Faf du Plessis helped Rising Pune Supergiants to a comfortable win with a solid 33-ball 34 © BCCI
Rising Pune Supergiants batsman Faf du Plessis has said losing the toss worked in his side’s favour, by allowing them to assess conditions on an atypical Wankhede pitch. Mumbai Indians chose to bat and were soon reduced to 68 for 7 on a seaming track, paving the way for Supergiants’ nine-wicket win.
“Everyone rocked up thinking it was going to be a 200-plus wicket. What we get at Wankhede is lots of runs. It was completely the opposite, it was a slow wicket. A good thing for us that we lost the toss. It gave us an idea how we could pace our innings,” du Plessis said.
Du Plessis, who shared a 70-run stand with Ajinkya Rahane, last opened the batting two years ago in any form, a position he said he preferred.
“Nice to have someone who can score boundaries without taking risks. I found it a bit harder tonight and tried to make Rahane face as many balls. Key for us was not to lose any wicket, the only way they were going to win the game was if they got 3-4 wickets in the first six overs.
“The last time I opened was two-three years ago for Chennai, so it was something I really enjoyed. The make-up of our side, there are a lot of quality middle-order batsmen, and the coach and captain feel that I am best suited at the top. Anywhere they put me from 1-5, I’m someone who has started growing my game from different positions. Nice to get a crack at the top. It’s a place I’d choose if I probably could.”
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Source: ESPN Crickinfo