Split by franchises but sharing a certain kinship thanks to their Karnataka roots, Rahul Dravid and R. Vinay Kumar were a picture of diverse moods at the press conference following Royal Challengers Bangalore’s seven-wicket victory over Rajasthan Royals in the IPL match here on Saturday.
Visiting captain Dravid mulled over the loss, while RCB seamer Vinay (three for 18), who bagged the Man-of-the-match award, expressed satisfaction over a job well accomplished.
Excerpts :
Runs and wickets
Dravid : We kept losing wickets at critical times. We could have fought with 150 but we never really got those extra 30 runs.
Vinay : I am really happy with my performance till now. I will do the same work and try to give my best and get more wickets.
Those ‘extra’ helpings
Dravid : Discipline is important, but we were always trying to attack. Sometimes you can spray it.
Especially with someone like Shaun Tait, the licence was to go out and bowl fast and see if he could get us some wickets.
It didn’t work out (Royals conceded 16 extras inclusive of 11 wides).
Vinay : No extras (RCB did not concede extras). We have been working hard on it in the nets.
That Chennai game (against Chennai Super Kings), we actually won but it was a no-ball (bowled by R.P. Singh) and we lost the game.
We are trusting more on those points, not bowling wides and no-balls. That kind of hard work is really paying off.
The contest and the chase
Dravid : You will have your good days; you will have your tough days as well.
How we bounce back from this is going to be important for us. I thought we went out well and tried to defend 120.
I was really impressed with the intensity of some of the bowlers.
Vinay : The way Chris Gayle (49 n.o.) played, he applied himself.
Chris made sure that he played till the end and marshalled the chase.
