Champions League beckons us next - Jayasuriya | Mauler's Notes IPL 2010

The final result will be known by the time this article appears, but something tells me that we will be on the right side of the result. Getting into the semifinals and now the final for the first time has been a big thrill for all of us, particularly the final because we now are also going to be part of the Champions League T20 later this year.

It was one of the first things that struck many of us, and we as a team are confident that we will do as well in the CLT20 as we have in this tournament. Last year it was felt that the IPL teams were not as well-knit as the other teams because those teams played as a unit right through the year. The IPL teams, according to many experts, looked like an assortment of players rather than a team.

I can tell you that this Mumbai Indians team has really gelled well, and we have great team spirit and camaraderie within the unit. Speaking from the cricketing point of view, we know we have a side that has a good variety in its foreign players and a lot of talent within the Indian players. Our bowling is also one of the strongest in the IPL and I
am confident that we have the quality to take on the best teams in the world.

Royal Challengers Bangalore and Chennai Super Kings are the other two sides that have made the cut for the CLT20 and I am sure they are also pretty chuffed about representing the IPL in this tournament.

I like the concept of domestic champions playing each other because it is a good way to judge the bench strength of various national teams. It also gives domestic teams all over the world an added incentive to play for when they turn out for their domestic T20 tournament. It’s a concept that will only grow in the future.

Coming back to Mumbai, we now know that the tournament will be held in South Africa, and that’s pretty good news for us because we have a good pace attack in the form of Zaheer Khan and Lasith Malinga. They will be a handful for the opposition on the hard bouncy tracks. It will also be a good exposure for our young Indian batsmen who have been exceptional in this tournament, as it will give them a good exposure on different tracks.

Mumbai Indians will now be going from strength to strength and our strong showing at the IPL this year is only the start of the great future this franchise has. We plan to move ahead as a team and CLT20 is our next target.

 

- SANATH JAYASURIYA

We’re favourites, but can’t be complacent - Jayasuriya | Mauler's Notes IPL 2010

After two years we’ve reached an IPL final and everyone in the franchise is determined we top six fantastic weeks with the winners’ crown. There is a lot of confidence in the squad, and we now hold our destiny in our own hands.

If we play with the commitment, discipline, intelligence and skill that has been the hallmark of our cricket this season, we should win. We deserve the favourites tag by virtue of our performance and we should be proud of that. However, we can’t afford to be complacent. In T20 cricket everything rests on performance.

You can have the best team with the most in-form players on any given day, yet you can lose if you don’t perform. We all realise this.

 

- SANATH JAYASURIYA

Sachin will be tempted to play Jayasuriya

With the semi-final line up ready, it boils down to have one bad game to crash out of the tournament and the team that overcomes the fear of failure, will end on the winning side. Bangalore and Mumbai have had chequered fortunes leading into the semi-finals. While Mumbai have been consistent and surging ahead riding on the supreme form of Sachin Tendulkar with the bat, same does apply in case of others From a Mumbai Indian standpoint, the inexperience in the middle order and the fickle form of JP Duminy and Keiron Pollard will give aggravate the anxiety of skipper Tendulkar, while Shikhar Dhawan has thorn his wicket after getting decent starts.

Skipper Tendulkar might just be tempted to unleash Sanath Jayasuriya, apart from winning the match single-handedly on his day; he also offers slow left arm spin to make scoring difficult for the batsman. A good tight spell in the middle overs might just be the difference between winning and loosing, given his vast experience at the international level.

Hope playing in Mumbai will work to our advantage- Jayasuriya | Mauler's Notes IPL 2010

After two seasons of underperforming, we were all determined to reach the semifinals of IPL 3. All the hard work and commitment has paid off and now we have a chance to go all the way. During the past few weeks we’ve played some topclass cricket and no one can deny that we deserve to be in the top four. We are really confident and we believe we have what it takes to beat Bangalore on Wednesday evening.

It’s important for us now to enjoy ourselves. Over the years I have been fortunate enough to play several big semi-finals and finals for Sri Lanka and we’ve always believed that we need to have fun. There is no point in putting pressure on ourselves. We need to express ourselves fully and play our natural game.

