MI not out yet, insists Pollard despite mounting losses

WARRIORS HAND KINGSMEN THIRD STRAIGHT DEFEAT

Holder, Netravalkar, Fletcher bag first points for Patriots

Mumbai Indians have refused to concede the season. Even after six reversals in eight games, Kieron Pollard said he has taken a position of being only down, not out. “We have not accepted defeat, but we have accepted that we have been on the losing side more often than not so far in this tournament,” Pollard said after MI were handed a six-wicket mauling by Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Wankhede on Wednesday night.

“We need to play a complete game of cricket to win matches, because it’s getting difficult the way the game is going. But what I can safely say is that, in the dressing room, the spirit of the guys is strong – they are willing and wanting to fight. So these things happen. You could have been worse off.

“But at the end of the day, we’re still playing a game of cricket, and there are a lot of other things more serious in life as well. So it is what it is. Two teams play – you win some, you lose some – and we have been on the losing side,” the MI batting coach said.

MI are languishing at the ninth place on the points table with just two wins in eight games but Pollard said they have a mathematical chance in the league. “When I said ‘defeat’, I didn’t want the headlines to suggest that Mumbai Indians are out of the tournament, because mathematically and from a points perspective, we are still very much in it. I just wanted to clarify that sometimes you have to be a little more specific to ensure your point comes across clearly.

“So yes, we have accepted the losses, because we have lost the last couple of games. But overall, we have not accepted defeat in this tournament, because we are not out of it. We will go back, assess what we can do, and see how far we can go in the tournament.”

On Wednesday night, MI suffered their fourth loss at the Wankhede, their base which is supposed to be their fortress. In the match, over 480 runs were scored with MI failing to defend 243 but Pollard refused to blame the pitch.

“I think I’m the wrong person to answer that question (about whether MI have a say in the preparation of the pitch). I’m not too sure – I’m not privy to all that information in terms of what you can or cannot say about the pitch. And again, I’m not going to sit here and say anything about it.

“We’ve all played here for years. We’ve done well here for years. We’ve seen international cricket played here. And two teams take the field every time. So, again, you just have to be better – and so far, the opposition have been better than us. It was a good game of cricket, with nearly 500 runs scored, so it was great from an entertainment point of view.”

Pollard, however, conceded that MI have not had a complete match so far this season, including in Wednesday’s match against the Sunrisers. “In terms of what has gone wrong, I think we haven’t been able to string together a complete game of cricket as a team. It hasn’t been as consistent as we would have hoped, and the results are showing that. So it’s not something you can shy away from. You can sit and try to pinpoint every little aspect, but collectively, I think we haven’t been good enough.”