Former Australia opener Matthew Hayden blamed the Lucknow Super Giants batters for not showing enough intent while batting in the first innings against the Sunrisers Hyderabad in an IPL 2024 match at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium on Wednesday. After captain KL Rahul opted to bat, LSG stuttered their way to 165/4. That was possible thanks to a 99-run partnership off 52 balls between Ayush Badoni (55*) and Nicholas Pooran (47*).

The LSG top-order didn't get going at all. They were 57/3 when KL Rahul (29 off 33 balls) holed out in fine leg off Pat Cummins' bowling in the last ball of the 10th over. Around that time, Hayden "called out" the lack of intent among LSG batters.

"I have to call them out. This is not a 5 runs per over wicket. Somebody needed to show intent. They had one of the slowest powerplays. That took the innings nowhere. When the opposition team has Travis Head, Heinrich Klaasen, your intention should be to go at 10s and over. 160-170 will never be enough," Hayden said in commentary.

Interestingly, the way LSG batters batted made many believe that the pitch was not good for strokeplay. Even LSG head coach Justin Langer said that 160 would be a good total. But as it turned out, it was nowhere near being enough.

Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma chased it down in record quick time. The dynamic SRH opening pair scored 166 runs in 9.4 overs - the most by any team inside 10 overs in the history of IPL. Head hit eight fours and as many sixes to remain undefeated at 89 off just 30 balls. His uncapped Indian was not too far behind. Abhishek blasted 75* off 28 balls, hitting eight fours and six sixes.

The win propelled SRH to the third position in the standings with 14 points from 12 games, while LSG are struggling at the sixth spot with 12 points from the same number of matches.

The result also meant that five-time champions Mumbai Indians, currently ninth with eight points from 12 matches, are out of the playoff race.

'LSG are out of IPL'

This was LSG's second big loss on the trot. While they still have a decent chance of making it to the playoffs if they win their next two league games, former RCB coach Mike Hesson, said their campaign is more or less done. Hesson said injuries to Mayank Yadav and Mohsin Khan have rendered their bowling attack weak.

"I think yes," Hesson said on Jio Cinema when asked whether LSG' campaign has ended in this year's IPL. "With Mayank Yadav missing, they don't really have that X-factor in their bowling. Even Mohsin Khan didn't play today. Ravo Bishnoi hasn't been at his best this IPL. So their bowling attack doesn't look threatening. Their slide will continue," he added.

Read Also: sachin tendulkar awestruck by travis head, abhishek sharma's beyond-belief blitzkrieg vs lsg: 'had they batted first...'