There is so much talent in this Mumbai Indians team and we need to trust ourselves, and each other, to perform.One other reason we have to be confident is our team spirit and unity. Unlike some franchises who have struggled to gel this season, we are like a family.

Everyone is committed to the team. That is very important. This is something that has been strength of Sri Lanka for a long time. It is one of reasons why we have often beaten higher profile teams. If you are all pulling in one direction and if you are all crystal clear about your team role, winning is easier. Our confidence, however, should not allow us to be complacent. Bangalore are a very strong side with some extremely dangerous players within their ranks and we will need to be at our very best.

Hopefully, the change in venue will work to our advantage. They’ll be disappointed to not be playing at home as expected on a pitch tailor-made for their attack and in front of a boisterous home crowd. History suggests that we can expect an excellent pitch with possibly some spin. I am sure the batsmen will be able to play their strokes and we should be in for an entertaining contest.

 

- SANATH JAYASURIYA

I’m keen to mark my return with big score - Jayasuriya | Mauler's Notes IPL 2010

OUR Sunday night win against Rajasthan has all but guaranteed our place in the semi-finals, but this Twenty20 format is all about momentum. We are determined to keep winning so we are in the best shape possible come next week’s knock-out phase.

Nevertheless we can allow ourselves some satisfaction for a job well done so far. After two disappointing years we’ve really bounced back this year and played some topclass cricket. We’ve played as a unit and all three facets of the game have gelled.

Having put together a good total, our bowlers have been the best in the tournament. Against Rajasthan we were really clinical. The fast bowlers were terrific up front, especially Zaheer in his first spell. The fielding was also good with catches sticking and a couple of run outs.

On a personal note it was really disappointing to not get a start against Rajasthan. I had been really looking forward to getting a chance back in the playing XI and I was desperate to mark my return with a big score. Hopefully, if I play, that score will come on Tuesday. If we play to our potential, we’ll be difficult to beat at home.

 

- SANATH JAYASURIYA

Jayasuriya back in the Mumbai Indians' squad

Unity is our team strength - Sanath Jayasuriya | Mauler's Notes IPL 2010

 

- SANATH JAYASURIYA

OUR seven-wicket defeat to Royal Challengers on Saturday night was obviously disappointing, but we just have to dust ourselves down, learn what we can from the loss and focus on our next challenge: a very tough game against Kolkata Knight Riders on Monday.

The beauty about this Mumbai Indians team is that we are very close. It’s like a family this year with everyone united. We are all supporting each other and we’re all focused on the team’s goals. That is very important when you are playing in a competition like this.

The big turning point in our defeat to the Royal Challengers was that disastrous 11th over of the innings when we lost Rayudu, Sachin and Bravo, slumping from 74 for three to 76 for six. We’d also struggled a little bit at the start of the innings with me departing early. So it was a shame that I could not stay with Sachin and build a big opening partnership.

Sanath knows what is good for him - Robin Singh

The poor form of Sanath Jayasuriya notwithstanding, Mumbai Indians coach Robin Singh today threw his weight behind the Sri Lankan and said he would soon bounce back and rediscover the lost rythm.

"Sanath is a seasoned cricketer and he knows what is best for him. It is a question of getting him motivated to play his role," Singh told reporters ahead of encounter against Kolkata Knight Riders here tomorrow.

The Matara marauder has got out cheaply scoring 23, 7 and 2 in his team's previous three matches.

Terming the shot selection of the batsmen against Royal Challengers Bangalore as bad, Singh hoped that the team will be more careful with the choice of their shots in the next game.

"I think we were just bad. I hope the guys will be more focused and probably be more careful about shot selection," he said.
Asked whether the team had any plans for Chris Gayle, Singh said, "Not really thought about it, we are just focusing on what we want to do and what team we want to play."

"(It) hardly matters (how big a hitter Gayle is). There are many big hitters in the tournament," he added.

(Source)

[VIDEO] Jayasuriya speaks about his Future, IPL 3 & Kieron Pollard

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In an exclusive Interview to Star group while playing IAT20 Olam Cup in Singapore, Sanath Jayasuriya speaks about his future plans & IPL 3.

Jayasuriya is pleased to see the addition of Kieron Pollard into Mumbai Indians squad. He said MI's primary goal this IPL would be to reach the semi-finals.

