IPL 2021, MI v SRH: 3 reasons why the Sunrisers Hyderabad lost

The Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) recorded their worst-ever start to an Indian Premier League (IPL) season, as they lost their third game - against the Mumbai Indians (MI) - to remain at the bottom of the points table. What would disappoint them is that all three games were close losses while chasing gettable totals.

To figure out their best XI early into the season, SRH made wholesale changes to their line-up. Some of these worked well as Mujeeb Ur Rahman picked up two wickets and Khaleel Ahmed was economical with the ball, but the young Abhishek Sharma and Virat Singh couldn't make a big dent on the game.

MI's lone change, Adam Milne, got taken to the cleaners. But the core group performed well, assisted by two direct-hit run-outs from Hardik Pandya and Jonny Bairstow's hit-wicket dismissal.

SRH might have discovered the importance of Khaleel in the team, but otherwise have more questions than answers about their best XI. Here are three reasons why SRH lost the April 17 IPL game against MI.

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#3 Kieron Pollard's death-overs explosion for MI

Eventual Man of the Match Kieron Pollard contributed for MI with bat and ball.

MI were stumbling towards yet another sub-par total when Kieron Pollard took control of the innings and decided to finally show up with the bat this season. He did not have an easy opposition, with SRH known to harbour one of the best death bowlers in Bhuvneshwar Kumar. He had a shaky start and was dropped once, but kept his head down.

It just wasn't Bhuvneshwar's night, as the tall all-rounder picked off 10 from the penultimate over and 16 off the last, including two big sixes off the final two balls of the innings. The late cameo pushed MI towards 150 - a total they backed themselves to defend - and contained the furthest six hit so far in the tournament (105 metres).

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#2 Unforced errors by SRH openers

MI needed a freak dismissal to see the back of Jonny Bairstow.

Jonny Bairstow and David Warner, in an inspired change, opened the batting together for the first time this season, and the move appeared to have worked. The duo piled on 57 in the powerplay and strung together a 67-run partnership that knocked the stuffing out of the MI bowlers, with Adam Milne and Trent Boult wearing the bulk of the damage.

The first big breakthrough came via Jonny Bairstow, in one of the rarest dismissals in cricket, getting out hit wicket against Krunal Pandya. After Manish Pandey went without making an impression, it seemed like it was all down to Warner.

Unfortunately, a poorly judged single resulted in an expert direct hit that sent Warner back to the hut. SRH were still in a position most teams expect to win from, but the main thing holding them back was...

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#1 SRH's feeble middle order

Vijay Shankar's innings of promise faded without fulfilling it.

With personnel like Vijay Shankar and Manish Pandey, both of whom have been part of the national setup in the past few years, the SRH middle order can hardly be labelled "inexperienced". But lacklustre innings from the senior duo meant the young trio of Abdul Samad, Abhishek Sharma and Virat Singh had to pool their resources to win SRH the game.

To put the SRH middle order's contributions in context, the team scored a total of 70 runs after Bairstow's dismissal in the 8th over. Nos. 2 to 7 in the SRH middle order scored just 50 runs off 56 balls, with Shankar providing more than half of those.

While many franchises have faltered and fallen apart for low scores - including MI's middle order on three successive occasions - SRH's problem could be a long-term one, even on better pitches over the rest of the tournament.