A Super Over loss against the Kolkata Knight Riders left David Warner having to "bite his tongue" to stop himself saying something overtly harsh, but the Sunrisers Hyderabad captain admitted to being disappointed with the result.
"I don't know what to say, I'll probably have to bite my tongue a little bit," Warner told the host broadcaster after the match. "We probably leaked a few too many, towards the middle overs and towards the back end. For us it's about trying to finish games. We've come too close the last three games and we haven't got across the line, so I'm quite disappointed."
The Knight Riders made a competitive 163 for 5 after being put in thanks to a strong finish, but Warner felt his decision to bowl first in Abu Dhabi was the right one. "I stick by my decision. Coming from Dubai I felt this wicket looks like a nice batting wicket and wasn't going to change too much, and to be honest, it didn't," he said. "It held up a little in the middle of the wicket, but at the end of that day that is no excuse. I felt 165-170 was probably a par total. We lost wickets at crucial times again."
Dinesh Karthik, who batted at No. 6 for the Knight Riders and hit 29* off 14 in a frenetic stand with Eoin Morgan that brought 58 runs in the last five overs, felt his team had complicated matters in what should have been an easier win. "It was a game we could have won a bit comfortably," Karthik said. "We made it tough for ourselves, but we kind of came back at the end and showed character."
That was thanks in large measure to Lockie Ferguson, as the New Zealand quick, playing his first game of the season, picked up 3 for 15 in regulation time and then bowled the Super Over in which he castled Warner first ball and Abdul Samad third ball. Understandably, Morgan was pleased.
"For Lockie Ferguson to come in for his first game of his tournament so far and perform in both the 20-over game and the Super Over like he did was outstanding," Morgan said. "The hunger and drive that he's shown off the field, he's been waiting for an opportunity."
Tom Moody looks back on KKR's Super-over win over SRH in Abu Dhabi
Injury worries for both teams
Both the Knight Riders and the Sunrisers had to deal with injuries to key players during the game. In the first innings, Kane Williamson got an adductor injury when making a diving stop, and in the second, Andre Russell was off the field for a short while clutching his hamstring.
Williamson's injury meant he was pushed up the order to open with Jonny Bairstow, reducing the running between the wickets that middle-overs batting demands. He fell to the first ball after the powerplay, having hit 29 off 19 in a rapid 58-run opening stand. As a result, Warner had to drop down the order.
"Yeah he obviously had to open the batting there, he's got a slight niggle towards the top end of his adductor," Warner said. "He'll have to get some physio treatment the next couple of days and hopefully comes up."
Russell had already bowled one over before hobbling off, but came back to bowl the final over. Even though he bowled off a short run-up and ambled rather than ran in, he gave up only 17 runs in the last over to force a tie. This was after he had started with a no-ball and the equation came down to the Sunrisers needing two off the last ball with Warner on strike. However, Russell conceded only a leg-bye.
"Dre went off the field, we thought he was injured. He came back on and said he could bowl," Morgan said. "Obviously, (you) trust the player, and he came off a short run which he does every so often. Didn't manage to execute as well as he would have liked. I thought he showed a lot of character to come back and get us to the Super Over after not starting as well as he'd like with a no-ball. He's a superstar performer for us. He's been such an integral part of the franchise for such a long time, so we need Andre Russell fit."