'It's all about first six overs'

Their spirits high after a five-day break, a rejuvenated Sunrisers Hyderabad team is raring to take the field against Gujarat Lions in an Indian Premier League match here on Friday, captain David Warner said here on Thursday.

“We won a couple, we lost a couple. We are coming out and putting up good performances. It’s going to be challenging for the guys but the team is in a good frame of mind. The guys had rest (during) last couple of days and everyone is fresh and ready to go,” Warner told reporters on the eve of the game.

Sunrisers Hyderabad played their last game on April 30 in which they defeated Royal Challengers Bangalore by 15 runs.

And Warner said the much-needed break helped the players to regroup. “For us, it’s about making sure that mentally we are ok, we are not exhausting ourselves. The guys had a little bit of training session yesterday. The guys bonded very well at resorts, some went for go-karting,” he said.

Stating that Gujarat Lions are a strong side, Warner said Sunrisers Hyderabad need to make early inroads to contain the explosive batting line-up of the visitors.“We have to contain them early. Whether we bat or ball first, it’s all about first six overs and early wickets.

“For us as a batting unit, it is important not to lose too many wickets and for our bowlers it is important to get as many wickets as they can,” he remarked.

The Australian said their aim is to keep on winning games without thinking about others.

“For us, it’s about winning. If we keep winning, we are going to make it to the finals. We don’t have to worry about what other teams do,” he said. Warner said as a captain, he is open minded and always accessible to his team-mates.

“My life becomes easy when the guys are doing their job. If I feel something is not in place, I talk to the players. My doors are always open to the players,” he said.

He also hinted that star player Yuvraj Singh, who is yet to feature in the tournament so far because of an injury, might play on Friday. “I think so,” was Warner’s reply when asked whether Yuvraj is fit.