IPL 2017: Kieron Pollard’s knock one of the best I have seen: McClenaghan

Mumbai Indians pacer Mitchell McClenaghan said Kieron Pollard’s 47-ball 70 in a winning cause against Royal Challengers Bangalore was one of the best knocks he had seen since it came on a difficult pitch.

Mumbai Indians pacer Mitchell McClenaghan said Kieron Pollard’s 47-ball 70 against Royal Challengers Bangalore in their IPL match was one of the best knocks he had seen as it had come on a difficult pitch. (MATCH HIGHLIGHTS) 

Kieron Pollard of Mumbai Indians scored a 47-ball 70 against Royal Challengers Bangalore in Bangalore on Friday. (BCCI)

“Pollards’s innings was one of the best I have seen on an incredibly difficult wicket. I think the media underestimated him. He showed the composure of a top-order batsman to stick to the wicket in given situations. It was one of the smartest and technically good chases I have seen,” McClenaghan told reporters after Mumbai pulled off a four-wicket win over RCB. (SCORECARD)

“The wicket had variable bounce. It was was not coming on to the bat at a pace, and therefore KP’s (Kieron Pollard) innings looked even better,” he said.

McClenaghan said the team has incredible talents all the way down the order and both Pandya brothers were becoming world class cricketers who have an uncanny knack of absorbing pressure to put it back on to the bowlers.

“It was pleasant to see both of them (Pandya brothers) backing up Pollard till the end,” he said.

McClenaghan said RCB’s leg-spinner Samuel Badree, who took a hat-trick today, was a worldclass bowler for a long time. “That (hat-trick against us) was a terrible thing for a start. Badree is a world class bowler for a long time. He took a hat-trick in this match and put us on the backfoot, and almost put us on a position where there was no way back,” he said.

The New Zealander said the team and the bowling coach Shane Bond has had plans for the bowlers, who executed them exceptionally well, especially in death overs, where they dried up RCB’s run flow.

“We had strong plans. We have Shane Bond as bowling coach, and in last two to three games myself, in particular, have not executed well enough. Drying up boundaries at the end of the innings really affects the momentum of any team, and hence my kudos to the bowlers who bowled exceptionally well,” he said.