IPL 2019 | Have to give credit to the way Mumbai Indians batted, says Praveen Amre
Delhi Capitals’ Praveen Amre has heaped praise on the Mumbai Indians for their batting display after the hosts fell to a disappointing 40-run loss at the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium on Thursday. Hardik Pandya and Krunal Pandya starred for the visitors as they jumped to second on the points table.
Rohit Sharma-led Mumbai Indians avenged their defeat of the opening game as they registered a resounding 40-run win against Delhi Capitals at the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium on Thursday night. The visitors put up an all-round batting display in which the Pandya brothers (Hardik 32, Krunal 37*) played a significant role towards the end of the first innings to lead Mumbai to a total of 168/5 after 20.
Shreyas Iyer & Co. failed to get early wickets as Rohit Sharma and Quinton De Kock registered their third straight half-century stand for the first wicket. And Delhi Capitals’ support staff member Praveen Amre admitted that Mumbai were the better team on the night, especially in the batting department.
"We have to give credit to the way the Mumbai Indians batted. The last four overs they got 58 runs. Hardik Pandya's innings was very crucial - 15 balls, 32 runs - that really got the runs on the board. We felt like this was a 150 pitch and I think that extra cushion they got - 18 runs - that made the difference, and put the pressure (on us). After 10 overs it was chasing 10 runs per over. It was not that easy a task considering the Kotla wicket," Amre said as per Cricbuzz sources.
Meanwhile, Krunal, who scored a fast-paced 27-ball 37*, admitted that his younger brother’s hard-hitting skills helped his team add an extra 20-30 runs to the overall score.
"While batting it was a very tricky wicket. We were not aiming for 170, we were aiming around 145, (which we thought) was a good total on this wicket. But the way Hardik batted, scoring at a strike rate of more than 200, it changed the momentum for us and I guess we got 20-30 more.
"When Surya and me were batting, we weren't thinking of getting nine or ten runs an over. We were just trying to get those four-five crucial overs where we can set a good platform for Hardik and Pollard, and if we are set we can also carry on. So it was a crucial partnership in that particular moment," Krunal said at the post-match interview.
