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We got to win few more matches to reach final: Hussey

Despite registering their fifth straight win at home in the ongoing Indian Premier League, on Wednesday, Chennai Super Kings batsman Michael Hussey refused to being touted as favourites.

We got to win few more matches to reach final: Hussey

Chennai Super Kings batsman Mike Hussey hits a pull shot for a boundary. © Getty Images

Chennai: May 4, 2011

 

Despite registering their fifth straight win at home in the ongoing Indian Premier League, on Wednesday, Chennai Super Kings batsman Michael Hussey refused to being touted as favourites.

 

Chennai rode on Hussey’s swashbuckling 79 to beat Rajasthan Royals by eights wickets and record their fifth win at the MA Chidambaram stadium, and fourth on the trot in the tournament.

 

“No, I wouldn’t say that. We gotta get a few more wins here before we can even get into the final. It’s a pretty close and tight competition. And we’ve got a pretty tough run actually,” Hussey said.”We’re away for three games I think. We have to continue to play a good brand of cricket, and hopefully, get enough wins to get into the final,” he added after winning the Man-of-the-Match award.

 

Hussey agreed with Royals skipper Shane Warne that Shadab Jakati’s caught and bowled effort to dismiss Shane Watson was the most crucial moment of the match.

 

“(I) definitely agree. They had a really good partnership going. They were scoring at will. You know even Dravid was outscoring Watson. But you know how damaging Watson can be. He can clear the boundaries even with the field at the back. That was an unbelievable catch really. He hit it very hard and (Jakati) had to hang on to that.And then the spinners went to work and made it difficult for the Rajasthan batters,” Hussey said.

 

Asked what made CSK so formidable at home, Hussey thought it was the familiarity with conditions. “I think we know the conditions quite well, we practice here all the time so we know how it gets harder as the 20 overs wears on. And it is tough to get used to the conditions when you come in for a one-off game. It can be tough to adapt. Probably that’s why,” he said.

 

Hussey was satisfied with the pitch and felt it was firmer than the last two tracks.

 

“I think it was an excellent pitch. It was probably a bit more firmer than the last two pitches we played on. Probably 160-170 is a good score. Having said that, the conditions were very oppressive and it’s hard for the fielding team but it’s also hard from a batting point of view if you have to run up and down the field a few time, it can drain you,” he said.

 

About the team’s spin attack, the Australian was all praise.”They have done a great job consistently for us. We know those conditions well, they’ve bowled well in those conditions. They really pulled us back into the game in the last two games. Both (DC and RR) got off to a fantastic start against us but they tied them down in the middle and picked up wickets. They are key to our team and that’s why it’s gonna be a real loss to lose (Suraj) Randiv during the Sri Lankan series.”

 

© PTI

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