Sometimes you can only watch and say, ‘well played’: Aaron Finch

Gujarat Lions batsman Aaron Finch says he and his team-mates could only appreciate and laud the match-winning knock of David Warner, who single-handedly crushed their hopes and took Sunrisers Hyderabad to the IPL summit clash with his majestic 93 in the Qualifier 2.

Gujarat Lions batsman Aaron Finch says he and his team-mates could only appreciate and laud the match-winning knock of David Warner, who single-handedly crushed their hopes and took Sunrisers Hyderabad to the IPL summit clash with his majestic 93 in the Qualifier 2.

Gujarat Lions Aaron Finch plays a shot during the 2016 Indian Premier League (IPL) Twenty20 qualifier cricket match between Gujarat Lions and Sunrisers Hyderabad. (AFP)

In the Qualifier 1 also, Lions were inches away from the final but for a gritty knock from AB de Villiers.

After scoring 162 for seven, Lions had Hyderabad 84 for five and then 117 for six but skipper Warner carried his bat and saw his side through.

“Tonight, I think that we had a very competitive total, it was around par. 170 would have been nice as it turns out, but two (De Villiers and Warner) of the best players in the world have both got big scores against us in the last two games. Sometimes you just have to take your hat off and appreciate how good cricketers the two are. And say well played,” Finch said at the post match press conference.

The Australian was effusive in praise of his compatriot.

“It was an amazing knock, wasn’t it? The way that he controlled the innings and went right through and got them home was outstanding. We have been at the receiving end of a couple of great knocks in this tournament, and it is just that one batter in every couple of games seems to get us,” Finch said.

“AB (De Villiers) in the last game and Davey (Warner) tonight. We can hold our head up very high. We played some really great cricket throughout this tournament but unfortunately we just couldn’t get the world-class players out when it counted right at the end there.”

Asked which Indian player impressed him the most in the entire Lions campaign in their debut season, Finch named spinner Shivil Kaushik.