Our IPL experience helped us clinch the Oz match: Bravo

Mirpur: West Indies all rounder Dwayne Bravo today credited their experience of playing in the IPL for their stupendous victory over Australia, saying playing the T20 league has prepared them well to handle pressure situations.

Bravo had scored an unbeaten 27 off only 12 balls in that thrilling chase of 179 but his contribution was overshadowed by Darren Sammy`s last-over sixes off James Faulkner. "The situation was like 21 balls to go and 53 to get. It`s actually achievable because of the experience we have got in IPL. Sammy`s IPL experience also came into play and he can withstand pressure," Bravo told mediapersons after a training session here today. "We knew their bowlers will also be under pressure because one side of the ground is very short and in those kinds of scenarios, we expect the bowler to make mistakes as we had a lot of wickets in hand," he added Bravo was all praise for his skipper Sammy for his ability to come up with bog shots. "Sammy is one of the cleanest hitters in the game today. My job at that time was to just run between the wickets and give him as much strike as possible and to just calm him down. All in all it worked for us. I hope we don`t have to depend on him so much," Bravo said with a smile. Bravo, who is one of the six players retained by Chennai Super Kings feels although the atmosphere was heated up before the match due to James Faulkner`s. I don`t like West Indians` comment but he he feels that IPL has brought cricketers from various teams closer to each other decreasing the animosity that probably existed earlier. "Thanks to IPL, it allows that. It`s a good thing for international cricketers. Apart from money, it also brings you closer to another cricketer from another country and become friends." "At the hotel, we see each other, meet each other and have a quick chat. We may not be best of friends or go out for dinner but we play together for the Big Bash and the IPL and some of them come and play in the Caribbean Premier League too. With all these leagues in the world, you end up developing a better relationship. Look at the India-West Indies games, the relationship is like of love and it`s like one country playing," Bravo said. Bravo had a word of caution for their next opponents Pakistan that there will be no drop in intensity as they go out there against Mohammed Hafeez`s men day after tomorrow. "No. The intensity will always be there. The game against Pakistan is important for both the teams. It is very difficult to predict how the teams will play. I know it will be a nail-biting game. Come that game, we will be aware of what exactly we need to do. "It`s going to be a very good cricket match. This is a very tough group, the `Group of Death`. We need to play well to get out of this `Group of Death` and look forward to playing in the semifinal`s. The 30-year-old got a touch emotional while talking about T&T U-19 cricketer Tevin Robertson, who was killed in a tragic car crash yesterday. "He (Tevin) was very friendly, very polite and a young player coming around the national team. It`s very sad. Yesterday, as we were watching the England versus South Africa game, myself, Narine, Rampaul, Ramdin and Badree got the news through a text message and we were in a state of shock. "We can`t actually believe that a life has gone just like that. I wish his family all the best on behalf of the West Indies cricket team. It`s a life gone too soon and pray that the mighty God bless him. We remembered him in our prayers this morning and if we win this event, we will dedicate it to him," Bravo said.