First defeat for Gujarat Lions a learning curve insists Brad Hodge

Apr 22, 2016 at 12:45 PM

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First defeat for Gujarat Lions a learning curve insists Brad Hodge

The sizzling start to the current season of the IPL by the newly instilled franchise Gujarat Lions was brought to a crashing halt at Rajkot on Thursday as the Hyderabad-based franchise, the Sunrisers were clinical in all aspects to beat the Lions.

After winning the toss, SRH skipper David Warner put the Lions in to bat first and managed to restrict them to 136 after regular strikes all throughout the first innings.

If the Lions needed to have a shot in the second half, they will have had to pick early wickets up but the SRH openers Dhawan and Warner were too good on the night as they shared an unbeaten 137-run partnership to take their side home with 10 wickets in hand.

This loss sees them drop to the second place in the points table and the team’s coach, Brad Hodge felt that it was a loss that was not too far away.

Speaking to the media after the game, Hodge said that in a tournament this big with quality sides, it was never going to be easy to win all the games and that once in a while, the teams have an off day and the result at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium was bound to happen.

He said, “There are so many good teams in the competition and you are bound to lose one along the way”

Hodge also added that though his team were beaten high and dry, they will try to take positives from the game and that it was an important learning experience for the young players in the squad.

“It is great because there are a few learning curves for us along the way. We have a great side, wonderful match-winners,” Hodge said after the match.

The Australian all-rounder also explained that his team struggled to cope with the bowling of the Sunrisers and that throwing wickets away in a T20 game can happen to even the best of the teams.

“I don’t think they applied themselves as best as they could have.”

“We gave away wickets easily. That can happen in T20 cricket where you back yourself, and we can adjust that,” he said.

Suresh Raina, the skipper of the Gujarat franchise has been in superb form this year in the IPL and was the main reason for the Lions posting a respectable total on Thursday.

He scored more than half of the team’s runs as he accumulated 75 runs off just 51 balls and played some superb shots all round the ground.

Hodge, was full of praises for the left-hand bat who is looking full of confidence at the moment.

He revealed that playing in the Indian national team under the influence of MS Dhoni has helped Raina to keep his cool and be patient.

“I think his strength is that he is a very calm human being. He has been under Dhoni for quite a while and he gets that relaxed persona on the field from him. He never gets too flustered, which is good for his troops out there,” Hodge said.

He also added that Raina has a great understanding of the game and that being the skipper of the team though gives new responsibilities is not something he cannot handle.

“I think he has a wonderful knowledge of the game. Of course, this is his first chance to captain in the IPL but he has led the UP team a number of times and has been around a number of good captains,” he added.

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