IPL 2014: We still have faith, says Michael Hussey

Michael Hussey

As we enter into the final leg of the IPL 2014, the fight to reach the top 4 is getting heated up. There is a constant shift in the position of teams in the points table. Former Australian cricketer Michael Hussey who is playing for the Mumbai Indians in this season believes that his team still has a chance to make it to the play-offs.

"We are not yet out of the play-offs," Hussey said after the 25-run win over Rajasthan Royals on Monday. "We still have faith (to make it to play-off stage) and that's the atmosphere in our dressing room. We still have three matches left. However, instead of thinking about the play-offs, we will just try to focus on our next match and give our best to win it," said Hussey, who scored 56 off 39 balls to set up the game for the Mumbai-based team.

The veteran left-hand batsman admitted that the pitch at Sardar Patel Stadium was not an easy one to bat on. "It was quite hot and the pitch was not easy for batsmen. It was a slow pitch. Me and Lendl (Simons) tried to take our partnership ahead. After 6 overs, I thought we will make around 160 runs. But, thanks to some good batting, we gave a good total to defend," he said after his team managed to post a total of 178.

When asked about how his team is dealing with the absence of their strike bowler Lasith Malinga, the 38-year-old said, "It's hard to replace (Lasith) Malinga, but, (Krishmar) Santokie did a very good job today. He is a smart bowler. (Jasprit) Bumrah was also impressive. He is a great prospect for his country."

On the other hand, Royals’ Brad Hodge admitted that it was not their day. "Though you may do everything right, you need miracle at times to win a game. Sometimes the recipe doesn't taste as good as it looks," he said.

"From the beginning, they (Mumbai) didn't allow our batsmen to gain momentum. We are an extremely talented team, but it became tough after some of our key wickets fell," a disappointed Hodge added.