IPL 2021: “Chris Morris couldn’t middle first few balls, kept telling him it’s about one hit” - Jaydev Unadkat
Rajasthan Royals (RR) left-arm pacer Jaydev Unadkat has said that he and Chris Morris made a conscious effort to stay calm under pressure in a tense chase against Delhi Capitals (DC).
Jaydev Unadkat, who was the Man of the Match for his fabulous bowling effort of 3 for 15, was at the crease with Morris during the last few overs of the thrilling match. He even hit a six off Chris Woakes before Chris Morris (36*, 4x6) sealed the game for RR.
Speaking at a virtual press conference after the game, Jaydev Unadkat revealed that both the players were aware the match could be won with a couple of big hits. He said in this regard:
“We were trying to keep it simple and calm out in the middle. When you are in a pressure situation, at times, you lose your mind and start thinking ahead of the ball. We were both talking to each other, telling each other to watch the ball nicely and just go for it. He (Morris) couldn’t middle the first few balls. I kept telling him, it is just about one hit".
Jaydev Unadkat added that the ball was coming on to the bat nicely, which gave the pair confidence that the target could be overhauled. While praising Morris for his big-hitting, Jaydev Unadkat said:
“The ball was coming on to the bat nicely. The way he (Morris) was swinging it, we were confident that we were a couple of hits away. That’s what we were talking about in the middle, that we are just two hits away from getting the game in our pockets. It was amazing hitting by Morris. The sixes that he hit of Kagiso (Rabada) were probably some of the best shots today".
We needed this win as a team after losing the first game: Jaydev Unadkat
RR were in danger of losing two consecutive close games before Chris Morris lifted them over the line. In their IPL 2021 opener, they went down to Punjab Kings by four runs in a high-scoring thriller, despite captain Sanju Samson’s belligerent century.
After getting over the line on Thursday, Jaydev Unadkat said that the win was crucial for the team’s confidence, explaining:
“It is always about that one game. It has been about 8-10 years since I have been playing the IPL. I knew that when my opportunity will come, I’ll have to be right up there in terms of performance. Happy to have contributed today. We needed this win as a team after losing the first game close up. It is always good to come out on the winning side in such close games. It gives a lot of confidence to the team. It gives you that much-required momentum in this format. I was able to execute what I wanted to do".
Chasing a 148-run target for victory against DC, RR got home by three wickets and two balls to spare after being 42-5 at one stage.