WI vs SA | Pooran and I failed the team by not controlling our aggression, admits Kieron Pollard

06/28/2021

West Indies skipper Kieron Pollard admitted that his side were ‘over-aggressive’ in the run-chase on Sunday, and asserted that he and Pooran let the team down by not controlling their aggression. Both Pooran and Pollard threw their wickets via lofted drives to hand the match to the Proteas.

The Temba Bavuma-led South African side produced a T20I clinic on Sunday as the Proteas bounced back from the hammering in the first T20I to level the series in Grenada. South Africa managed to score just six more (166) than what they did in the first match of the series, but a much-improved showing with the ball saw the Proteas register a 16-run victory to get off the mark in the five-match T20I series.

But as much as the Proteas’ victory was down to some clinical bowling, the visitors were also handed gifts aplenty by the hosts. The ‘cold’ version of the Windies was on display as the hosts imploded in their chase, slipping to 105-7 in the 17th over - courtesy of some mindless hitting - to throw the game away.

A lot of batsmen were to blame, but, speaking post-match, skipper Kieron Pollard singled out himself and Nicholas Pooran for their shot selection. Both Pooran and Pollard attempted aerial hits and perished, and the Windies skipper said that the duo let the team down by failing to control their aggression.

“I think we lost it between the 7th to the 11th over as we lost three wickets there. We are aggressive players by nature and that is no secret but myself and Pooran needed to control our aggression,” Pollard said on Sunday, reported Cricbuzz.

“We accept that for the team. Their spinners did a pretty good job. In the middle overs, may be we can rotate a little bit more.”

On the contrary, however, the Windies bowlers once again impressed. As was the case in the first T20I, the Proteas got off to a flyer, reaching 69/0 inside the powerplay, but the Windies bowlers pulled things back nicely to restrict the visitors to 166/7 at the end of 20 overs. Pollard expressed delight over the bowling unit firing in back-to-back matches.

“Second day in succession our bowlers coming up trumps for us. We knew they will come hard at us. It is always difficult to defend in the first 6 with only two guys outside. Was a matter of bowling some good balls and try to limit the boundaries as much as you can. Having said that, they got off to a flier. But we used the conditions well after that and were happy when we kept them to 166.”

The teams will have a day off, following which the third T20I will be played at the same venue on Tuesday, June 29.