Chennai, March 20: Losing to India comprehensively in the last game of the league phase didn’t seem to affect Darren Sammy’s sense of humour. The West Indies skipper patiently answered queries directed at him by the media in a post-match interaction.
Excerpts from the interview
On losing their way after setting up the chase
Yes, [it’s] very disappointing. We created another opportunity where we could have won but didn’t capitalise so that was disappointing
On whether Ravi Rampaul’s bowling would be the positive from this game given how the batting collapsed later
Yes, it is one of the positives that we could take most definitely. He came in, has been on the bench and he got an opportunity and he grabbed it with both hands. That’s what you want in a team set-up when somebody new comes in
On the West Indies batting collapse against England, South Africa and India
Well, the good thing is that it is not the knockout stage and if that happens, we will be going home. But [it’s a] warning for us. But I still back the players we have, once we put our heads down and play each ball on its merit, we could come up with better shots. But all in all we created another opportunity today, 164 for two, and we let it slip again. That is something we must correct and correct it very quickly.
On whether it was surprising that India opened with a spinner
It was no surprise - many teams have been opening with spinners.
On what happened to the West Indies side after the 30th over
What happened after the 30th over -I think all of us were watching. We lost eight wickets for 38 runs, that’s what happened.
On Yuvraj Singh’s performance
Well, he played well, we created an opportunity to get him out early, we didn’t take it and then he came and he bowled well. Like we said, we were in winning position at 160 something for two and we let it slip.
On their preferred quarterfinal opponents – Australia or Sri Lanka
Any one of them. In order to progress and win the World Cup, each team must play each team. Whether it be Pakistan or Australia, had we won, we would have to play them and for us to progress we would have to beat them. So India now has to play Australia and we play Pakistan. If both of us have to go through India have got to win [against] Australia and we have to win [against] Pakistan.
On whether the strategy to use bounce against Yuvraj and Kohli backfired
We had a plan for the Indians. We got success early up and we had another chance to get Yuvraj [Singh] out, I was the culprit who dropped him in the point region. But like I said, the bowlers did well to restrict India, their batting line-up to 269 which was a good effort on the bowlers’ part. I commend them for that.
On whether they were confident about restricting India to a moderate total
Throughout the tournament our bowlers have been bowling well. In the middle period and in the end we have been bowling at our best. So I was fully confident about the guys restricting India to that total.
On his assessment of Pakistan
They have been playing well. The captain’s been performing and other players been performing as well and I don’t think they have had a bad game per se and hopefully it will be against us. We will bring our A game [into play] and [hopefully] they will have a bad game and it will be smooth sailing for us and that’s basically it. We will analyse them and come up with the best combination to go out and play at our best in order to beat them.
On Chris Gayle’s fitness
I know Chris [Gayle] will not pass on an opportunity of playing in a World Cup quarterfinal. I don’t think he has played in a World Cup quarterfinal so I know he will come out and give his all for the team.
On Sachin Tendulkar walking despite the umpire ruling him not out
Oh, that was brilliant. That was just brilliant on his part, you know. This shows the measure of the man, he is a true gentleman. We know that wouldn’t affect him after several thousand runs so yeah, he could walk.
On leaving out middle-order anchor Chanderpaul
Before we came up with the combination we wanted, obviously Shiv [Shivnarine Chanderpaul] wasn’t basically in the best of nick. Maybe [he needs to] continue working in the nets - we still respect what he’s done, we have full confidence in him. So we play in the quarterfinals and his opportunity will come. I know the player he is he [will] grab it with both hands. We have not counted Chanderpaul out of the eleven. He knows and understands that we make a call for the best eleven to go out there and represent us and if on that day he doesn’t [fit in] he understands, [that’s not to] say he won’t play again. He has a big part to play still in this World Cup
On the possibility of meeting India again in the semifinals
That would be a good time to beat them at home. But first we must take on Pakistan and overcome them and it would be sweet revenge to beat India at home in a semifinal
On his assessment of R Ashwin as a bowler
He came on and did what [MS] Dhoni wanted, got an early wicket, he bowled well, with all hype and media [attention on] whether he plays or not, he got his opportunity and I think he made the most out of it.
