All-rounder Cameron Green said Mumbai Indians (MI) did not have the Net Run Rate on its mind when they took on Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in their final home Indian Premier League (IPL) game on Sunday.
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Green smashed a whirlwind 100 not out in just 47 deliveries to power MI to a commanding eight-wicket victory over SRH at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. The Australian all-rounder was sent in at No 3 ahead of Suryakumar Yadav, and build solid partnerships with skipper Rohit Sharma (56) and Surya (25 not out) to ensure Mumbai got home with two overs to spare.
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Though the victory took MI to the fourth spot on the points table ahead of Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), they couldn’t eclipse Bangalore’s Net Run Rate (NRR), meaning they would ultimately finish at the fifth spot if RCB were to defeat Gujarat Titans later on Sunday.
“Our intention was to win the game. We were not going to try and chase down the target in the seventh over anyway or anything to try and boost our (net) run-rate,” Green told the media in Mumbai after the match.
“We know how close games can get here at Wankhede, both teams score really freely out here. All we were thinking was to win and put pressure on RCB,” he added.
Green rated his century as his best in the format, which also happened to be his first-ever three-figure score in the shortest format.
“Definitely, in the T20 format, you never know what is your best innings because you are playing in so many different conditions,” he said.
Read | Green labelled an ‘absolute superstar’ after starring in MI’s win over SRH
Green heaped praise on Akash Madhwal, whose 4/37 stopped SRH to 200 for five as they looked set for a bigger total.
“As soon as he has come in, he kind of changed our whole line-up basically. I think with the role he has played, especially at the back end, take the overs off us so we can bowl a little more through the powerplay, we can mix and match different people to bowl at different times with how good he has been.
“He has got a really good head on him, he is so calm. Looks like he is kind of being made for it,” he said.
The Australian all-rounder hoped that his experience over the last three months or so would help him in the future tours of India.
“I think whenever you get exposed to subcontinent conditions, as an Australian, you are not really used to how low the ball skids or spins at times,” he said.
“Any experience that we get here is so valuable, batting in different conditions. The last three-and-a-half months that I have had here have been so valuable, hopefully it will hold me in good stead coming here again and I can pass it on to the other guys who come over,” Green added.
In Photos: Green’s breathtaking ton helps MI defeat SRH in Mumbai
SRH head coach Brian Lara said he had a chat with Sachin Tendulkar post the game and they both felt like getting back in the game, given how good the pitch was to bat.
“It’s a belter. I was just talking to Sachin and we were like we would love to get back out there on such a pitch. It’s always going to be a situation that whoever won the toss would prefer chasing because you don’t know what a good score is.
“Today we were outmuscled. We knew there was going to be a run-feast. We know that they have chased over 200 runs over here quite a few times. We were just outmuscled,” Lara said.
The West Indian legend used the word “outmuscled” to describe Green’s innings.
“I used the word outmuscled. He was brutal. Take a man to the stage. Someone like that, his height, his reach, the leverage he has, when he gets the ball off the middle of the bat, it’s gonna go. A brilliant hundred.
“He bats fearlessly, I supposed that’s how he has been allowed to bat in the Mumbai Indians set-up. We all knew that he has the talent to go big. Credit to him to get his first hundred to him,” he said.
Lara singled out Nitish Reddy as the player to watch out for in future.
“Finally we got a brilliant opening partnership that must be commended. We have got to take all the positives, not just from today but throughout the season. The SRH outfit is very young and potentially a very good outfit.
“I must single out Nitish Reddy. You haven’t seen him bat yet but I am sure the young man has a very, very bright future,” he said.
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