When asked about life after retirement, he did say he's not that keen on coaching at the higher level even though he has been coaching youngsters.

Jayasuriya said, he's happy to have been an employee of a bank in Sri Lanka and managing his business.

[Video] Sanath Jayasuriya Speaks to Idea Customers

We want Sachin to bat for a longer period - Sanath Jayasuriya | Interview

The story of Indian Premier League season two has been the phenomenal performances from cricket's old horses. While the retired Matthew Hayden holds the 'orange cap' for most runs in IPL2, Adam Gilchirst has most dismissals as wicket keeper. Sachin Tendulkar and Sanath Jayasuriya have smashed bowlers all over the park and just when everyone said Twenty20 cricket is for young guns, these men have proved many wrong.

In what is pitted as the battle for the semi final spot, Mumbai Indians star batsman Sanath Jayasuriya speaks to us.

It is said that T20 is about youth, you think that theory has been proved wrong?

I think all the seniors have proved that IPL is not just for youngsters and they are still performing well. I am very happy to play this format of cricket and perform well. I think experience counts a lot; we have played [a] lot of cricket. The key is to adjust in such conditions. All the senior and experienced players are doing well and because of them [the] younger lot is also trying to do well.

Do you reckon foreign conditions to be the main reason why the seniors are shining in IPL2?

Obviously, it counts a lot when you play cricket away from home. Seniors have toured South Africa over 4 to 5 times and that experience comes in handy [in] such conditions during this time of the year as compared to our part of world. So I think most players who toured South Africa have adjusted themselves earlier than [the] younger lot who find these conditions tough to play.

Seniors are important, but can one deny that T20 is for quick players and fresh legs?

It was proved last year that seniors are important and even this year some old players have played well. But I must admit that youngsters have been impressive this season. Even with the tournament being held in South Africa young guys have chipped in which is good for cricket. You need a good blend of experience and young energy.

Why have we not seen more of Sanath and Sachin at the top of the innings opening together?

Well, it was decided to promote Bravo up the order. He was keen to open the innings and it was a good gamble. He played a brilliant knock first up and helped us win a crucial game. Tendulkar's experience in middle order is needed; it comes handy during chases as he will look to seal the game for us if he gets going.

How do you and Sachin plan your innings when you guys step out together?

We always bat to a plan. Whoever sees the ball early on goes for the big hits. Some days it can be Sachin or other days it could be me going after the bowling. We just try to bat our natural game. We want Sachin to bat for longer period.

You think Mumbai Indians are too dependent on both of you?

Sachin will punish lose deliveries but try to stay till the end. It gives more confidence to the players when Sachin is out there in the middle for 10-12 overs. Duminy can play sheet anchor in the middle order. These two play a crucial role while others can rally around.

It's a big game on Thursday, Rajasthan Royals will also be looking for a win to seal semi final berth, but do you think it is "Advantage Mumbai"?

Well, we have the momentum; the mood is good in the camp. But in Twenty20 cricket all opposition are tough. Rajasthan Royals have been struggling in this tournament and with Warne injured, they have to work hard. I expect it to be a tough battle.

Any targets this season you have set for IPL2?

Last year I had a good IPL, I want to just contribute and keep it same. It is important that Mumbai Indians continue winning at the same time. I want to perform big. We need to try hard and look to achieve the first objective of reaching the semi final stage. We will try and go few steps ahead and put up good show this season surely but semi final is our first target.

Kulkarni has filled in very well for Zaheer | Column by Sanath Jayasuriya

POWER POINT

SANATH JAYASURIYA ON MUMBAI INDIANS’ PROSPECTS

THE win against Bangalore on the weekend was an important lifeline for the Mumbai Indians, keeping us in the chase for the semifinals. Hopefully, by the time you read this we’ll have built on that with a win against Kings XI Punjab, but even if we don’t, the equation remains the same: we have to win our last three games.

We know only too well we’ve been underachieving thus far in the tournament. However, what I also know is that we have the class and temperament to win this tournament. If we can fight our way into the semifinals, our tough run in qualification might just turn out to be an advantage. We will be battle hardened and used to performing under pressure.

