New Delhi: Gautam Gambhir, skipper of the Delhi Daredevils, spoke to the media after his team’s crucial victory over the Royal Challengers Bangalore on Sunday.
Excerpts:
On the second victory over RCB for this side in this IPL and if it is very easy to do so: I don’t think so, I think they are a very quality side, I think they have got some great players some internationally-rated players and they have always threatened with them. I think things have gone our way, both the games we have managed to get around 180 which is always a difficult total to chase whatever kind of a wicket there is, whether it is a flat wicket or this kind of a wicket, once you get 180 it is always difficult for the opposition to chase. We have been lucky that we have been getting 180, 184 against them, and they have got a very quality side and we know that.
On what has been different in the side that they have started winning once again: Hopefully the toss, we have been winning tosses and we have been pretty lucky that I have been winning tosses - I am just kidding! I think we have been playing some very good cricket, yeah toss is one factor as well because once you get 180/185 on this kind of a wicket it is always difficult for the opposition to chase. We have got the bowling and we have played a lot of cricket in this kind of track and we know what to do, we know how to make changes, how to use different variations and that is what the bowlers have been doing tremendously and all the credit goes to them because once you get 170/180 it’s up to the bowlers to defend and they have been defending that really well.
On Daniel Vettori making a return and when Ashish Nehra will be playing again after injury: I think Vettori is a world-class bowler and it is always great to have him in the squad because we want some experience and he gives you that experience. Especially in tough conditions like when you have to bowl in the slog overs, you can bowl him in the first six overs which is always an advantage. I think Vettori gives that experience and he gives us that depth as well, both in batting and bowling, so it is always nice to have him back. Ashish should be fit for the next game, that’s what it is looking like and hopefully he gets fit and strengthens the bowling department as well.
On the bowling: I think all depends on what kind of a wicket you are playing on. If you see in Mohali, they try and hit the deck hard but when you are playing on such a wicket [as this] it is always useful to get rid of the pace because once the ball gets soft, and once the ball is not coming on to the bat, it always difficult for the batsman to clear the fence. So we have been trying to do a lot of that, especially in these conditions, and it has been working. I think Rajat (Bhatia) bowled a brilliant spell because when he was bowling to Jacques Kallis and Kevin Pietersen the way he bowled his four overs was tremendous and then he got Ross Taylor as well, so I think he bowled some very good spells for us and so did the rest of the guys. (Pradeep) Sangwan especially making his comeback after a couple of games the way he bowled and he got three wickets, I think it is always a good sign for the team because the more the competition in the side it is always good for the team. They set the game for us and all credit to them.
On Collingwood and the stability he brings to the side: Absolutely. I think the way he batted today he just doesn’t [hit along the] ground, he hit big sixes as well and he gives you the sixth bowler option as well because we bowled in the game with five bowlers when Collingwood wasn’t there so you have nothing after five bowlers. So I think Collingwood gives you the option of a bowler, especially on this kind of a track, he can roll his fingers, he can bowl his swingers and he bowls some leg cutters as well, so I think he gives you the balance both in batting and bowling and it is very useful if someone can bowl and bat and hit sixes like this. So I think it’s perfect, if you see when he played the first game he grafted his way through, had a big partnership with (David) Warner and today he played a different kind of innings so I think he is versatile and that’s good for us.
On why Virender Sehwag hasn’t bowled much in spite of such a wicket: I think all the bowlers are doing well and we haven’t required him till now and hopefully we don’t require him in the coming matches as well. But then, yeah, they have been doing a great job, even Collingwood hasn’t bowled much but hopefully they can keep doing the job for us.
On Delhi Daredevils being the favorites in this IPL: It is too early to say anything now, we haven’t even qualified for the semi-finals as yet, so it is difficult to say that we are the favourites or not. We have five more games out of which three are away games. First we will try to qualify to the semi-finals and then see about that, because at this point of time the only thing in mind is to qualify to the semis. We still have to win two games and we have already lost three games in a row so we must remember that anything can happen, we still have to win two games out of five.
On the effect IPL will have on the World T20: I think in IPL when players are playing a lot of games and going onto the World Cup they get used to the format and that is a good thing. When you play Twenty20 cricket for some time you get into a groove and when the World Cup comes you will still be in the groove so it will be useful for all the players.
On his reprimand: I don’t think so. I think whatever has happened is history, I don’t want to comment about that. Let’s talk about today’s game, it has happened, it is over and out from my side, it’s over and out from everyone’s side, so let’s…whatever has happened is history now according to me.
On whether his current form is a worry for him: I don’t know as yet. I think I would love to contribute but today was not anything to do with form - it was just a run out. The others, I think, have been decent in the last innings, so I think one innings doesn’t get you out of form. Hopefully I can contribute in the coming games and one or two games don’t make a difference - this is a format where you’ve got to take your chances. Sometimes you click, sometimes you don’t, so everyone needs to remember that T20 is sometimes you do, sometimes you don’t. Form is something I don’t think is a worry.
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