IPL-8: We played perfect cricket against CSK, says Pollard

Mumbai Kieron Pollard who played a stellar role in Mumbai Indians comprehensive win over Chennai Super Kings that paved the way for their entry into the final ofIPL8 says his team played nearflawless cricket hereKieron Pollard PicAFPMumbai Indians defeated twotime winners CSK by 25 runs in the first qualifier at the Wankhede Stadium last night with Pollard blazing his way to a 17ball 41We played one of our most perfect games today barring a couple of dropped catches which obviously needs improvement Having said that coming out and winning that and going directly into the final from where we were I think is a marvellous achievement for us as a team said the bigbuilt West Indian allrounder whose whirlwind knock included five towering sixesPollard was alluding to MIs amazing run to the final after a very poor start when they lost four games in a row before getting their act together to notch up nine wins in the next 11 games MI rode on Pollards endinnings belligerence following his Trinidadian compatriot Lendl Simmons 65 at the top to rake up 187 for six which proved too much for their rivals who folded up for 162 with an over to spare 187 was a good total On this ground it was parWe had a couple of runs to play with We knew Chennai is a good team They came here during the league stages and demolished us They scored 190 or 200 and they smoked it in 1516 overs We were up for a game we knew what was in front of us and what we needed to do and as a team I am stressing on team as it was a team effort we are here where we are nowThe West Indian described veteran offspinner Harbhajan Singhs double strike to send back Suresh Raina and CSK skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni off successive balls in the 11th over as the turning point in the game We wanted to start well got a couple of wickets as well Bhaji of course did not start well in the first coupleof overs but after that third over he changed the game for us Getting those two wickets was absolutely masterlyRaina and Dhonis they can change the game in a couple of balls noted Pollard While Harbhajan got 2 for 26 pace spearhead Lasith Malinga was the most successful bowler and returned figures of 3 for 33 It was a total team effort He bowled well Vinay Kumar bowled well Malinga bowled well Mitch McClenaghan wentaround the park but he got a vital wicket Ravindra Jadeja in the end Everything adds up in the endWhats good for us is we won as a teams openers Simmons and Parthiv Patel set the foundation for us with a 90run stand They have been doing that in the last couple of games Yes we got a bit of a stutter but this is what Twenty20 cricket is all about Its all about playing as a team and finishing it off as a team he emphasised Pollard described how the team turned it around after four straight lossesWe looked at it as a boxing match From the start of this month we knew we had to win one round after one round after one round Getting that opportunity to finish second puts us in a position where we basically had to win two games to reach the finals We spoke about the need to continue to be ruthless Its good for us but the most disappointing part is after first four games a lot of people had written us off It was also a blessing in disguise for us As head coach Ricky Ponting has emphasised we have not done much differently All we had done is come and play competitive cricketManagement players staff everyone decided lets give it our shot and here we are into the finals Congratulations to the team We have played good cricket in last month or so To a query what the team lacked initially Pollard alluded to the nature of the tournament I dont think anything was lacking This is franchisecricket You have to understand that A group of guys coming together twothree days before tournament and sometimes the team which adapts quickly will have the momentumMumbai Indians over the last two years have been unable to start well in the tournament but we have been able to finish well What we need to look at is trying to start the tournament on a much higher percentage of wins Having said that if we are in this position and we have to play like this and its enough to reach the final we will take that every year But as I said its franchisee cricket We are not playing together as a team New players come in every yearYou have to give it some time Some teams click faster Chennai have a settled unit and so they are always consistent But at the end of the day were in the finals thats what is most important Pollard also took an indirect dig at his critics A lot of people say a lot of things I look for motivation and lot of people said before the tournament Pollard is a spent force Pollard is this Pollard is that Pollard is done Its not about proving them wrongI know myself what I can do and quietly I have been able to be consistent for the team whichever the situation it is When I had time to bat I batted at time and when I did not have time to bat and we needed to go I went Once you play cricket with a clean heart and a clean mind things follow you again I have been targeted again by the umpires as well but I am just staying quiet just trying to do my bits quietlyI hope at the end of the day its enough for Mumbai to take that trophy Pollard was happy the team now gets four days rest instead of the two they would have got had they lost last night I will rather have four days of rest than two days of rest and then play again We are directly into the final For us we will take it as it comes We are in a fortunate position So we will do the thing we have been doingAsked whether the title win in 2013 when they played the final in Kolkata and won would be a major plus Pollard said things are different now We won in 2013 its two years on and some things are totally different We have a new team hunger is different but hopefully we can relive those memories Theres still a process to go in order to get that trophy We still have to play a good game of cricket still have to practice well and prepare well