Internet Desk: Stephen Fleming the coach of Rising Pune Supergiant described their IPL campaign as a grand finish to a good competition.
Rising Pune Supergiant lost the game by one run when they were chasing a target of 130 runs.
Although Pune were the runners, they had a quite successful campaign after they finished seventh in their opening season last year.
“Steve Smith came very close to winning it in the last overs and it could have been a much different story. But that was the nature of the game. It was very ebb and flow on what was quite a tough wicket to score on,” he said in the post match press conference.
“We knew that it was going to be tough. We knew their bowling attack was top class. We lost wickets at key times.
They just hung, hung in and created enough pressure to get across the line but it was just a great final. A grand finish to a good competition,” Fleming said.
The former New Zealand skipper said his team could not build big partnerships though Rahane and Smith shared a good partnership.
“We lost wickets, or they bowled a good over. It was never going to be a wicket where they could blast your way through. When we played against Hyderabad, we found that as well. Just batting deep was the best opportunity and we could not get over,” he said.
The former New Zealand skipper said though Pune was “not the most skilled side in the tournament”, it created an environment for players to excel.
“I am very proud of the combination we put together and the campaign we ran. We would have loved to have sat here for the icing on the cake but it does not change the feelings about the work that we put in during the year to get to this point,” he said.
He also praised the role of veteran Mahendra Singh Dhoni in the Pune team.
Replying to a query, Fleming said he and his team just tried to focus on what was in their control.
“We concentrated on getting this game through and finishing as well as we could and then whatever happens after this, I am not sure anyone knows to be honest. It was purely what we could control,” he said.