![\"\u2018Horrible](\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/thumb\/msid-130410459,imgsize-193264,width-400,height-225,resizemode-4\/ipl-2026-gt-vs-rr.jpg\" "\\"Gujarat")
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nNEW DELHI: Gujarat Titans\u2019 batting coach Matthew Hayden<\/a> did not hold back after his side\u2019s humiliating 99-run defeat to Mumbai Indians<\/a>, calling it \u201ca horrible day\u201d and branding the batting performance \u201cunacceptable\u201d in a scathing post-match assessment.Chasing 200, Gujarat Titans were bowled out for just 100, a collapse that Hayden said exposed serious flaws in both mindset and execution. \u201cI expect our margins to be a lot smaller than 100. That is an unacceptable scorecard for our batting unit,\u201d he said bluntly.\u201cIt was just a horrible day for us today. Truth be told, there was nothing good about this day,\u201d he added.ALSO READ:<\/span> Tilak Varma outguns Gujarat Titans as record-breaking blitz rewrites IPL history<\/a>Powerplay collapse sets the tone<\/span>The match effectively slipped away during the powerplay, according to Hayden, as Titans\u2019 top order failed to lay a foundation. Despite boasting stars like Shubman Gill<\/a>, Sai Sudharsan and Jos Buttler, GT crumbled early, exposing the middle order prematurely.\u201cWell, middle order was undoubtedly exposed today. When they\u2019re coming in with six overs, you know that you\u2019re in deep trouble,\u201d Hayden said. \u201cYou can\u2019t win it in the powerplay, but you can definitely lose it \u2014 and we lost it there.\u201dHe stressed that the team\u2019s structure depends on strong starts, adding that players like Rahul Tewatia, Shahrukh Khan and Glenn Phillips were forced into roles they are not designed for.\u201cWe shouldn\u2019t be allowing these guys lots of balls. That\u2019s not their role. That\u2019s not what they train for,\u201d he explained.\u2018Horror story\u2019 with the ball<\/span>While the batting drew most of Hayden\u2019s ire, he also criticised the bowling unit for a disastrous finish. From 44\/3, Mumbai Indians surged to 199\/5, smashing 73 runs in the final four overs \u2014 a phase Hayden labelled a \u201chorror story.\u201d\u201cThat was just a horror story \u2014 73 off the last four is unacceptable as world-class players,\u201d he said. \u201cIt was purely an executional thing.\u201dHayden added that the pitch did not justify such a high total, suggesting GT underperformed significantly. \u201cWe were very average with the ball on a wicket that I really felt was probably a 175-type wicket.\u201dNo excuses despite strong line-up<\/span>Despite having a formidable batting unit on paper, Hayden made it clear that reputation means little without delivery.\u201cWhen you look down at our batting line-up, we\u2019ve got wonderful players that have to be in a better mindset and better position to take their opportunities,\u201d he said. \u201cYou can\u2019t be sitting here happy about a 100-run margin game in a 20-over match.\u201dHe concluded with a stark admission of how quickly the chase unraveled. \u201cBy that stage, I felt like as a batting coach, I was on the mast and the boat was sinking.\u201d<\/div>\n\n