‘Bravo, Bravo, Bravo’ echoed through the IS Bindra Stadium as the ‘CHAMPION’, Dwayne Bravo came out on to the field. The Gujarat Lions all-rounder carried his successful run from the World T20 into the IPL as he played a crucial role in restricting hosts Kings XI Punjab to 161 runs and helped his team post their maiden victory in the Vivo IPL.
The West Indian claimed four wickets, two of which were of the explosive David Miller and Glenn Maxwell who were looking to build on the good start given by openers Manan Vohra and Murali Vijay.
However, it hadn’t started all that well for Bravo. He had not been able to hold on to an opportunity that could have sent back Vohra early in the innings. But the Trinidadian made up for his lapse in the field to an extent by finishing with figures of four for 22.
KXIP were cruising towards a formidable total when Bravo claimed Miller and Maxwell in a span of three deliveries to leave the opposition at 102 for four in 12 overs. With the two wickets he also completed 300 wickets and displaced Lasith Malinga as the highest wicket-taker in the shortest format of the game. Speaking about the two scalps, Bravo said, “They are two dangerous players and any team would like to see the back of them early. Miller started very well and we all know how dangerous Glenn Maxwell can be. So I tried to upset Maxwell a little bit – bowled a few short balls, tried to keep him on the back-foot and I executed one of my better yorkers today. It worked today. Miller was deceived by a very good slower-ball as well. It was two deliveries that worked today that changed the game in our favour and I am very happy that I contributed to the team’s success.”
Elaborating on his thought process when he was handed the ball in the latter half of the innings, Bravo said, “The wicket was very good. My thing was to try and get wickets, try and attack and it worked today. I bowled a few short balls, tried to push the batsmen on the back-foot and then executed my slower-balls and my variations. All in all it was a great bowling effort by the team to finish off with a total that we felt very comfortable chasing.”
Continuing to bowl a good spell in the death overs as the KXIP batsmen looked to accelerate, Bravo claimed Wriddhiman Saha and Marcus Stoinis off successive deliveries while Axar Patel was dropped by Sarabjit Ladda off the last ball denying the bowler a five-for. While talking about the final over, he said, “Bowling in the last over, they had to hit (to) the big side of the boundary. In those situations I backed myself to bowl my slower-ball and executed it properly. I knew it was a long way to hit. I am happy my bowling worked today. On another day the slower deliveries can go for sixes. So I am happy that today it got us wickets.”
What Bravo started, Aaron Finch, with 74 from 47, finished and helped the Gujarat Lions to their maiden IPL victory. Speaking about the team’s first victory, the tall all-rounder said, “It’s always good to start well in a tournament. It is new team, new franchise, new owners. Most of the players have played together or against each other, so it makes it a lot easier. But having said that, it is always important to win your first game in any tournament to get some momentum.”
As the Gujarat Lions started their Vivo IPL 2016 campaign with a win, the West Indies all-rounder, who has been a consistent performer in the IPL and most recently entertained while playing for his national team, thanked the Indian spectators for their affection. “It is really great. I really appreciate the love from the fans throughout India. No matter where I go, everywhere I go the people (are welcoming) and I have a fan following. It is good. At the end of the day we play our cricket, entertain the fans (…) perform for them as well also, so yeah it’s a good feeling,” he said.
From : iplt20.com
