We are still searching for right combination

Mumbai: Consigned to their fourth defeat in a row, a dejected Mumbai Indians captain Rohit Sharma said he has tried everything to get the right combination for this IPL season but has not succeeded. 

Mumbai were dumped by six wickets by formidable Chennai Super Kings, on Saturday night. 

“We will go back and see what will be our right combination. We are still searching for the right combination. We have tried to play five bowlers and changed batting order in the last four games. I don’t know what else to do to get the combination right,” said a crestfallen Sharma said. 

Sharma, who batted well to score a 31-ball 50, said promotion of New Zealand all rounder Corey Anderson to the third spot was one such endeavour without success. 

“Whatever we did in the last three games didn’t work out. That’s why we tried new things, promoting Corey Anderson to no. 3 spot. Last time Corey batted here he got 95 (last season against Rajasthan Royals) and we qualified for play offs. When things don’t work out it looks ugly, but strategy-wise it was the best way to go forward,” said Sharma. 

The MI skipper said the team’s think tank was even contemplating playing untested New Zealander Mitchell McGleanagan in the next game. 

“Mitchell is a talented bowler. We were actually thinking of getting him in for this game. But we wanted to make batting a bit stronger, especially in the first six overs, and that’s why Lendl Simmons was the best option considering the sort of season he had last year. We thought Wankhede was the best place for him to start again,” said Sharma. 

Simmons scored 394 runs in only eight games in 2014 to revive the team’s fortunes after it suffered five straight defeats in the first leg held in the UAE.