00:00I think for us it's excitement.
00:04This is the time of the tournament where you want to be playing your best cricket and I
00:08think if you have a look at what's happened over the last few games, we're gradually getting
00:12better and better every game and that's the one thing where I encourage the players to
00:16make sure you're peaking at the right time in tournament play.
00:20I thought last game we were really clinical with the bat and all you want is just little
00:25bits of improvement leading into the back end of the tournament.
00:30Well at the start of the season, the Ops were to make this the final step of the football
00:37time.
00:38How close are you there with this team?
00:42As I said, you just want to make sure you're getting better and better each day and each
00:46game and that's what this team's doing and I think what you have seen is a lot of our
00:51younger guys have started to grow a lot in confidence as the tournament goes on.
00:56You've got your senior players that want to be playing at this time in the tournament and
01:00they'll win your games but I think what's the most impressive thing leading up to now is
01:05our young kids are starting to respond and that's the most pleasing thing for us.
01:10Yeah.
01:11And your thoughts on the way the tournament has gone this year, it has not been as, we
01:21haven't seen as many big totals as it was predicted before the start of the tournament?
01:25Well, we've seen a few, we're still seeing, I think what happens there is just the quality
01:32of bowling.
01:33Last year we've seen some really steep totals and we've seen it at times during this tournament
01:40but I think a lot of credit has to go to the bowlers.
01:44They've got a good idea now on what the batters are trying to do especially with the sub rule
01:50coming in so the bowlers have done a lot of homework and I think that's what we're seeing
01:55now with the bowling drips throughout the tournament.
02:02Yeah, I like it.
02:04It gives the opportunity for another player to play and I think that's the way you've got
02:09to look at it.
02:10Everyone, you've got big squads, everyone wants to play and you can get the opportunity
02:15for one extra player to be in the mix to play because there's so much quality on the
02:21bench.
02:22You just have to look at our bench with Kuldeep Sen and guys like that, Yaz, and that on
02:27the bench.
02:28There's so much quality so the opportunity you get to play an extra player is priceless.
02:32Well, there's also the feeling that it may impact the odd on this negatively.
02:37Yeah, that was spoken about right at the start when it first came in but I don't think you've
02:43seen that.
02:44I think all-rounders are still gold in this competition and I don't think it's changed.
02:50There was a bit of talk about that but you're still picking your all-rounder in your team
02:55because of balance.
02:56And the inevitable question, did you watch Sudio and She's 100 or the highlights of it?
03:03Well, the whole thing was highlights.
03:06You didn't have to sit down for very long to watch it.
03:09It was impressive for someone at such a young age.
03:12It was extraordinary viewing.
03:14Extraordinary.
03:15He's a great talent.
03:17What did you like about his batting?
03:19The ball kept going out of the park.
03:21He was entertaining.
03:23And I think the one thing at such a tender age is the way he just played his game.
03:30He can get overawed.
03:31It's enormous competition in the IPL but the coach and staff have obviously done a good job
03:36to hold him back and get him into the tournament and wow.
03:41It was great to watch.
03:42And they're the stories you want from my appeal.
03:45Do you think the weather could have some say in the match game tomorrow or could it affect
03:51the ball in a bit, do you think?
03:53Yeah, it looks like it could.
03:55We've just got to hope that we have a clear day tomorrow.
03:59And more importantly, the spectators get a good contest.
04:04We get great support here when we come and we expect no different tomorrow.
04:10So from everyone's point of view, you don't like to see rain affected games.
04:14You like to see the full quota and the best team win.
04:18So fingers crossed we get that tomorrow.
04:20And have you had a look at the weekend so far?
04:22We only had a quick look then.
04:24The curator said he's done all the work he needs to.
04:28There'll be a bit of heavy roll in, get the covers off.
04:31But it looked another really good surface.
04:33You played around the world.
04:35Where would you rank this in terms of sheer beauty?
04:38It's right up the top.
04:41The first thing you do, you just have to watch the players as soon as they walk out.
04:45They've all got their phone and especially the foreign players that haven't walked out of that
04:50changed room before.
04:51It's actually breathtaking.
04:53And it's something we say to the players.
04:56You get great opportunities in the IPL and to travel the world with international cricket.
05:01But enjoy these moments on special grounds like this.
05:04And that's one thing we speak to our players a lot.
05:07You've got to enjoy this moment.
05:09Walk out there and take a feel of it.
05:13Take a minute to yourself and look around because it's such a beautiful place to play.
05:18And how do you view your rivals tomorrow?
05:21They've got match winners everywhere.
05:24You just have to look at their batting.
05:26They've got guys that, if we're not on song, can take the game away from us inside three,
05:31four overs.
05:32They've got some genuine pace coming back now with the ball.
05:35So they're starting to get a full complement of players.
05:38So, yeah, it's a big game for both teams.
05:41But the one thing they have, they've got some star power across the whole team.
05:46One last question on behalf of local media.
05:49You had great sport in Oolabur this time.
05:52So how are you looking forward to the home sport here over the next one week?
05:55Well, if anything's to go on how it's been since we've been here, the support's been outstanding.
06:00I know most of the guys have gone up for a walk through the hills and up the shops
06:05and found some nice coffee and been to the temples and things.
06:09And the support's been overwhelming.
06:11And I think that's why we do bring some games here is the support.
06:15The love for our team here is just like it is back at Chandigarh.
06:20So our boys are excited to play in one of the most iconic grounds in the world.
06:26So let's hope they put on a show.
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