Sir Ravindra Jadeja after yesterdays match...

It was Ravindra Jadeja’s golden arm that wrested the advantage from the Mumbai Indians and tilted the match in Chennai Super Kings favour in the first Qualifier of the Pepsi Indian Premier League 2013.

The left-arm spinner who has began the 2012-13 season with record breaking knocks in the domestic circuit has been in the news for his bowling on the international circuit since making his Test debut late last year.

His artistry with the ball has continued into the shortest format of the game. In the crucial game at the Feroz Shah Kotla, the 24-year old finished with 4-0-31-3 which included the key wickets ofDwayne Smith, Dinesh Karthik and Kieron Pollard to help his team book a place in the final.

Although they had been set a 193-run formidable target, Rohit Sharma’s MI were coasting towards the target with Dwayne Smith leading the chase. And with MI on 86 for one after eight overs, ahead of CSK who were 55/1 at the stage, Jadeja struck in his first over to claim Dwayne Smith and followed it up with the wicket of MI’s man in form, Dinesh Karthik.

The left-arm spinner then finished his quota of overs with the all important wicket of Kieron Pollard to put his team in the driver’s seat.

While speaking to IPLT20.com later, Jadeja spoke about the plan to send back both the West Indians who were capable of snatching the game away from CSK.

Excerpts from the interview:

Given the way MI was cruising towards the target what was your plan when handed the ball?

I was thinking that taking a wicket at that point in the match was very crucial. The way they had begun and were well place placed in the first ten overs, they were going very well. Getting a couple of wickets at that time was very crucial and that is what we did. Luckily we got Dwayne Smith (in the ninth over) and then Dinesh Karthik. It was a very crucial time for us and we took two wickets and from there on put pressure on them.

How did you plan the wickets?

The plan was to bowl in good areas and not give boundaries because the format is such that if the batsmen don’t get boundaries then obviously there are chances of getting wickets. So that is what we were trying for; to get a breakthrough and then put pressure on them because they were in a very good position. In the first ten overs they were on 92 for two. We made a good comeback from there and in the last five overs all the bowlers bowled well.

How important was Kieron Pollard’s wicket?

Very! It was very important because in this format he has been very successful and can hit a six easily when required. And after he got out it seemed like the Mumbai Indians were all out. So that situation had come about. It is important to claim their two-three key players and that is what we did on Tuesday.

You get wickets at crucial junctures in a match. What is the key to your success? 

Depending on the situation and speaking to Mahi bhai (MS Dhoni) I try to bowl. He tells me what can happen and how the wicket is assisting. And that is the advantage that we try to take. After ten overs the ball was not coming on to the bat. So we were trying to bowl slow deliveries and in the right areas so that they don’t get boundaries.

Which was your favourite wicket today?

Obviously Pollard’s wicket! If he had stayed at the crease longer than maybe we would even have lost the game. Thankfully we got his wicket at the right time when we needed it.

Michael Hussey’s contribution has been vital to the team’s success. Your thoughts

He has given us very good starts when opening, with stands of 50 plus. In the middle overs too he rotates the strike and it is a very good thing that we have got an opener like him. It is good that he has contributed so well throughout the season and we hope in the final too he plays a good long innings and helps the team win.

There were a lot of CSK supporters at the stadium waving yellow flags, giving a you the feeling of home a crowd. Your thoughts 

We have been champions and have been doing well for so many years and we have a lot of fan support. We will try and win it for our fans. That is the only gift we can give to them. They come into the stadiums and support us in all sorts of weather so we hope that we can give them that gift.

What was your planning for Pollard?

He is strong on the on-side, leg-side. The plan was to bowl to him outside off and make him stretch for his big shots. I was trying to keep the ball outside his reach and also was bowling slow to that he struggles with his timing.

And what was the plan for Smith who was well settled at the crease?

The same was for Smith because in that innings the sixes that he hit were over mid-wicket and mid-on. So our effort was to bowl to both of them outside the off-stump because he doesn’t play much over covers or the cut shot. The idea was to bowl to him in that area and give him one run and get the other batter on strike.

How are you feeling not getting much of an opportunity with the bat yet?

I am waiting that whenever I get the opportunity I should be able to make a good contribution to the team. But actually if I don’t get to bat, it means top three-four batsmen are doing well and it helps the team win. I am ready to bat whenever the opportunity presents itself I will try to help the team to get into a good position and win. If I get batting in the final I will focus and try to play my game.

