IPL 2018 | We are very disappointed in the way we are going, says Shane Bond

Mumbai Indians are once again in a scenario where they have to win all their remaining six matches to keep their contention for a place in the playoffs. Given that they have performed this herculean task before, it isn’t something new for them. 

RCB posted a total of 168 against the defending champions on Tuesday, which seemed to be a below par score, given the small boundaries of the Chinnaswamy Stadium. So this loss has to be attributed to the batsmen for their inability to chase such a paltry target, however, Shane Bond thought that the bowlers could have done better. 

“We bowled 17 overs really well and we bowled three overs that were terrible, which cost us 60-65 runs. When you do that on a wicket that is difficult, it’s always going to make it tough,” pointed out Bond. “We saw in the previous games we bowled 17 good overs and had three bad overs, that has cost us games. You expect to go for runs with the quality of players and the size of grounds, but overs that go for 20-plus, they cost us games and it was the same today.”

Bond emphasized the need for bowling slower balls in the right areas on the slow track on Bangalore. He pointed out that they were punished whenever they missed their target. 

Mustafizur Rahman could have been a potent weapon on the slow wicket and in experts’ opinions would have been an automatic inclusion in the team. However, Shane Bond defended the team selection and pointed out that the bowlers did bowl well for 17 overs and were unlucky to leak that many runs in the remaining 3 overs. He was of the opinion that Fizz’s inclusion in the side would have made no difference.   

“We picked the team that won the last game (Kieron Pollard came in for an injured Evin Lewis in the only forced change). If anything, bowling becomes easier on a track like that because conditions favour you and as I said for 17 overs we were excellent and for three we weren’t. So I don’t think (playing Mustafizur would have been a better idea),” he said. 

“Nothing changes for us in the next games, whether we are in the tournament or out of the tournament,” the former New Zealand paceman said. “The motivation is there for the players, we are a franchise that we take a lot of pride in. The guys take a lot of pride in their performance, it’s an expectation from everyone that we turn up every day and give our best performances and the guys always do, they are always motivated.

“We have six games left that we have to win, all games, that’s what we have to do. I still believe when you look at our squad, we have key players who can win us six games in a row. We have done it in the past, I believe that we can, so we just have to take one game at a time and hopefully we can do that.”