New South Wales skipper Simon Katich offered his two cents' worth on the treacherous nature of the Chepauk wicket, saying it “wasn't a great wicket to bat on”.
Speaking after his team's five-wicket win over Mumbai Indians in a low-scoring encounter, Katich said: “There was low bounce, and it was two-paced. The credit goes to our bowlers who set the game up nicely for us. I honestly did not think the ball would keep so low.”
The win took New South Wales, the 2009 Champions League T20 champion, to four points from three matches, requiring it to win its last match — against Chennai Super Kings — to confirm its place in the last four.
“We know every game is tough. Tonight's performance was much better than our previous ones. (Steven) Smith and (Ben) Rohrer were brilliant under pressure tonight.”Man of the Match Steven Smith, whose unbeaten 45 was instrumental in seeing NSW home from a precarious 28 for five, said his chief intention was to keep the scoreboard ticking.
“It was tough to get a start because Mumbai was bowling well. I just tried to work the ball around for singles. When we needed to change the momentum, I spotted a gap around mid-wicket, and went for it. Luckily, it worked,” said Smith, referring to the only six in the match.
Meanwhile, Mumbai Indians' top-scorer, James Franklin, agreed with Katich's assessment of the pitch.
“This was one of the more challenging pitches I've batted on, especially in Twenty20. We won the toss and batted first, which was definitely an advantage. But we kept losing wickets and were unable to build a total. If we'd gotten to around 130 it would have been a great game. All credit to New South Wales for their great bowling,” he said.
