IPL experience helped us defeat Australia: Dwayne Bravo

Dwayne Bravo

West Indies all-rounder Dwayne Bravo on Sunday said that their IPL experience helped them maintain the composure to pull off a nail-biting victory against Australia in the ongoing World Cup T20.

Bravo scored an unbeaten 27 off 12 balls in their incredible chase of 179, although his contribution was eclipsed by West Indies skipper Darren Sammy’s 13-ball 34*, which included a couple of match winning sixes off the Australian fast bowler James Faulkner in the last over of the game.

According to NDTV, Bravo said: “The situation was like 21 balls to go and 53 to get. It’s actually achievable because of the experience we have got in IPL. Sammy’s IPL experience also came into play and he can withstand pressure.”

He added: “We knew their bowlers will also be under pressure because one side of the ground is very short and in those kinds of scenarios, we expect the bowler to make mistakes as we had a lot of wickets in hand.”

Bravo, who was one of the 5 players retained by his IPL franchise Chennai Super Kings, also heaped praise on his skipper: “Sammy is one of the cleanest hitters in the game today. My job at that time was to just run between the wickets and give him as much strike as possible and to just calm him down. All in all it worked for us. I hope we don’t have to depend on him so much.”

He feels that IPL has brought cricketers from various teams closer to each other, thereby decreasing the bitterness among them. He said: “Thanks to IPL, it allows that. It’s a good thing for international cricketers. Apart from money, it also brings you closer to another cricketer from another country and become friends.”

“At the hotel, we see each other, meet each other and have a quick chat. We may not be best of friends or go out for dinner but we play together for the Big Bash and the IPL and some of them come and play in the Caribbean Premier League too. With all these leagues in the world, you end up developing a better relationship. Look at the India-West Indies games, the relationship is like of love and it’s like one country playing.”

The West Indies all-rounder also warned their next opponents Pakistan that there will be no drop in intensity as they prepare for their battle against Pakistan day after tomorrow. He said: “No. The intensity will always be there. The game against Pakistan is important for both the teams. It is very difficult to predict how the teams will play. I know it will be a nail-biting game. Come that game, we will be aware of what exactly we need to do.”

“It’s going to be a very good cricket match. This is a very tough group, the ‘Group of Death’. We need to play well to get out of this ‘Group of Death’ and look forward to playing in the semifinal.”