Dhoni
On the pitch where Warne failed and Murali stood out: If you are asking me to compare the two bowlers, I think one should not compare them. Both are really the best. Their departments are different – one is leg-spinner and the other is an off-spinner. I think Muralitharan bowled a great line and length. I am not comparing him with Warne. I think since the target was low and I am assuming that the opposition thought to play him through. But I think the credit should also go to Ashwin and Raina and they both bowled a good line and because of that the pressure kept on mounting. Eventually when a wicket falls it is never easy for a new batsman to come in and go after the bowler. So, it kept on mounting and from six runs per over to 15 or 16 runs per over. It became really tough and I believe that was one of the reasons. Maybe Kings XI Punjab had to win the match and they thought that 'Murali is the main bowler and we should play him through'. But I think it was an off day for them and their plan didn’t work. I am quite happy to be on the winning side.
On Suresh Raina's bowling: I think if you look at the composition of our side then you will realise that we are playing with two spinners which is more than sufficient. Having Suresh Raina is a great asset for us. Whatever opportunity he has got, he has grabbed it with both hands. Raina has bowled line and length in the pressure games where the ball was not turning. I think Raina gives you another option if I am playing with four fast bowlers and two spinners then I know that I have Raina who can bowl full quota of four overs.
On his bowlers: Manpreet Gony performed well. If you see the improvement in him from his first game, it is drastic. We gave a chance to Thilan Thushara after few games and he also bowled really well. It was good to see our bowlers performing well. I think we always had a decent bowling line-up but down on confidence. But today's performance will help them a lot and should bring their confidence back. Hopefully they will bowl in the next two games, also assuming that we will reach final.
On his team's strategy: It becomes really difficult when your bowling department is not doing well in the majority of matches in a tournament. So, when you move to a wicket which is good for batsmen, it can be a tricky. But from now it will be more of a lottery system. If one batsman has a good day then he can take the team through. One can say that till now one had to play as a team consistently but now onwards it will be about three hours. Somebody like Hayden or a Raina has a good day or a bowler like Muralitharan can see our team through. I think all the four teams who qualify for the semis will be all strong teams. We saw really close games and those teams who failed to qualify were also good but were unfortunate to bow out. The best part of the tournament was the way points table shuffled and kept everyone guessing. If the last league matches are interesting, one cannot ask for anything more.
On not worrying about the opponents in the semis: It is not about worrying. It is about whoever you face in the semis. It is not about being over confident – having fear of the opponent because having said and done if we played to our potential- we can be a tough side to beat. We are not really worried about it. We want to enjoy, specially tonight. Since, we know that we are through to the semis but tomorrow we will start preparing for the semis. Till now we have had made some mistakes, but from now onwards 15 minutes of madness and we can lose the match. From now on it will be tricky.
On Warne's remarks that Super Kings are the favourites: It feels good when somebody reckons you as the favourites in the tournament.
On losing temper: It is very difficult to control the temper when you see people who are talented but are not using their talent to the maximum. If I see a talented player I want him to perform well. I try to provide him with the right scenario where he can perform, but if he is not really working hard on his game then it really gets me angry. One thing which really irritates me is to grab the attention of the guys who are guarding the boundaries. One thing which is very basic. These are the basic mistakes where you can say I lose my temper. It is not about going for boundaries or sixes. I know it is cricket and one can have a off-day but there are some basics in the game. It is just a 20 over game and if one can concentrate on the match and keep a eye on the skipper it can help. I try to use my energy in field placing and bowling changes and I don’t want it to waste on grabbing the attention of a fielder. I think all players should be looking in the middle for 20 overs though it was a little difficult for the fielders to spot me as I was not keeping the wickets.
On Albie Morkel, Badrinath and Hayden: Albie Morkel and Badrinath had niggles and they didn't needed to be rested. We could have played them. We played Badri because we thought out batting would weaken if he is not there. Hayden will be fine. The physio has said so. We could have pushed him to play this match but it is good to have him for the semifinals.
