"It was great to have that partnership with Greeny" - Tim David reflects on last-ball victory over Delhi Capitals
Mumbai Indians' designated finisher Tim David reflected on the tough win against the Delhi Capitals at the Arun Jaitley Stadium and took pride in his match-winning partnership with Cameron Green. The 27-year-old expects the moment to be a massive confidence-booster for Green, who is playing his first IPL season.
Green, who started the season at number three, slotted at number six against the Capitals after the hosts dismissed Rohit Sharma for 65 in the 18th over. The youngster added 30 with David in 3.1 overs as the five-time champions got over the line in a tight last over bowled by Anrich Nortje. Green stayed unbeaten at 17 off eight deliveries, while his partner was 13*.
Speaking after the net session on Saturday (April 15) at the Wankhede Stadium, the Singapore-born cricketer recalled that conditions weren't the most favorable and reckons the win will reduce the pressure on Green.
As quoted by ESPN Cricinfo, David said:
"Chasing and trying to finish off the game the other night was tough. They bowled a really good last couple of overs in tough batting conditions, so it was great to have that partnership with Greeny and get us over the line."
"For me, knowing how much confidence I got out of that game, I think it will be even more so for Cam. It's his first couple of games in the IPL. It can be different, it can be eye-opening, those first few games coming in as a well-regarded international player. It's awesome for him, and I know we're all looking forward to seeing what he can do over this season for us."
Mumbai Indians shelled out a massive INR 17.5 crore following his exploits as an opener for Australia in the T20I series in India last year. However, he started the tournament with scores of 5, 12, and 17 and took one wicket against the Royal Challengers Bangalore.
"We're just going to go with whoever is best matched for that situation" - Tim David
Much like Green, David revealed that the Mumbai Indians' batting order will remain flexible throughout the competition and is confident about posting big scores on their day. David added:
"It actually wasn't planned. The way we feel like, we line up, we're just going to go with whoever is best matched for that situation at the time. We feel like we've got a really powerful middle order along with obviously the top-order guys who are settled."
"It's something that we've spoken about as a team: we're just going to be really flexible, and we're all prepared to play our role for the team. We've very confident that when we play our best, we're going to score big scores."
Mumbai will host the Kolkata Knight Riders on Sunday (April 16) in an afternoon match.