The big positive from the weekend was our top-order batting. We lost Sachin (Tendulkar) early but we did not panic. The promotion of Ajinkya Rahane worked beautifully. He is a talented cricketer and I’ve been really impressed with him. He has the strokes and his nimble feet against the spinners were a treat to watch.

The 104-run partnership between JP Duminy— who was brilliant once again—and Rahane was just what we needed. We did not set our sights too high and our 158-run target was always going to be competitive as long as we bowled well. In the end, although the margin of victory was just 16 runs, we won quite comfortably.

Another exciting young Indian talent, Dhawal Kulkarni, led the way with some miserly seam bowling. Replacing the injured Zaheer Khan, one of the leading bowlers in the world during the past year, is no easy thing. But he showed a good head for a young 20-year-old and responded brilliantly to the pressure.

Much of the IPL’s media focus is on the overseas players or India’s big name players, but ultimately one of the most exciting things about the tournament is the global platform it gives for India’s upcoming players. It gives the likes of Ajinkya and Dhawal a chance to showcase the talent and also a perfect arena to hone their skills and gather precious experience. This will be a huge plus for India in the coming years.

From our perspective, it is wonderful to see them flourish for the Mumbai Indians and I hope they continue in the next week. Certainly, after the weekend, the mood in the camp has been upbeat and determined. We know we have the ability. We just have to focus on delivering that potential at the right time.

I am ready to rise to the challenge | Column by Sanath Jayasuriya

POWER POINT

SANATH JAYASURIYA ON HIS RESPONSIBILITIES

MUMBAI Indians continue to perform below expectations even as we enter the last 10 days of the tournament. However, in tournaments like these you must not make the cardinal mistake of panicking. Things are not clicking, but it takes only one spark to change things around.

Last year we started dreadfully, but then found our feet and nearly clinched a semifinal berth. This year we are again behind the leaders, but our tournament is far from over with four games remaining after the game against the Royal Challengers.

I’d expect eight wins to guarantee a semifinal berth and seven wins to be sufficient for us considering that we also picked up a point from a “no result’’. Last year that was exactly what lifted Delhi above us into the knock-out stages.

After our win in Port Elizabeth, we need three wins out of four matches against Kings XI, Jaipur, Chennai and Delhi. All good teams, but so are we when we play to our potential.

The first of these clashes against Kings XI Punjab will be an intriguing battle. They’ve struggled a little bit of late with their bowling, especially in the latter overs, but they did a far better job against Team Hyderabad and the return of Brett Lee, a talismanic figure, is obviously good for them.

They’ll be worried though about the fitness of Mahela (Jayawardene). He has visibly grown in confidence as the tournament has progressed and he now has a very cool head which allows him to marshal their middle order. If his hamstring injury is serious, it would be a huge blow. Whether Mahela plays or not though, they have some dangerous players. We have not seen Luke Pomersbach in this year’s event, but he is a big hitter and cannot be underestimated. Then they have proven match winners like Yuvraj and Sanga.

For us, the key will be more batting support for JP (Duminy). He has been the cornerstone of our batting but the rest of the top and middle order have not provided sufficient back-up. Some of that responsibility will fall on me and I feel ready to rise to that challenge. The management went for a new strategy on Friday night and left me out. As a player, that was disappointing.

Sanath, Sachin should continue to open : Lalchand Rajput

Former Mumbai Indians coach Lalchand Rajput believes that the team could still make it to the semis provided the opening combination of Tendulkar and Jayasuriya is not disturbed.

"Sanath and Sachin are world class openers and on their day they can win matches single handedly. A few failures in the early part of the tournament should not tempt the team’s think-tank to change this combination because I am sure they will come good soon and start performing continuously”, Rajput told Cricketnext.com on Monday.

"Sanath, when on song, is a nightmare to the best of bowlers and if both Sachin and Sanath start firing on all cylinders, no bowling side in the world will be able to contain them and to disturb such a combination will only be disastrous to the Mumbai Indians. The team management should have little patience," the former Indian coach added.

"Moreover, most of the matches the Mumbai Indians lost were very close matches and could have gone either way. So this is not the time to panic and unsettle the team by making changes at the top but to be patient and reassure the players that everything was fine and the team management would back the openers to the hilt," Rajput observed.

