Dwayne Bravo’s spell was the turning point – Aaron Finch
Feb 6, 2019 at 3:49 PM
Post his side’s comfortable win over the Kings XI Punjab in Mohali, Gujarat Lions opener Aaron Finch praised Dwayne Bravo’s efforts for the win. Finch was in complete awe of Bravo, and said that the Trinidadian’s spell in the middle of Punjab’s innings turned the game around on its head. The Australian opener pointed out the wickets of Glenn Maxwell and David Miller as the turning points of the game.
At one point, the Kings XI were simply cruising as the opening combo of Manan Vohra and M. Vijay got them off to a flying start. However, after Ravindra Jadeja dismissed the two, it was time for Bravo to come to the party and he got rid of Miller and Maxwell.
“When you’ve got two guys like Maxwell and Miller, with the firepower they have got and the six-hitting capability, I suppose, to get them both in the same over, to be able to have two new batters in to dry up the runs for a small period there was absolutely crucial,” said Finch about Bravo’s burst in the middle.
Finch also praised Bravo as an overall cricketer and said that the West Indian has performed for each side which he has represented. “He’s been absolutely brilliant for every team that he has played for. For the West Indies, here at Gujarat, even at Chennai, he was fantastic. He’s someone who just keeps getting better and better with age and he’s not slowing down. He brings so much to the table with the bat, ball, and field. Very happy that he is on our side,” Finch said.
The Victorian opener, who was named the Man of the Match for his knock of 74, also backed the new ball bowlers despite being hammered early on. “Well, I would have liked for it (runs in powerplay) to be less, but at the end of the day, you have to appreciate good cricket. And (Murali) Vijay played some beautiful shots out there. It was actually nice to watch, and if he wasn’t getting so many runs, one would have been clapping but, it is just a part of the game,” said Finch.
“There are only two men outside the circle, so it is hard to defend with the new ball. And if you bowl any kind of width, it could travel quite a bit. The way the bowlers fought back – Praveen Kumar, Bravo, and Faulkner – the way they bowled the last five or six overs was actually unbelievable and restricted it to a manageable chase,” Finch added.