Jaipur: Rajasthan Royals captain Shane Warne was a disappointed man as he addressed the media after his team’s comprehensive defeat against an upbeat Royal Challengers Bangalore.
On the biggest reason for the defeat
Look, it’s very disappointing, I’m very depressed tonight. We just did not [get it right] you know. Every time we’ve made 150 or more, we’ve never lost batting first in IPL. The wicket and conditions tonight compared [with those] the other night. The other night we bowled first. We did gave away [too many in] the last few overs and got off to a horror start so we addressed that, we worked on that. Tonight we looked at the wicket so batting first [the obvious choice] under the dew wasn’t going to be too much of an issue tonight. It was a bat first wicket and you know we were off to a horror start again in the first six overs in the last two games. That is one of the reasons why we lost both games - because of the start we had. [At] none for fourteen off two overs [we were] actually looking pretty good but it wasn’t to be. I think we were three for fifteen again or three for twenty, so [it’s] hard to recover from that. So credit to Bangalore, but silly run-out again. I think we’ve had twenty odd run-outs or more. [I’m] just really disappointed being run-out like that, and we [faltered in] such a big game. It’s about calmness, we spoke about calm heads under pressure and unfortunately there was a little bit of a panic and we got off to a bad start. [A few players] got run-out and [we] lost a couple of wickets straight away so I think it was very hard to recover from that. I actually think we did pretty well to make 131, [it] looked like we are going to make a 100. Adam Voges and Abhishek Raut batted beautifully at the end to give us something to bowl at. If we had got off to a good start, got them at 3 for 30 or something like that, we thought we could win the game but we got the early wicket and Kevin Pietersen came out. He decided he would just absolutely try and take every one down and he got away with it and played beautifully and that is where a game is probably won or lost. We fought back, you know, taking the game to the sixteenth over - we did pretty well too.
On the players appearing unprepared for the big game
I definitely think we were up for it. As I said, we got off to a horrible start, credit to Bangalore - but it was just a stupid run-out. We have had twenty odd run-outs or something like that. You cannot afford to do that especially in the first six. Our boys were up for it, ready for it. The attitude I think both sides went into [the game] with was that whoever loses was basically out. I mean mathematically we can still get in but hopefully a miracle [will occur] and we get a chance and we play Kolkata.
On IPL 2010 being more intensely competitive than the previous two seasons
All three years have been pretty good. I have enjoyed [the tournament]. I think all the teams have always been quite [competitive]. The format of the Twenty20 game [implies] any team could beat any team on a given day. But as we are seeing in this tournament, every team is pretty close - probably six sides, seven sides that are pretty good. Kings XI can beat anyone as well - they just had a bad start. But I think all the teams [are well matched] - anyone can beat anyone as I said. It’s been a pretty good competition as I said to Ravi [Shastri]. I think our guys have learnt a lot and they will be better for it.
On introducing himself a little too late into the attack
[If] you look at the wicket and the way the wicket was, the fast bowlers [were likely to succeed] – [the picth] was a little bit up and down. I thought the fast bowlers could get some wickets and I could save myself for the middle overs – [to introduce myself into the attack between overs] 8 to 15 was our plan […] at the start. Unfortunately, the way Kevin [Pietersen] came out and played it was good and we still thought the quicks could maybe get him out […] So once [the plan] was wasn’t working it was do or die, that’s when I come on.
On whether batting first was the correct choice
No, I would’ve batted first for sure. I think if we would’ve got 150-160 we were right in the game – [and we were in for] as long as the 16th over. They got into [the game] in the 16th over so if we had got 160 it would have been a really good game. We were just 20-30 [runs] short with the bat. […] This was a used wicket and batting first I think was the right thing to do.
On whether the dew came into play
No, not tonight - that’s why we batted first.
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