"If at all the think-tank wants to experiment with new openers, than they should do so against teams which are languishing at the bottom of the table like Kolkata Knight Riders so that even if the new pair flop not much damage would have been done to the team’s position on the points table," Rajput added.

For team's sake, Jayasuriya finds himself in dugout | DROP ZONE

There was a sense of disbelief around the ground when the Mumbai Indians team-list was announced on Friday. No one could believe their ears — Sanath Jayasuriya had been dropped.

Welcome to the cruel world of the Indian Premier League, where reputations don’t always count. It doesn’t matter if you’re a superstar; if you’re not in form or not falling into the scheme of things, dugout is the only place where you can be on match day.

Jayasuriya’s is not a case in isolation. Team Hyderabad had no qualms in dropping VVS Laxman for a couple of games, while Team Delhi are playing Dutchman Dirk Nannes and Amit Mishra ahead of superstars Glen Mc-Grath and Daniel Vettori game after game.

Mumbai Indians captain Sachin Tendulkar didn’t try to
hide the fact that Jayasuriya had actually been dropped. “It wasn’t easy but those are the calls that you’ve got to take from time to time. Shaun (Pollock) and me went up to him and said that he had to sit out this game and he accepted that,’’ Tendulkar explained.

The general feeling is that Mumbai Indians have only three match-winning batsmen and Jayasuriya is one of them. Tendulkar differed. “The bowlers have played a role in us winning the three games... And we felt, Luke (Ronchi) was the man in form,’’ was Tendulkar’s candid response.

It is precisely the same with Team Delhi, who are not playing McGrath and Vettori while Paul Collingwood has gone back without a game. “Are there any more interviews to give? Because that’s the only thing I have been doing since I have come here... I have no place to play,’’ McGrath reportedly told a Delhi official.

It’s understood that he, like Vettori, is a touch disappointed, but there’s little he can do but take it in his stride. “We know they’re great players, but at the end of the day it’s the winning momentum that matters and nothing else,’’ Delhi skipper Gautam Gambhir said. He makes it clear that the ultimate aim is to make the semifinals and for that they always have to look for the right combination instead of the right names.

“Getting the combination right is of paramount importance and I think that the players who are at their best are playing,’’ Gambhir pointed out.

The Team Delhi stand-in skipper didn’t seem too apologetic about his team’s decision, but Hyderabad captain Adam Gilchrist was when he had to ask VVS Laxman to sit out. “It was extremely difficult for me to go and tell VVS that he was not playing the game. But there was no other alternative,’’ said Gilchrist, who has had the opportunity of watching from behind the stumps those fantastic knocks that VVS played against Australia.

The Aussie ‘keeper, like the others, feel these greats sitting out may well have to play important roles in the games to come. It’s to be seen whether, after warming the benches for so long, they can come out and deliver straight away. If they get a chance that is!

Our batting hasn’t been consistent | Column by Sanath Jayasuriya

POWER POINT

SANATH JAYASURIYA ON CONTRIBUTING MORE

DESPITE Mumbai Indians having one of the best-balanced teams in the tournament, we are making hard work of our qualification to the semifinals. There is still time, but the loss against Team Hyderabad on Wednesday was a blow. We should have won that game.

I thought our seam bowlers did a terrific job to restrict Hyderabad to 145 for 6, especially as we were missing Zaheer (Khan) with a shoulder injury. Dhawal Kulkarni did brilliantly though as his replacement, snaring Gibbs early and conceding just 21 runs from his four overs. However, our batting, not for the first time, has not been consistent enough. We have usually had one or two players settle down, but we are not performing as a unit. The top-order of Team Chennai and Team Delhi have performed as a unit and we have to do the same.

Credit to RP Singh, though. He was been superb for Team Hyderabad this season and fully deserves his place in India’s T20 squad for England. Without obvious straining, he hits the pitch, bowling a heavy ball, and gets some movement. He can be a real handful.

Once again, after RP’s double strike to dismiss Sachin and me, it was JP Duminy who calmly re-built the innings. The more I see of him the more I’m impressed. He has been our leading scorer by a distance and our biggest failure is not being able to support him.

