Cricket news - A test of Delhi's bouncebackability on low, slow Kotla

A total of four questions were posed to Shreyas Iyer at the post-match presser in Mohali, three out of them being about the biggest collapse in the history of IPL. If Iyer really had the answers, Delhi Capitals would now be sitting at the top of the table with four out of four wins. They don't, and "right now have broken hearts," according to Mohammad Kaif.

Delhi's bouncebackability from a rut of similar collapses, when they have thawed at the sight of easy targets closing on, will be the main center of interest in their game against the Sunrisers Hyderabad, a team so well covered and in such good form that Kane Williamson's absence against RCB probably didn't even matter.

What piques interest though is the pitch SRH will be playing on. The track at Feroz Shah Kotla will be like anything but Hyderabad, which has come a long way from being the forcing house for two legspinners and delivered consecutive 200-plus totals this season. Kotla, in contrast, will be low and slow with variable bounce, giving batsmen little to hit through the line. How SRH, with an Australian and an Englishman at the top, adjust could determine the game.

When: Delhi Capitals vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, 16th Match at 8:00 PM IST

Where: Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi

What to expect: 24 hours before the game, the pitch bore the usual barren look though previous IPL games have seen pitches with more grass. Whether it's a tactic to drive SRH out of their comfort zone is anyone's guess.

It's going to be a warm evening, with temperatures set to be around 34 degrees at the start of the match. The expected dew should make batting easier in the second innings.

Team news:

Delhi Capitals

There's a genuine case for swapping the batting positions of Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer, who currently bat at No 4 and 3 respectively. There have been three collapses in three games, and each has been triggered by Pant's wicket, with Iyer falling before him everytime. The option to have the team's captain come after Pant's done his bit with the bat isn't a bad idea.

Amit Mishra could come back in for Avesh Khan, to whom he had lost his spot on a flatter Mohali pitch. Axar Patel might replace Harshal Patel to give that middle-order a lift.

Probable XI: Prithvi Shaw, Shikhar Dhawan, Rishabh Pant(w), Shreyas Iyer(c), Colin Ingram, Hanuma Vihari, Chris Morris, Harshal Patel/Axar Patel, Sandeep Lamichhane, Kagiso Rabada/Trent Boult, Amit Mishra/Avesh Khan

Sunrisers Hyderabad

David Warner was bruised on his finger while taking Virat Kohli's catch in the last game and was off the field, but Tom Moody has confirmed that Warner is fit to play. Kane Williamson could return to lead the side.

Probable XI: David Warner, Jonny Bairstow(w), Vijay Shankar, Kane Williamson/Deepak Hooda, Manish Pandey, Yusuf Pathan, Rashid Khan, Shahbaz Nadeem/Mohammad Nabi, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Sandeep Sharma, Siddarth Kaul

Did you know

- At Feroz Shah Kotla, SRH have a 3-1 win/loss ratio over DC

- In IPL, Bhuvi's numbers against Delhi are his poorest against an opponent. He's picked five wickets in 13 games at an average 74.2 and economy-rate of 7.73

- SRH are yet to lose a wicket in the first six overs in IPL 2019.

What they said

"Teams are planning in advance so that their quick fielders stay on the field longer and the slower fielders don't. The umpires should see that the fielding changes (substitutions) don't waste a lot of time" - Mohammad Kaif, DC assistant coach

There are adjustments you need to do in Delhi in order to be effective, so our focus is very much around that. What Delhi have done in the last game is not going to have any bearing on our preparation. - Tom Moody, SRH head coach