Raina's sayings after yesterdays match...

I have enjoyed batting with Hussey: Raina

Coming to the party at the fall of the first wicket, Suresh Raina smashed a whirlwind 42-ball 82 in an unbroken 140-run stand with Michael Hussey to set the game up for the Chennai Super Kings. The south-paw has been a consistent performer for the MS Dhoni-led side along with the left-handed opener for the team in the Pepsi Indian Premier League 2013. 

With his swashbuckling innings, interspersed with five boundaries and sixes each, Raina who has amassed 548 runs from 17 games so far helped put CSK in a commanding position after MS Dhoni opted to bat first. The youngster who has been part of the franchise since the inception of the tournament spoke about the key to the team’s success as they stake their claim to the trophy for the third time. 

After beating the Mumbai Indians at the Feroz Shah Kotla to book a place in the IPL final for the fifth time in six seasons, Raina spoke to IPLT20.com about his innings and the Chennai Super Kings. 

Excerpts from the interview:

On his innings 

It is important how you bat under pressure. And I have always enjoyed batting with (Michael) Hussey. He is such a nice player, and is amazing when it comes to delivering in pressure situations. I have learnt a lot from him in the middle. The batting is coming good now and hope we do well in one more game (final). 

On whether the plan was that Hussey holds up one end while he attacks?

No nothing like that. I am an experienced player so I knew that I had responsibility on me and when you do well under pressure like I have done before; when you deliver when given the responsibility it feels good. But the plan was the more we bat till the end the better. And since both of us are left-hand batsmen and they have Mitchell Johnson and Harbhajan Singh and their overs were over. (Pragyan) Ojha had to bowl. And since we have had good partnerships in recent games we are used to batting together and hopefully in the coming match also we can do well. 

On the six off Lasith Malinga

I knew he would bowl a Yorker. He didn’t have any other option and when the Yorker is not perfect and if you get a full toss then it gets hit. That is my strength and I have been playing against Malinga for a few years now and have been successful against him in one-dayers, and also in Sri Lanka. I have played many games against him so I know his game plan. But he is a big player and the pressure is there. Tuesday was my day and I was successful. On his day he will do well. 

On it not just being about luck but the planning and work involved in his consistent performances

Yes there is hard work and prayers of the family and blessings of the fans. You feel good when you do well for your team and (Stephen) Fleming feels happy, Hussey feels happy, skipper feels happy. All these senior players are happy. Everyone’s emotions are attached because it could be the last year for some players and then there will be a new season. But when the team is together as a unit it gives strength and everyone enjoys each others success. Today I did well, Hussey and Jadeja did well. The success mantra of our team is that we enjoy each other’s success. 

Having lost both league matches to MI what was the plan in Qualifier 1?

Stephen Fleming has said that we had lost both the matches to MI in league so Tuesday it was important that we balance it. It was a pressure game for both teams. We are playing in Delhi, a different venue for both, support is fifty-fifty. But at the same time I have played in this region and spent a lot of time here, so that helped. In a pressure game whoever gets tense first will lose the battle. But they are good side and they have one more game to go. Hopefully it will be good if we get to play the final against them in Kolkata.

On the importance of mental strength to succeeding in T20 and in crucial matches

More than mental toughness I would say it is all about fitness. How you enjoy on the field. You see how each and everyone is improving their game, fitness is important. I believe in hard work. One has to go out there and field and bring in energy into the team. I have always played like that. If you are low on the inside your best doesn’t come out. When the intensity is good then you get to see quality cricket. The skipper also feels what we have discussed is happening. Twenty20 is all about your fitness, all about your approach to the game. People feel twenty overs is less time but this is high intensity cricket. It is not easy at all. 

On the key to CSK’s success in tough and crucial games

Flemings way of thinking is amazing. He has played over hundred Tests and he knows when you are losing and when you are succeeding. What to do off the field. I am learning a lot from him. And then MS Dhoni (who has done so well for India) and the youngsters in the team are doing well. And everyone cares about each other. Our support staff, Greg King and Tommy are doing much for the team despite various difficulties, some at the personal level. It is a kind of sacrifice. And when you sacrifice something is only when God gives you something. And we I think that is what we have done, our franchise and our support staff. 