Dropping Sanath Jayasuriya was foolish | MI Blunder

It was absolutely shocking when MI announced a squad dropping Sanath Jayasuriya from the playing XI against a formidable Delhi Dare Devils team.

The opening pair of Sanath Jayasuriya and Sachin Tendulkar had only added 48 for the first wicket in their last four matches. The pitch ed encouraging for batting, and with the short boundaries, and then came this news which put me into total disbelief - "Sanath Jayasuriya was dropped".

Well this is what Sachin had to say on Dropping Sanath - "Well I know it is tough. But sometimes you have to take certain calls. For both me and Shaun, it was not a easy call. We know Sanath and he took it sportingly. It was a tough call for us and Luke was picked ahead of him. "

And what did his replacement Luke Ronchi do? God out for a golden duck. Not to blame him though.Mohd. Ashraful would've been a better choice than him. Sanath cant win the games for M all the time. Its the middle order and tail enders who have to step up, except Duminy, and Bravo no on seems like they've played cricket before.Others need to step up and not rely only on openers. Players aren't stepping up. They need to win the next game to even have a chance in the semis.

Jayasuriya who was responsible for Mumbai Indians success last year with both bat and ball and even this year with 2 back to back 50's and some crucial wickets whenever he gets the chance to bowl has been dropped from the side for which he dedicated so much.

This is so impossible to believe Jayasuriya, who is the best limited overs player in the modern era has been dropped from the side in such an important fixture and taking his place in this all important match is a rookie from australia called luke ronchi I mean a huge round of applause for Sachin Tendulkar for swapping Jayasuriya with a rookie in this all important match.

As captain, Tendulkar had let his team down big time. First the decision to drop Jayasuriya for Ronchi, to promote the in-form Duminy as opener and then to bowl the crucial 16th over - all had failed and no wonder Mumbai had gone down so easily.

It will be nice learning lesson for MI, specially Tendulkar so next time when he made a list of playing 11 he'll remember the fact that its Jayasuriya who holds the key to their success.

- Opinions expressed by Sanath community members on Orkut.com

Closeness of the competition has added to its charm | Column by Sanath Jayasuriya

POWER POINT

SANATH JAYASURIYA ON THE TRENDS IN IPL 2

THE half-way point of the second IPL has passed with seven out of eight teams still in contention for the semifinals. Unlike in international cricket where the divide between the top eight teams in the world can be quite wide, the closeness of this competition and the resulting tension and excitement has helped make this IPL a huge success.

When the IPL was relocated there were understandable concerns. Playing in front of Indian crowds is a thrill for the players and a great spectacle. If this event was played out in front of empty stands it would have been a real blow. But South Africa’s love of sport has saved the IPL. Not all matches have been sellouts, but the crowds have been large and the atmosphere brilliant.

In short, the IPL has spread itself beyond India and that raises the obvious question: should more IPL matches be played overseas in the future too? I am sure Lalit Modi has begun thinking about the future already. The problem, though, is how much the tournament can be internationalised without it becoming a logistical nightmare.

It would be nice to play a couple of games at Lord’s, for example, but the long-haul flights and jetlag would create problems. We might see matches in Dubai and Colombo too. It’s also interesting to see some different trends. The most important one is the impact of the spinners.

While there are only three spinners among the top 10 wicket-takers, of the four most economical bowlers, three are M Muralitharan, Pragyan Ohja and Anil Kumble! Another trend is the domination of overseas batsmen. In 2008, five out of the top 10 batters were Indians.

This year only Suresh Raina, Sachin Tendulkar and Yuvraj Singh are there. There are two possible reasons; either conditions are favouring non-Indian players, or franchises are packing their top-order with more overseas players. The latter explanation is backed up by another interesting stats: Indian bowlers have been among wickets. Seven out of the top 10 wicket-takers are Indians.

The likes of R P Singh, Ohja, Irfan Pathan, Ashish Nehra, Ishant Sharma and Balaji have had an excellent run, a great sign for India as they look towards the World Twenty20.

