'The runs I got in the second last over was more important than the wicket because that was match-winning for us.'
Ravindra Jadeja, who played a major role in Chennai Super Kings' two-wicket win over Kolkata Knight Riders on Sunday, revealed that transition to T20 format after playing Test cricket was 'difficult'.
Jadeja smashed KKR pacer Prasidh Krishna for 22 runs, including two sixes and two fours, as CSK chased down 172 off the last ball of the match, to win by a narrow two-wicket margin.
"It is difficult. You have been playing Test cricket for five months and suddenly you have to come and play whiteball cricket. It was difficult," Jadeja said after the match.
"In the nets also I was working my batswing. So I was thinking whatever I have done in the nets I have to repeat in the match. The runs I got in the second last over was more important than the wicket because that was match-winning for us."
"Everybody does their team role. Rutu (Ruturaj Gaikwad), Faf (du Plessis), they gave us a good start, That's what you need as a team, you need to be collective as a team. I was just backing my strength. I knew he had fine leg and square leg up, so he was going to bowl a wide yorker or a slower ball. So I was waiting for that and he bowled a slower length ball and I was ready, luckily I connected off the middle of the bat and we are on the winning side today," he added.
Needing 26 off the last two overs, CSK took two singles of the first two balls off Prasidh's over before Jadeja went on the attack. He hit the third ball of the penultimate over fine leg for a six and followed it up with a straight six.
Krishna gifted the left-hander a full toss which Jadeja slashed through point for a four and bagged another boundary through the same region.
Jadeja's stunning assault turned the match on its head, with CSK needing just four runs off the final over for victory. While Sunil Narine did pick two wickets in the 20th over -- Sam Curran and Jadeja -- but CSK managed to sneak home off the final delivery to register their third win in a row.
"It's a very nice victory to have. What we've seen in cricket is at times you play good cricket and lose the game, while at times you don't really play well but still if you win the game - it's slightly more enjoyable for the simple reason that you'll still address the mistakes but going back one and a half hours to Dubai you'll be in a better mood. So a terrific game at the end of the day. It was good cricket from both sides and it was a pleasure for the spectators," said CSK captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