On Michael Hussey’s role

A big role! He has got the Orange Cap. He is a very humble guy. He thinks for the team and it is good. On CSK having match winning players who have always performed when needed. God has been kind. When you get the opportunity you have to perform in a pressure situation. As a professional cricketer, the coach, captain, franchise and team all expect that you do well. So when someone performs the expectations from that person increases and I like that. Hope we do well in the next game as well.

On CSK being in the IPL final for the fifth time

It has been a very good effort by the team and especially our coaching staff. We have done well and feel good now. There is one more game to go. There are three days in between so there will be a lot of thinking going on. We have a lot of hard work to do. The Kolkata wicket is not easy, you will have to work hard. I hope if we practice there for a day it will help. God willing things will be good. Let us see what happens.

Todays Match..

                                                 Sunrisers Hyderabad  v/s  Rajasthan Royals
 
                                                               Preview of the match...

The second of the Pepsi IPL 2013 Playoff matches – the Eliminator – will feature the Rajasthan Royals and Sunrisers Hyderabad. While the Rajasthan Royals finished the regular season third in the standings, Sunrisers Hyderabad clinched their final league match of the season to nudge ahead of the Royal Challengers Bangalore and finish fourth in the table. Both teams have been invincible – or close to invincible – while playing at home. Rahul Dravid’s Rajasthan Royals won all eight of their home games and managed two more wins on the road, while Sunrisers Hyderabad won seven of their eight home matches and won three more on the road. Sunrisers Hyderabad will definitely be the more of the confident teams heading into this contest. They defeated the Royals in emphatic fashion at Hyderabad recently and followed it up with a flourish in their match against the Kolkata Knight Riders in their last league match.

DAY , DATE & TIME...
Wednesday, May 22, 2013, 8 p.m

VENUE
Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium, Delhi

THE PROTAGONISTS

The one player in both teams who can run away with the game single-handedly is Rajasthan Royals’ Shane Watson. Watson is not only about runs and overs; his inclusion in the RR XI gives the team the flexibility of using him in a variety of batting positions and an experienced head to tide through difficult situations. 

The Australian has already demolished SRH once this season (at Jaipur when he scored a breezy 98 not out to power RR to a convincing win) and will be expecting a similar show yet again. Either, Rahul Dravid or Ajinkya Rahane will be expected to bat through the innings.

On the bowling front, RR will need James Faulkner to do the job he has done for them right through the season. In the two matches against Sunrisers Hyderabad in particular, Faulkner has destructed the SRH batting line-up all-by-himself, picking up a five-wicket haul in both matches. RR fans will be hopeful of a similar performance.

Sunrisers Hyderabad are in the Playoffs mostly because their bowlers have won them matches. While Dale Steyn, Ishant Sharma, Amit Mishra and Karan Sharma will be expected to do the same again, there will also be pressure on the likes of Shikhar Dhawan and Cameron White to get amongst the runs. 

Dhawan has played entertaining knocks, but given how much rides on this match he will be expected to play a big innings. Skipper White has not contributed too much in the last couple of games, and given that he is the most experienced batsman in the team, he will be expected to contribute with a big score.

PREVIOUS MEETINGS

The Rajasthan Royals and Sunrisers Hyderabad have met twice previously, and on both occasions the hosts held their own. In the first meeting at Jaipur, powered by Shane Watson’s unbeaten 98, Rajasthan Royals chased down the target of 145 with 13 balls to spare. In the second meeting, hosts Sunrisers Hyderabad posted a modest 136 on the board and successfully defended it, restricting the visitors to 113 for 9 in their 20 overs.

TRIVIA

Sunrisers Hyderabad have posted the fewest 50-run partnerships this season - 8 Sunrisers Hyderabad have posted the fewest 50s of all the teams this season - 7 Rajasthan Royals have conceded the most wides this season – 87. They’ve bowled a total of 71 wide deliveries in their 16 matches so far. Off the 9 times Rajasthan Royals have batted first this season, they have gone on to win seven matches. On the other hand, Sunrisers Hyderabad have won six of their eight run-chases.

WHAT'S NEXT

The winner of this clash will travel to Kolkata to take on the loser of Qualifier 1 on May 24, while the losers will pack their bags and head back home hopeful of going the distance next season