Lucknow, Apr 22 (PTI): A distraught Lucknow Super Giants capatin Rishabh Pant did not have any answer for his team’s defence after a morale-crushing 40-run defeat against Lucknow Super Giants in an IPL match, other than accepting the responsibility that his side didn’t read the surface properly.
“I don’t have answers. Batting has let us down. We are disappointed as a team, as a group,” Pant said after his team were skittled out for 119 chasing a small 160-run target.
“You have to look for answers inside, not outside. We could have taken some time while batting. No excuses out there. Including myself, we could have taken it deeper. As a batting group, we have to put our hands up,” Pant offered a feeble explanation.
Mohammed Shami’s bowling effort stood out and Pant found that to be a silver lining.
“We have to look at positives. We have to keep our head high and look for answers inside. We have the firepower to turn the season around.” Rajasthan Royals skipper Riyan Parag knew that there was help off the surface.
“We knew it would swing, the lines and lengths they (Nandre Burger and Jofra Archer) bowled, impressive. The message on the groups have been very positive,” Riyan said after the match.
On his own poor show, Riyan said that he has been going through some personal crisis and the team stands firmly behind him.
“I had gone through something, even now I am going through something and everyone understands that,” he said.
Ravindra Jadeja, whose unbeaten 43 proved to be crucial, dedicated the award to his wife Rivaba, the current education minister of Gujarat, for her encouraging phone call ahead of the game.
“I want to dedicate the award to the education minister (wife Rivaba Jadeja) of Gujarat. She said yesterday that I will do well and I did.” He conceded that the wicket wasn’t easy for batting.
“Wicket was not easy to bat because the ball was seaming and swinging. I wanted to play long as much as I can. In T20 cricket, you never know last over you can cash in and we did.” He knew that Mayank Yadav is coming back after a long injury lay-off and wanted to attack him consciously, getting 20 off the final over.
“Not easy coming back from injury. I was just backing my strength. I was telling my partner to wait and go after the bowling.” His celebration after dismissing Nicholas Pooran and gesturing that he is in his “pocket” was well received by the supporters.
“The ball was gripping so I was thinking whether I should bowl quicker or slow. When bowling slow, I got some hold and that helped,” he said. PTI KHS KHS PDS
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