Even 45 dot balls couldn’t mask the lapses as many of Gujarat Titans’ bowlers “were just a little bit off their rhythm and lines in particular,” admitted batting coach Matthew Hayden after a six-run defeat to Rajasthan Royals in a boundary-laden IPL contest here on Saturday.

The Titans conceded 13 wides, which proved costly in a narrow defeat. “(Mohammed) Siraj had an off day. Simple as that. When we reviewed his pitch map, it was a little bit too short and a little bit too wide,” he said.

Hayden felt “the game was absolutely in the bag,” pointing to key decisions against an on-song Ravi Bishnoi (four for 41) and a costly run out of Shahrukh Khan. The 54-year-old called for a “little bit of cohesion” in the “entire batting line-up,” adding that there was a need for “that little attention to detail around winning a game amongst a partnership that does start.”

Hayden said Kagiso Rabada (23 n.o.) “was magnificent with the bat,” adding that he “showed, as a frontline bowler, that commitment to batting counts, especially in run chases.”

Player-of-the-Match Bishnoi revealed his most effective tactic of the night. “There was a big boundary on one side, and there were many left-handers in the opposition. So, I was trying to bowl googlies from middle and leg (stumps). The attempt was to make the left-handers hit the balls going away towards the longer end. Sai (Sudharsan) and Washi (Washington Sundar) both got out. So, that tactic I discussed with the captain (Riyan Parag) and Dhruv (Jurel) behind (the stumps) worked,” he said.

Published on Apr 05, 2026