Mumbai: Lendl Simmons’ belligerent knock that ended India’s hopes of reaching the semi-final of the ICC Twenty20 World Cup will remain a nightmare for the bowlers who bowled to him.
Although he did catch some sleep before the match, Simmons was still fighting jet lag when he played that heroic knock at the Wankhede.
He had flown in just in time for the match as a replacement for Andre Fletcher who was ruled out due to a hamstring injury. Though Simmons was originally in the squad, he had to opt out due to a back injury.
“I got the news of coming here after the Afghanistan game. Our cricket board chairman called me and asked if I was fit to go and play. I was to come here anyway for the IPL, and saw this as an opportunity to get ready for that. So I informed them that I was fit. Moreover this is also my IPL home ground and I know the conditions here. So I think I read it well.”
Simmons will sleep easy after the result although he did manage to get some decent rest on the way to India.
“I rested well for this game. I slept on flights, came here and slept the night. Then I had some practice in the morning on Wednesday. After that I slept again from 3pm to 10pm, and today as well from 12 pm to 4pm.”
What did he tell himself when he went out to bat given that it was his first innings of the World Cup?
“When I went out to bat, I had a clear mind of what I needed to do because we had a target to chase. But before the game I was a bit nervous. I was under a bit of pressure as the guys said I was here for a job. Ultimately we got there.”
And he was delighted with his efforts.
“Today, I think, was my day. Every cricketer has his day. I had a bit of luck on my side as well, and I rode on my luck and things went the way I wanted it to.”
Simmons was also delighted that his team reached such a huge target with players like Dwayne Bravo, Darren Sammy and Carlos Braithwaite still in the dugout.
“We have a lot of batting on paper, and today is the day on which the team performed.
“We couldn’t make 120 a couple of days ago; so batting on paper also doesn’t say much. The thing is about who gets going on the day. Today I got off and had the opportunity to win the game.”
Simmons is indebted to the Indian Premier League for increasing his skills.
“IPL has made me a better player. The number of games you play in the IPL helps you play the game constantly. Then you get used to different strokes and different situations in a game. Playing with guys like Dhoni and Kohli has also helped me to analyse how I must go about my game.”
Simmons has also sent a message to England that the West Indies are not a one-man team.
“England will certainly be aware that it is not a one-man show in this team. Chris Gayle did not get off tonight but we still managed to get over the line despite the big total. So even though he did not perform, that we were still able to put up a fight and win the game with balls to spare shows a lot of character from our players.”
So how do they plan to tackle England on Sunday?
“We shouldn’t be over-confident. As I said, it depends on which team plays better on that day. The conditions will be different I’m sure. It won’t be a perfect batting track like the one we batted here. From watching the previous games back home, the ball was turning in Kolkata and that didn’t happen here today.”
