Morne Morkel’s Control First Day Of IPL

Morne Morkel’s first delivery of the 2015 edition of the Pepsi IPL was hit for a boundary by the Mumbai Indians’ opener Aaron Finch. “It was a good all-round wicket.  A ball later, the Mumbai Indians’ opener was put in a spot of bother by the same bowler who hurried him for pace, made him play a half-hearted pull and ultimately hole out to Umesh Yadav in the deep. He ended up with figures of 2 for 18 in his four overs.

 

 Morne Morkel's

“It was a good all-round wicket. I knew with the new ball there is always going to be something on offer in the wicket. The key for me was to just stick to my basics and my game plan. I tried and let the Mumbai Indians batsmen take me on and tonight it worked for me.” 

Morkel sure didn’t panic after being hit for a boundary off the very first ball. Instead what followed later was a seething spell of fast bowling that created a lot of doubts in the minds of the Mumbai Indians batsmen. They found Morkel’s pace too hot to handle and were most of the times on the defensive against him. A wicket maiden and 15 dot balls in the spell were like a cherry on the cake. For Morkel it was all about sticking to his own strengths and executing his game plans. 

Morkel

He was adjudged the Man-of-the-match for his stellar bowling performance after the batsmen finished the job for the team later in the evening. Quite obviously, Morkel was a happy man who cherished the moment playing in front of a packed Eden Gardens. “It is a special feeling to be playing here at the Eden Gardens. There is just something about this ground. It is just amazing.  “It feels great after arriving here two days ago and getting to training. Coming out tonight, there were a few butterflies in my stomach and a bit of nerves and tension. As an individual there will always be butterflies. (Having) Some butterflies are a good sign. It is a sign that you care and if you don’t have butterflies you need to start worrying. It is just a matter of getting them flying and not panicking too much.”

 

Morkel

The pacer also credited the entire team for the win and success upfront. “We have got a fantastic bowling unit and I can’t just take all the credit. If I can help from my end and make life easier for the rest of the guys who are striking, it would be great. It is just not about my performances. The game is over now and it is time to focus on the next one. I am really pleased with the way we have started the tournament.”