IPL 2025, Qualifier 1, PBKS vs RCB: Josh Hazlewood said that the Royal Challengers Bengaluru would have struggled had Punjab Kings set a target in the range of 150 and 160 in Mullanpur. RCB beat PBKS by eight wickets on Thursday and secured their berth in the final.
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00Yeah, I think it's purely just opportunity, I think, and experience of playing the format more often.
00:07Different leagues, obviously most international, but IPL as well has, I think, really improved.
00:13You just learn every innings you bowl.
00:15I think you always learn something and you sort of just take that and put it into your arsenal and remember that for next time.
00:21So, I mean, you can train all you want, but I think playing the game, playing T20 cricket, you're learning all the time.
00:28So, yeah, that's probably the main thing, I think, that's, you know, made me improve as a T20 bowler.
00:35It's purely the opportunity and the learning from the experiences.
00:39In terms of the RCB this year, I think as a unit we've worked really well.
00:44I think everyone knows their role.
00:48I think everyone's a little bit different.
00:49The combination is great.
00:51It's got some good variation.
00:54So, everyone's got different strengths and it's just about using them at the right times, I guess,
00:58throughout the innings, which we saw tonight.
01:01So, yeah, we're in a pretty good place, I think, as a bowling unit.
01:05Next question.
01:05Yes.
01:06Hi, Josh.
01:06This is Adulia.
01:07Josh, first of all, congratulations on the win.
01:10You're now a step closer to the final and a step closer to the main and IPL title as well.
01:15So, what was the motivation behind the performance?
01:18Because you were really brilliant today.
01:19So, it was good at the performance.
01:21Yeah, I think we probably just picked up on the momentum from last game, I think, a little bit.
01:26I mean, it only feels like yesterday.
01:28We played in Lucknow.
01:30We had that great finish from Ditesh.
01:32And I think, yeah, we sort of just picked up on that momentum and kept going.
01:36The bowling unit was obviously back to the unit that's bowled for most of the tournament.
01:41Again, we knew our roles really well.
01:43There was a little bit in the wicket, to be honest.
01:44There was a little bit of scene movement.
01:46The bounce was probably a little bit inconsistent.
01:49So, we sort of utilised that as best we could.
01:51And then, obviously, Suez went through the middle order.
01:55He's bowled really well in spells throughout the whole tournament,
01:57but has been a little bit unlucky on the wicket taking front.
02:00But, obviously, tonight got the rewards.
02:03Next question.
02:04Yes.
02:04Josh, and as on the pen, just following up,
02:07how was the position today?
02:08And, obviously, you put the full goal and not wrong.
02:13And as well as you're looking at the final injury,
02:15how were you sort of eased away?
02:18Which did help in that event?
02:21Yeah, I think the conditions were...
02:24It was great to bowl first, I think.
02:27Although we saw swing and seam throughout the whole game.
02:31I think whenever a new ball was bowled, it was a bit happening.
02:34So, I think you've just got to utilise that.
02:36Probably from a batting point from Kings XI,
02:39they probably just had to pull back a little bit
02:41and try and get a score on the board.
02:42You know, 150, 160 would have been a difficult chase, potentially.
02:46So, yeah.
02:48But I think we only let them bat as well as they could have
02:51through our bowling.
02:52On the injury layoff,
02:54worked really hard the last few weeks
02:56on the shoulder to get back
02:58and got some good overs into it
03:00in the last, sort of, 10 days.
03:03And, yeah, it's feeling not too bad.
03:05So, I was happy with tonight.
03:07The wicket helped, obviously.
03:08Didn't have to bowl any fast Yorkers
03:10or anything like that.
03:11So, yeah, it's feeling not too bad.
03:14Next question.
03:15Josh, when you came on as a bowling group,
03:18were you kind of surprised at the technical assistance
03:21the pitch was offering?
03:22And is this the most bowling-friendly wicket
03:25you played on in the deep-winding year?
03:27Yeah, we were probably surprised a little bit.
03:32We only played here once before against Kings
03:34and it was a pretty good wicket.
03:35It was a day game.
03:37So, yeah, a little bit surprised.
03:39There's a little bit of grass on there, you could see,
03:41live grass.
03:42But, again, I think it was more the length that we bowled.
03:45We utilised that.
03:46Obviously, Boogie and the Ash swing the ball a lot
03:49and I sort of seam it more so.
03:51And we had a little bit of help there
03:53in all those departments.
03:57Yeah, I think Chinazwamy's been helpful
03:58throughout the year.
04:01Not much seam and swing,
04:02but the bounce has been big for us.
04:05There's been a lot of balls hit straight up in the air
04:07off the stickers and whatnot.
04:09So, Chinazwamy's been helpful from time to time.
04:12We do last two questions.
04:14Just coming back up in Jake,
04:17the most important WBC is coming next.
04:19Is it good for you to get the balls
04:22under the belt before the big final?
04:25Absolutely, yeah.
04:25I've got to be bowling, you know,
04:28wherever I am in the world,
04:29I've got to be bowling,
04:30getting ready for that game anyway.
04:31So, there's no better place
04:33than, I think, out in the middle.
04:35Obviously, you've got to bowl more.
04:37More over the training from time to time
04:38to build up for a Test match,
04:39but to get that intensity right up,
04:42there's no better place than the IPL.
04:44So, I don't bowl too much differently
04:47in Test match cricket than tonight.
04:48So, it's still that hard length.
04:51Yeah, so, yeah, feeling a good place.
04:53Yeah.
04:53Yeah.
04:53Yeah.
04:54Yeah.
04:54I think we've just got all bases covered,
05:21it feels like.
05:23You know, I think any one of the five or six bowlers
05:25can bowl in any moment of the game,
05:28whether it be the start, middle or end.
05:30I think it obviously helps having Boobie
05:32with so much experience,
05:33quite a calm customer.
05:35So, that sort of rubs off on the rest of the attack.
05:38I'm probably pretty similar to Boobie as well
05:40in that regard.
05:41Everything's quite relaxed, quite calm.
05:43Focus on your skill and try and execute that.
05:46And I think maybe a few of the younger guys
05:48in the attack have picked up on that
05:49and taken into their own games.
05:52But, yeah, we just try and have fun out there
05:53and stay nice and relaxed.
05:55And, you know, no matter the situation,
05:58whether we're on top tonight
05:59or I think there's been a few games
06:01where we've defended the score.
06:03We've bowled some really nice last few overs in games.
06:05And it's just clear planning, obviously, first of all,
06:09and then clear execution
06:10and committing to that delivery you're trying to bowl.
06:13So, just nice, clear mindsets.
06:15And, yeah, we've been doing that nicely.
06:17A final question.
06:18Yes.
06:19Josh, a word on Virat,
06:21you saw him being comfortable in the field
06:22and the way that he was assisting as a fighter as well.
06:25So, a word on both Virat and the Jett,
06:27the formation works as well.
06:29Yeah, Virat's always up and about in the field.
06:32I think as a group, we're pretty calm most of the time.
06:36But I think, you know, there's certain times
06:38when we've got a team 5 for 50 and 6 for 50
06:40that we can, you know, get up and about a little bit
06:42and get carried away in the emotion a little bit.
06:44But I think when it comes down to making decisions,
06:47you know, bowling changes,
06:48what delivery we're trying to bowl,
06:49we're very relaxed and calm.
06:51And Radjack probably is of the same cloth.
06:55So, yeah, it's been nice.