IPL 2017: Kieron Pollard's Knock One Of The Best I Had Seen, Says Mitchell McClenaghan

Kieron Pollard scripted Mumbai Indians' sensational four-wicket win over Royal Challengers Bangalore with a blistering 70-run knock which overshadowed Samuel Badree's hat-trick in an IPL game in Bengaluru on Friday. Left-arm pacer Mitchell McClenaghan On Friday said that his Mumbai Indians team-mate Pollard's innings against Royal Challengers Bangalore in their IPL match was one of the best knocks he had seen as it had come on a difficult wicket here. "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.

"The wicket had variable bounce. It 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 on Friday, was a world-class 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.

(With PTI Inputs)