Time to get ruthless | Column by Sanath Jayasuriya

POWER POINT

MI Will Have To Cut Down On Errors As Contest Hots Up

SANATH JAYASURIYA ON MUMBAI INDIANS’ CHALLENGES

AT the moment the Mumbai Indians are blowing hot and cold. We are doing lots of things right and there have been lots of positives in the first half of the tournament, but with the players and the management team we have, it is naturally disappointing to be in the lower half of the points table.

However, it is crucial that we stay cool and remain focused on each game. Such is the nature of this tournament, with seven teams jockeying for semifinal berths, that every game is like a final. There is no need to panic. We have to back ourselves. We have the talent and the experience.

The turnaround in Bangalore’s fortunes just shows how unpredictable this tournament has become. A week ago after four consecutive defeats, they looked downcast, their hopes just started to fade. However, now, they are right back in the tournament.

Losing against them was a big disappointment, but credit to Jacques Kallis and Robin Uthappa, who batted brilliantly. To share a 126-run partnership in this form of cricket is not easy. They put our bowlers under pressure and in the end they won easily.

Obviously, the day could not have started much worse with Dillon du Preez taking three wickets in eight balls, including two of our main batters, Sachin and JP Duminy. That really put us on the back-foot and I had to be extra cautious, as did Dwayne Bravo when he came to the crease.
However, we did manage to accelerate. I got out after getting my eye in and that was very frustrating. But we were still happy to reach 149 for 4. We managed to add 48 runs in the last three overs and that gave us a chance. Unfortunately, we could not take more than one early wicket. After that defeat, we now have three days to prepare for the next match. It means some extra rest in what has been quite a hectic tournament. However, we also face the challenge of playing our next two matches against Delhi and Hyderabad, the two original frontrunners for semifinal places.

Obviously, both games are going to be tough, so we’ll first focus on Wednesday night’s clash versus Team Hyderabad. They have now lost Fidel Edwards, who did a decent job with the new ball and hence they’ll have to adjust slightly. They are also struggling to get their momentum going again after their winning start.

We will have to hit them hard and fast so we can get on top early. Now that we are at the business end of the tournament, we have to cut down on mistakes and have to be more ruthless. Every game is crucial and we simply must hit top gear this week

A victory today will take us closer to the semifinal | Column by Sanath Jayasuriya

POWER POINT

SANATH JAYASURIYA ON MUMBAI INDIANS’ NEXT GAME

HAVING slipped-up against Kings XI Punjab last week in Durban it was vital we bounced back quickly and we did just that against Knight Riders. It was a close game and we made some mistakes, but I thought the team showed a great fighting spirit.

Because teams are more closely matched in this tournament we are seeing tighter matches and more cliff-hangers than in the inaugural IPL. This means that the teams that cope best under pressure will take more of the 50/50 matches. We missed out in a thriller against Kings XI, but we showed a better temperament against Knight Riders, refusing to panic at critical moments. That is something we need to build on because as the tournament progresses the pressure is growing steadily.

J P Duminy’s 52 not out was the game-maker for us against Knight Riders. They bowled well and they put us under pressure. Run scoring was not easy and on 96 for 5 after 16 overs, we were definitely on the backfoot. However Duminy took charge when it mattered most.

In several matches thus far, we have seen crucial runs added in the last four overs of the first innings, lifting mediocre scores up to respectability. We saw RC do that against Kings XI after our game and Duminy’s late rally, scoring 54 from the last 24 balls was a huge moment. Then Zaheer Khan stood up in the first three overs of the chase. He has undoubtedly been India’s best fast bowler in the past year and arguably the best in the world alongside the likes of Dale Steyn. His dismissals of Chris Gayle and Sourav Ganguly secured the initiative.

In the space of six overs the match had swung emphatically. But such is the unpredictable nature of this format, Brad Hodge was still able to give us a late scare with some sensible and skilful batting, reducing the target down to a manageable 38 from four overs. We were under pressure again. However, Lasith (Malinga), although ultimately wicketless, was brilliant again. His last two overs were near-perfect. By choking off the runs, conceding just 11 runs, he sealed the win.

Today’s match is an opportunity to start pushing greater pressure on both Team Hyderabad and Team Delhi. We will make our progression to the semifinals much easier by claiming win number four. However, Royal Challengers, responding well to Kumble’s leadership, also seem to be growing in confidence