. T20 cricket is so quick, sometimes some outside help may be useful for the captain. This isn’t the first time it is happening, and it won’t be the last,” the SRH mentor concluded.