Sunrisers Hyderabad captain David Warner expressed his disappointment with the pitches at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai for IPL 2021, saying they are not good for TV viewing. Warner called the wickets ‘shocking’ but refused to point fingers at the curators for the sluggish nature of the pitches.
David Warner’s Sunrisers Hyderabad opened their account in IPL 2021 with a comfortable win over Punjab Kings in Chennai on Wednesday. SRH restricted Punjab to 120 but they were made to work hard for their runs. Warner hit a run-a-ball 37 while Jonny Bairstow hit a match-winning 63 from 56 balls before comeback man Kane Williamson gave the finishing touches.
It was the first time in IPL 2021 SRH managed to chase successfully as they began the season with three successive defeats in Chennai, which has the reputation of aiding the spinners. The venue has witnessed many batting collapses this season.
“To be honest, it’s shocking,” Warner said.
“It looks horrible on TV, but you have to give credit to the curators. They have had a lot of cricket here so it’s very very difficult for them to get this wicket up and about. Since I’ve started playing in Chennai it’s always been there but it’s very difficult for them.”
“It’s not their (curators) fault that the wicket is like this. You had the Indian Test series against England and the same thing in Australia we had a lot of games on the same pitches, so the curators have got a very difficult job,” Warner said.
“As players, we know what we have to do, there are no excuses. It’s not ideal but at the end of the day, we are grateful to go out there and play on these wickets because it’s very challenging for them, they don’t have any rest. We have to be professionals and adapt.”
