In the Malaysian tri-series, Australia have beaten West Indies by 127 runs to lift the DLF Cup in Kuala Lumpur. The Man of the Series, Brett Lee, spoke to Harini Rana in an exclusive one-on-one.
Q. With 12 wickets in 3 matches, you just seem to be getting better with every game.
A. I really enjoyed my time here and Malaysia has thrown a fantastic tournament, I've really enjoyed bowling on this wicket. It has been a lot of hard work, coupled with humid conditions but I never thought I'd come back and take 12 wickets in 3 months, I'm really happy with it.
Q. Did taking Chris Gayle's wicket on the first ball set the tone for you in the game?
A. Yes, I think it always boosts your confidence, getting someone out on your first ball and it doesn't happen that often in one-day and even in Test cricket matches. So, you just take it as it comes and now, we all are looking forward to returning home and reassembling with friends.
Q. Did things change after getting Chris Gayle?
A. Yes, I definitely think so. He's pretty much the key player just like Brian Lara in the West Indian team and so, to get Chris Gayle out was a real turning point in the game.
Q. Australia scored 240 on the wicket; did u think the wicket was so bad?
A. The wicket was pretty hard to score on and we found it pretty tough early in the game. Our whole aim was to not even worry about the power-plays but purely to focus on getting through the first 15-20 overs and then build on top of that. After that, it was a little bit of scrambling to 240 and after reducing India to 195, 2 nights ago, we thought there's a chance to beat West Indies too. We achieved that and we're happy with the results.
Q. What was the real target that was written on the inside of the board this time?
A. I think it was close to about 230, I think so. We've definitely gone past that and we're really, really happy and full credit to whoever has been part of this tour.