Ravindra Jadeja smashed an unbeaten 25 off 10 balls with the bat, and followed it up with a crucial spell of 1 for 21 to help Chennai Super Kings beat Sunrisers Hyderabad in their IPL 2020 match in Dubai.
Jadeja, the Man of the Match, said his plan - with both bat and ball - was simple.
IPL 2020 FULL COVERAGE | IPL 2020 SCHEDULE | IPL 2020 POINTS TABLE
“Very happy to contribute with both bat and ball. I was backing myself and I was only looking to see the ball and hit the ball without pre-planning," he said at the post-match presentation. “The wicket looks on the slower side so I was just looking to bowl into the stumps rather than give them room. It is a difficult wicket for batsmen. I take great pleasure in my fielding, and whenever I field, I always look for a good run-out or a catch for the team."
David Warner, the losing captain, said they might have needed an extra batsman in the chase. Chasing 168, SRH managed only 147 for 8 losing wickets at regular intervals through the innings.
IPL 2020 ORANGE CAP | IPL 2020 PURPLE CAP
“The wicket was on the slower side, I think we needed an extra batter. We tried to take it deep. You got one big boundary, so it’s not easy. You have to use all power to get boundaries here.
“We have to go back to the drawing board and work on few areas. I thought 160 was the right total to go after, but anything above 167 was always going to be difficult. Having 6-7 bowlers in the team helps. It’s difficult to play against bowlers who can swing the ball. There’s always a challenge in the powerplay, but you have to take on the bowlers. We need to monitor the wickets in the upcoming games and select the team accordingly. I think with our team and the depth that we have, we’re always going to be one short either way.
“The points table is always congested in the middle. You got to beat the best teams, to make it to the top. We’ll be facing the top teams in the next few days, so I’m up for the challenge and so are the other guys."
Get all the IPL news and Cricket Score here