Once again in the Pepsi Indian Premier League, the Brendon McCullum – Dwayne Smith pair set the stage on fire as they got Chennai Super Kings off to a blazing start, this time against the Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium. The partnership began in the 2014 edition of the tournament and has since been instrumental in setting up wins for the two-time champions. Chasing a target of 184, the duo built a 109-run opening stand to set the foundation for the thumping win. Asked how they had planned the chase, McCullum said, “(We) did not really (plan). We knew that the wicket was good, we knew that if we could strike the ball well, be reasonably positive, then we are going to give ourselves a good chance. And we always try and play reasonably aggressively in this form of the game. Our role within the team is to get us off to a fast start and that’s all we try and do. And when it comes off it obviously gives the team a really good foundation.” “We are always going to go for it,” added his partner. Speaking about the pitch on which the match was played, Smith added, “It was a bit stoppy. But once we spent time it was easy for us.” Speaking about the partnership that has snatched games away from teams in the past and is geared up to have another go this season, McCullum said, “We complement each other. Some people say we compete against each other, but we complement each other really well. We (have) got a good relationship on the field and also off it, get on really well and both our games support one another really well. So I enjoy batting with Smithy and it’s nice to be able to make some contributions to the team.” Asked if there were any specific plans on which of the two would play the role of the aggressor, Smith explained there were no such plans as such, but decisions were made in the middle on instinct. “We both are attacking players. We just decide (out in the middle). That’s how we go. Our plan is to enjoy it and I’m sure that once we spend time at the crease runs will come,” Smith said. Discussing how they play around each other and whether one holds an end up while the other takes on the bowlers, McCullum said, “It sort of depends as you play. When you see the ball well then you can afford to be quite positive. When you are struggling to pick the ball up (or) you are struggling on the wicket, then you need to curb things a little bit. But on such a good pitch, like this one (at the Wankhede Stadium), it allows you to be positive throughout. You have to adapt to the game in ways to be reasonably positive.” McCullum was full of praise for his opening partner after the aggressive manner in which he set the ball rolling for his team. “I think Dwayne Smith today was sublime all the way; he managed to hurt (the opposition) from the beginning. While chasing a big score like 180, we knew that the wicket was good, but we knew that we had to play pretty well as well. And I think the way Dwayne started, we could give ourselves a good foundation and then the class players came in towards the end.” “When you are positive, good things happen. So it’s just for me to stay positive. I am always positive and looking to do well for my team,” Smith said about his own knock. Smith had starred in CSK’s win over MI in the previous season as well. Speaking about his match-winning knock, he said, “I was able to get my team into a good position. Once we got off to that start we couldn’t be losing from there. So it was just to get us off to a good start and so we did, and I am happy to be part of it.” Asked if they had decided to take on certain bowlers, McCullum explained that wasn’t really the plan. “No, not really. Some of the better players can do that. But for me any way, it’s just try and see the ball, and you try to hit the ball. And you try and create some partnerships, and we were able to do,” he said. The MS Dhoni-led side have now won all their three games so far. After winning their first two matches at home, they have got off to a win in their first away game of the season. Speaking about the team’s campaign so far, the New Zealand captain said, “It’s a really good start. But it’s a long competition and we know that we have to keep performing and keep improving as the tournament goes on. It’s not often that CSK starts with three wins from three games. So it’s nice for us to be in this position. We have got a couple of tough games coming up in a short space of time. So we are going to have to make sure we switch on to those when they arrive.” “We will take one game at a time, keep playing as we played the last three games and we will come out on top,” Smith said.