New Delhi, April 18 Mumbai Indians’ (MI) all-rounder Will Jacks, whose contributions of 2-14 in three overs and 36 off 26 balls with the bat helped the side beat Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) by four wickets, said his bowling approach was to always look for wickets and aim to be aggressive.
At the Wankhede Stadium, with his quick off-spin bowling, Jacks had Ishan Kishan stumped, before having Travis Head hole out to long-off, which derailed SRH’s plans of posting a big total on a tricky pitch.
"I'm really happy. I knew I was gonna play a role with the ball. They've got three left-handers in the top order. And I think we knew that it was gonna have a little bit of assistance. Sometimes, I feel like I can be too defensive instead of using what I'm good at. It's very easy to focus on the batters, but you've got to remember that you have your skill as well - and you're there to get them out.
"I knew there was going to be a bit of spin assistance, so as long as I wasn't floating the ball up there and bowling aggressively… That's what I was trying to do, looking to get them out. As an offspinner to two left-handers, I'm always looking to take wickets and be aggressive: I know they're always going to come after me as well, being the sixth bowler," said Jacks after the match.
Asked about how he used his strengths as an off-spinner to great effect, Jacks stated, "If you bowl tentatively to people like that, it's only going to end one way. Originally, I thought I was going to bowl in the powerplay; I didn't, so I had a bit more protection. I knew I could bowl with confidence and use my skills: I'm a tall bowler, I get good turn and bounce, so that's what I was trying to do."
So far, Jacks had a quiet IPL 2025, as compared to the lofty expectations around him. But his all-round winning contributions against SRH meant he’s finally coming into his own in the tournament for MI.
"I think you had to play smart, take the right options, which benefited us, obviously, by second. I think when we bowled, we adapted quite quickly, which is what good teams do.
"I would have loved to have contributed more in the first five or six games I've played. But the message has always been the same from the team. Mahela (Jayawardene) just wants me to go and express myself and put pressure on the opposition, and they've been very vocal, at training, and the message couldn't have been any clearer.
“I know why I'm here. I know what I can do, and it's about showing that on the pitch to everyone. I was happy with how I started and took the initiative to the bowlers, but at the same time, made some good decisions on the wicket to add some assistance,” he concluded.
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