DURBAN, South Africa, CMC – Kieron Pollard and Dwayne Bravo would have relished Mumbai Indians 31-run victory over Guyana in the Champions League Twenty20 Championship on Thursday.
The two all-rounders played pivotal roles in the result, and appeared to avenge their native Trinidad & Tobago’s semi-final defeat in the Caribbean Twenty20 Cup more than six weeks ago.
Pollard left the Guyanese shell-shocked, when he smashed one four and nine sixes in an undefeated 72 from 30 balls that propelled Mumbai to 184 for four from their 20 overs, after they chose to bat on a hard, true pitch.“There was a little bit of revenge for T&T,” said Pollard. “It was somewhere there at the back of my mind.
“It was really hurtful to us to lose to Guyana in the semi-finals, but this was another game of cricket, and I went out there to try and do my best, and I can only thank God for giving me the strength to go out there and do it.Bravo then supported his compatriot with two wickets for 18 runs from his allotted four overs, as the Guyanese were restricted to 153 for six in their 20 overs.
“T&T and Guyana always have a rivalry back home, and now that I am here to play for the Mumbai Indians, it was nice for us to come away with the win,” he said.
“Apart from the chattering, we are all good friends, and nothing about it was personal. It was a good game, and I am proud of Guyana for the way they have fought in this game, after the way they played in the first game, so hopefully they can move from strength to strength.”
Individually, both players were took heart in their performances in the match, with Pollard glad to be given a chance to bat high in the order.“The aim for me was to go out, and get on with it, but the first couple of balls, I was not trying to hit it too hard,” he said.
“I just buckled down a bit, got a few singles, and following this, tried to do the best for the team.”
He added: “The pitch was nice. The ball was coming onto the bat, and when they banged it in, it was standing up, so it was easy to hit through the line of the ball once you connected properly.”Pollard described the decision to elevate him in the order as “brilliant”, and relished the chance, since he it allowed him a chance to settle-in better.
“I loved it, but wherever they think about putting me is best for the team,” said Pollard. “I will go out there, and do my best – be it early, or late. It is just to get a victory for the team, and once we do this, I’m happy for this.”
Bravo indicated it was nice to be among the wickets, since he has been struggling with his bowling.“I have been working hard in the nets, so it was nice to get an opportunity to take some wickets, and I’m obviously happy with the win,” he said.“The first few balls I was not feeling my fingers, since I had been struck by the ball when fielding, but I have been practising in the nets trying to put the ball in one spot, and pitch it up as much as possible.”He said: “With the pitches here in South Africa, you just need to put the ball down, and the surface will do the rest, and you don’t try to fight it. “The coaching staff and my teammate Zaheer Khan [the Indian fast bowler] have all played a part in helping me, and I am happy I have come out with a win and my bowling is coming back.”
Pollard admits that Mumbai face a ticklish situation in terms of qualification for the next stage of the competition.“It has been disappointing for us,” he said. “We have not played to our potential, but it is another day of cricket. We still needed to go out there and put down a performance, and come out on top.“Maybe the momentum has shifted, and we can probably go out there, and play some good cricket against Bangalore, and hope for the best. “Three games down, one to go, all we can do is do well and see where it leads us from there.”The result meant that Mumbai moved up to third on two points.Mumbai meet Royal Challengers Bangalore tomorrow at Kingsmead Stadium.
