IND vs WI | Conceding too many extras cost us the match, reckons Kieron Pollard
BCCI
West Indies skipper Kieron Pollard felt that his team conceeded too many extras and that is why they had to face defeat even after scoring a mammoth 207 in the first innings. In reply, India won by six wickets and with eight balls to spare with Virat Kohli unbeaten on 94 off just 50 balls.
Virat Kohli yet again put up a batting masterclass scoring 94 off just 50 balls in another India chase as the home side completed their highest successful chase in T20 cricket, reaching the target of 208. The West Indies bowlers were not disciplined enough, bowling too many wides and no-balls giving away 23 extras and skipper Kieron Pollard reckons that is where the game turned in India's favour.
“208 to defend, on any day you’d take that 10 out of 10 times. Where we lost the game was the extras and our bowling. Our execution was poor. If we had executed the plans we had spoken about, it would have been a different scenario despite the good batting wicket,” Pollard said in the post-match presentation ceremony.
There were some positives that the West Indies could take from the game, like the brilliant start given by Evin Lewis scoring 40 off just 17 balls and the partnership between Shimron Hetmyer and Pollard which propelled them in excess of 200 where the former scored a brilliant half-century.
“There are two areas in any game, and with the bat the guys were exceptional. There are a lot of positives to take from this game. Hetmyer and Lewis got back amongst the runs and that was quite satisfying, but we need to do the all-round basics right,” added Pollard.
The batting number of Pollard has always been a topic of debate whenever he has played for the Mumbai Indians in the IPL. In the one game that he captained the side in absence of Rohit Sharma, he came in to bat at number four and won the game for his team playing an unbelievable knock of 83. He believes that now since he himself is the skipper of the West Indies, he would know when exactly to come in to bat and he is hopeful of scoring crucial runs for the team.
“Hopefully I have an idea of when to come up the order as a captain, and in a pressure situation, it’s important to push yourself and it’s a pleasure to perform for your team any day and get them across the line,” he concluded.
