Three wins and a draw have put Hyderabad firmly in the hunt for a Ranji Trophy knockout berth. The one-wicket triumph over Chhattisgarh sparked joyous celebrations, but for head coach Anirudh Singh, who took charge in July, the overarching emotion was relief.

“I am both stressed and happy! The last 30 to 45 minutes were especially stressful. It was hard to watch every ball because sitting outside, there’s only so much one can do. I am glad we got through as a team,” he said.

Praise for HCA

Anirudh reserved special praise for the Hyderabad Cricket Association and Ambati Rayudu, director of cricket operations.

“They organised a lot of matches (in the pre-season) and gave the players enough opportunities. The selection process was good, and we decided very early to go for result-oriented pitches at home games. Everyone worked towards addressing the small drawbacks we had from the last few seasons. And credit should also go to the players. They were absolutely brilliant.”

Khurasiya positive

Despite the narrow defeat, Chhattisgarh head coach Amay Khurasiya hailed his side’s spirit. “It was a lovely game. We fought with dignity and honour. We kept our pride ahead of us, and we did everything we could,” he said.

Khurasiya’s post-match debrief was quick but full of laughter and cheers. “I always stand with my boys when they lose. It’s very easy to do post-mortems. Nobody wants to lose. The mood was quite sombre, and I had to lift it. That’s my job as a coach,” he explained.