IPL 2022 | It's unacceptable - no-balls in this form of the game: Tom Moody after SRH's loss

Tom Moody believes four no-balls in the first five overs cost Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) their first game of the 2022 Indian Premier League (IPL) against Rajasthan Royals (RR). 

The match saw Sunrisers Hyderabad losing by a margin of 61 runs as their top-order had a massive failure while chasing 211. However, the SRH head coach has a different take on this. 

"It's unacceptable - no-balls in this form of the game," Moody said after the match. "You get heavily penalised, and we paid the price. When you have dismissed arguably the opposition's best player, and you have them on edge at the beginning of their innings - Bhuvi was bowling particularly well and [Romario] Shepherd's first over was also a strong over - it sets a totally different tone, when you have taken that wicket and the ball is still moving around. It wasn't an easy new-ball wicket, but we didn't take advantage of it. Once you give a life to someone of Jos Buttler's quality, he will bring out all his tricks and realise that he is on a free one."

He added, "I think four no-balls in the first five overs, a no-ball wicket and a dropped catch [off a no-ball] in the first five overs, and a total of six wides cost us this game." 

The first of these no-balls mentioned by the former Australian cricketer came in the first over of the match, delivered by Bhuvneshwar Kumar. He bowled another no-ball in the third over, and the following free-hit was sent to the boundary by Yashasvi Jaiswal. Umran Malik and Washington Sundar were the other bowlers to deliver the no-balls at the initial stage of the RR innings. It tilted the momentum towards the Royals batters, from where they capitalized and reached a total of 211 after 20 overs.

In reply, the Hyderabad side did not have a good start to the chase either. They lost Kane Williamson early, followed by two more quick wickets in Rahul Tripathi and Nicholas Pooran. The dismissal of captain Williamson was not straightforward and went to the third umpire, which later turned out to be a controversial one. 

"We were very surprised that it was given out, particularly when we saw the replay," Moody said. "I can understand the on-field umpires taking it upstairs. When that happened, we saw the evidence. We are certainly not umpires but it looked pretty clear to us what the [correct] decision was," Moody cited.

Later the orange army lost a few more wickets with only Aiden Markram and Washington Sundar fighting for it till the end. Nonetheless, SRH was on the receiving end of a shambolic defeat in their tournament opener.