‘Deepak Chahar our main bowler. If Hardik Pandya was hit for three sixes…’: MI coach Jaywardene defends last over call
Jayawardene said MI erred in execution and lost the game despite being in control, adding that they will treat every remaining match as a "playoff".
Mumbai Indians’ head coach Mahela Jayawardene said Deepak Chahar was the best option to bowl the last over against the Gujarat Titans. With 14 to defend, Chahar was hit for a four and six in the first three balls. He did make a comeback by taking the wicket of Gerald Coetzee, but a no-ball in between cost MI dearly. GT got home in the last ball to win the match by three wickets.
Jayawardene said things could have gone south even if MI captain Hardik Pandya had bowled the last over. The former Sri Lankan captain, throwing his weight behind Deepak Chahar, said he had done the job for MI when Jasprit Bumrah was injured, so the management rightly backed him in the crunch situation.
"Deepak did that job for us when Booms [Jasprit Bumrah] was not there [for the first few games of the season]," Jayawardene said at the post-match press conference after MI's streak of wins ended at six. "He was good, our main bowler. It's easier for you to ask me that question and for me to say, 'yeah, maybe Hardik'. Had Hardik gone for three sixes, you might have asked me why you didn't bowl Deepak. I don't like to go to that."
“It wasn't the decision, it was the execution and that's not where we lost the game. My thinking is (that) we lost the game when we had control of it and that was disappointing,” he added.
Jayawardene said his side erred in execution and lost the game despite being in control, adding that the five-time champions will treat every remaining match as a "playoff" from now on. After MI were restricted to 155 for eight, GT had slipped to 126 for six, but a second rain interruption saw the targetrevised to 15 needed off the final over.
GT got over the line on the final ball to go to the top of the points table, while MI will now need to win both their remaining matches to qualify for the playoffs.
“I think it sums it up. It is margins, but I probably, both teams made quite a few mistakes out there in the middle and we probably made more than them,” Jayawardene told the media after the match.
“We were in a situation when we were (having) five games, four losses (and) one win. From that point onwards, we were (in a) must-win (situation in) pretty much every game. We had a really good run. The tournament's tough and one good thing is we're playing teams which is in that bunch, so we probably control our own destiny.
“We were probably 30 runs short on that wicket and the guys bowled really well, created a lot of opportunities, fielded really well (and) fought for everything so that's good signs and we'll treat every game as a playoff game for us now,” he added.
