IPL: SRH head coach Brian Lara says team ready to throw last dice in ahead of LSG match

“We have to put our best (foot) forward, enjoy, be brave, and also be sensible,” Brian Lara, head coach of Sunrisers Hyderabad, said on the eve of the Indian Premier League match against Lucknow Super Giants at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium on Friday.

“We’ve got to go on a run, and that should start tomorrow. It’s definitely not going to end at 6.50 p.m. (around closing time of the match). We want to continue it till the end of the championship,” Lara informed the media.

Reflecting on the thrilling win in the last game against the Rajasthan Royals, the head coach said it was very joyous to see the team put up a good performance with the bat and get partnerships upfront, which was the key. “The execution was good, yes, sometimes you need luck,” he added.

“We know exactly what we have to do to execute it well. The team is ready to throw the last dice in. We were able to pull it through self-belief in the last game,” Lara said.

He also hinted that Abhishek (Sharma) and Anmolpreet (Singh) will open the innings. “I don’t want to be thinking beyond this match right now,” he said.

On the explosive Harry Brook, who struggled after scoring a century in the IPL, Lara said he was really working hard.

“He is our most expensive guy. Importantly, he is willing to do what the team requires. He is training even harder now, he is someone who, when he leaves the IPL, will have big-time cricket, and it is important for him to stay confident,” Lara said.

On playing at home, the head coach said it would help moving forward. “The support (from the fans) has been excellent. In this regard, Hyderabad is ranked among the top three in the country. And the boys are ready to show the supporters how good they (players) are,” he said. “We have one of the fairest pitches in the country here,” he added.

Referring to left-arm pacer T. Natarajan, Lara said he was a special player. “He is a quiet achiever, a key member of our team,” he said.

“It doesn’t matter whether he is playing or not. He is a true professional, and I look forward to working with him for a long time,” Lara concluded.