Simons 'Proud' Of CSK Bowlers Despite Loss Against Lucknow

Indian Premier League (IPL) side Chennai Super Kings' bowling consultant Eric Simons said he was proud of the way his players bowled in a losing cause against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on March 31, adding that to bowl with such control in tough dewy condition was not an easy task.

Though CSK set an extremely challenging target of 211 for LSG to win after being asked to bat first, the new IPL side still won by six wickets with three balls remaining at Brabourne, thanks largely to the heavy dew, which made gripping the ball difficult for CSK bowlers.

Speaking ahead of the match against Punjab Kings on Sunday at Brabourne, Simons said, "We're realistic about what we've done well. We've all seen how difficult it is to defend any score. We battled a bit in the first game, battled really well in the second game. We would have liked to have defended it, we had to make some adjustments and that's one of the things we pride ourselves in - in being able to adjust in the middle.

Defending champions CSK have lost both IPL matches so far and are currently eighth in the 10-team tournament.

"We're all proud of the way the guys bowled in those conditions. To be able to bowl death for as long as we did, bowl wide yorkers and stick to our plan with one side being big. There were some real positives. Obviously, you'd like the result to go your way but one of the hallmarks of Chennai is you don't panic. You do what the process is, stay true to what you believe in and results will come. We keep trusting the way we play."

Simons also lauded Dwaine Pretorius, who picked up two wickets on his IPL debut against Lucknow.

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"He's an experienced cricketer. When he gets out there, he was doing what he does. The ball was a bit wet, playing in different conditions but he was comfortable because he was staying true to himself. That's very important. When you come here, you're picked for a reason. Don't try and be somebody else. He came here to be Dwaine Pretorius and he was Dwaine Pretorius and that's why he was successful."