Taus Rizvi

Mumbai: Mumbai Indians didn't get off the blocks well. They lost their first four games, their icon player Sachin Tendulkar is still nursing a bad groin, while the stand-in skipper Harbhajan Singh has been slapped an 11-match ban for hitting opponent S Sreesanth after a 66-run defeat.

Mukesh Ambani had paid a whopping $ 111.9 million and it looked like the business tycoon had burnt his fingers badly.

However, since beating Kolkata Knight Riders at the Eden Gardens last week, things seem to be going the Mumbai Indians way. They went on to beat the highly fancied Delhi Daredevils and also humbled Shane Warne's Rajasthan Royals to make up some lost ground.

Shaun Pollock is wearing the captain's armband, while Tendulkar continues to cheer the team from the sidelines.

Coach of the Mumbai Indians, Lalchand Rajput, said though the team started off on a disappointing note they didn't lose heart.

"We didn't get a good start to the league but the players fought hard and bounced back well. It wasn't that we played badly but a couple of matches were close. The first match against Bangalore went down to the wire," he said.

"Our top order wasn't really clicking. But we believed in our abilities. Now, things seem to be shaping up well," he added.

Rajput was all praise of youngsters who played a crucial role in the absence of Sachin Tendulkar and Harbhajan Singh.

"They knew this was the time to prove themselves and didn't want to let the opportunity pass," he said.

Tendulkar's presence has made a difference. "Sachin's presence is a big motivation in itself. Though he hasn't played any match he has always been there for the players and gives his inputs. It makes a big difference if he is around," he said.

However, Rajput was happy with the way his players overcame the crises after the slap-gate incident.

Rajput also credits Pollock for the revival. "Shaun Pollock has done a good job so far. He has captained the South African team before so he knows the tricks of the trade. And also the combination of seniors and juniors is working. Look at how Ashish Nehra is performing. He hadn't played for 18 months because of an injury, but has taken wickets when it mattered most," Rajput added.

Source : DNA