David Hussey hails team effort

[1]

Applauding his teammates for pulling off a thrilling win over Royal Challengers Bangalore, Kings XI Punjab skipper David Hussey said it was a team effort that helped the side jump to number four spot in the Indian Premier League points table.

"Mandeep Singh and Nitin Saini played superbly upfront, which set the tone for us. Then Azhar and Praveen bowled beautifully that helped us grab two vital points in the tournament," Hussey said at post-match press conference here last night.

Hussey also singled out Mandeep, Azhar Mahmood and Praveen Kumar for special praise.

"Mandeep is one youngster who knows what hard work means. If he continues to work hard, we will continue to get results.

"Azhar's all-round capabilities has helped the team, while Praveen was outstanding with his bowling figures (eight runs in four overs against Bangalore yesterday). He is probably one of the better swing bowlers in the world. The conditions also favoured him tonight," said Hussey.

Hussey, who conceded just nine runs from his two overs that he bowled on Wednesday, said he did not bowl much as he had some of the best bowlers at his disposal.

"Pacer Parveen Kumar, spinner Piyush Chawla are one of best bowlers in India at the moment. That's the reason I did not bowl much," he insisted, adding it was Ryan Harris' calf injury that prompted him to bowl a couple of overs.

"We were desperate to find two-three overs from somewhere after Ryan sustained calf injury. Abhishek Nayar and myself bowled a couple of overs."

Hussey said he wants his team to maintain the winning momentum.

"We want to win as many games as possible. Coming here in Bangalore and winning is hardest thing to do. We need a couple of wins to satisfy our fans back home," he said.

Meanwhile, injured Gilchrist hailed Hussey's efforts as a captain, saying he handled the bowlers magnificently.

"Hussey captaincy was outstanding. He handled the bowlers well in the last five over, which changed things," he said.