With an unbeaten 49 off 40 balls Ambati Rayudu steered the Mumbai Indians to victory at the Wankhede Stadium and helped the team climb to the fourth position in the Pepsi IPL 2015 points table. Coming in to bat under trying circumstances, with the team struggling at 40 for four and rain threatening to tip the match in the Delhi Daredevils favour (on the D/L method), the middle-order batsman played a watchful knock to take the team to a much needed win. Fortunately for the hosts, the rain didn’t cause a third interruption and allowed Rohit Sharma and Rayudu to stitch together a 60-run stand to keep their side in the fray. While the captain kept the run rate in check, the middle-order batsman paced his knock to hold the innings together. “We had lost four wickets and it was necessary at that point to bat till the end and take the game exactly how we planned it,” Rayudu told iplt20.com later. Speaking about the partnership with his captain, he said, “There was no discussion as such, we were just trying to bat to the end. It was difficult to plan as such; but if there was a plan, it was to be there at the end.” Also known to hit the big shots, Rayudu had been careful to rotate the strike and curb his instincts. “It comes with experience to be honest. That is what you learn as you grow as a batsman. It is not about hitting fours and sixes; you have to play according to the situation. I think once you are a seasoned cricketer you know how to handle situations and I am happy that I could do that today. And it gives me immense happiness to come out on top,” Rayudu expressed happiness at getting the job done. “I have played quite a few innings for MI like that. It is just trying to be there till the end and being calm, knowing what I can do and what (Kieron) Pollard can do, and playing to our strengths. It helps when you have played with somebody for a very long time and you know which bowlers he can target and which bowlers I can target. So it makes it all the more easier,” Rayudu added. It was a knock under pressure which the middle-order batsman confessed he relishes. “Pressure brings the best out of me. I stay a lot calmer when I have a target it mind and I know how to pace an innings. I am happy that I could do it today,” Rayudu stated. With Rohit back in the pavilion, Pollard had joined forces with Rayudu and the pair went about their task in calculated manner. Reiterating his partner’s words, the West Indian said “You just back yourself, your strengths and ability. In the last couple of games this is the role I have been given. For me it’s about just ‘see the ball and try and hit it’. The equation was on the scoreboard so we knew what we had to get. Ambati batted pretty well to go through the innings and getting sixes and fours at crucial times was always going to be the battle.” Speaking about the plans they had devised to get to the target, Rayudu added, “When it had come down to getting ten runs per over, all we had to do was hit one boundary an over and run the next five balls (for singles). It is exactly what we were doing till the 19th over. We wanted to leave around six or seven runs for the last over; we left eight and it was all about one hit in the next few balls.” Pollard, who had joined him with MI requiring 53 from 30 balls said, “Watching from inside we knew who was to bowl in the final overs. We like to play here at the Wankhede; when you look at it, most of the runs (are) scored at the back end of the innings anyway.” “Yes, it was up and down, these things happen in cricket, but at the end of the day guys batted well. Ambati went in at a crucial time and built a partnership with Rohit and both of them batted pretty well. Rohit got out at an unfortunate time. Having said that, that’s why they call it a team, it’s a team sport. I think it was set-up from the way the bowlers bowled. Bhajji (Harbhajan Singh) bowled well, the other bowlers too bowled well and we fielded well. 150-odd on this wicket was always gettable, but again the circumstances and rain made it a bit difficult for us. It was about winning, which we’ve done now and it’s on to the next game now,” he added while crediting his teammates for setting up the win. Like knowing one’s partner’s game helps, Pollard was of the opinion playing at one’s home ground was very helpful too. “It’s your home. You have to make it a fortress. A couple of teams came here this year and beat us and we are not too fond of that, but these things happen. We are accustomed to playing here; we play and practice here. So when you get (into situations) sometimes, you know where you want to hit and how you want to hit, and where you can get your boundaries and maximum,” Pollard elaborated on the advantage of playing at the Wankhede Stadium. The Mumbai Indians are back on the winning path. Asked what they have done to reignite their campaign, like they had done towards the latter half of the tournament last season, Pollard said, “We haven’t done much differently, we have been training hard all the time. It wasn’t the ideal start for us but I think the win against Sunrisers Hyderabad (helped). After we got that win, the time off before the other game was really good for us. We needed that at that point in time and we trained and then we got a couple of days off. We did fun stuff, we just relaxed, took our mind off from cricket. We knew what we were up against coming back into the tournament. We haven’t done much differently; we have been training hard and we have been preparing well. So it’s now starting to reap benefits.” “The talent was always there. It was just a matter of getting the combination, and especially the thinking and mindset right. We are in a happy space. We took a little time to adjust and I’m sure we can do a good job in the coming games.”