Rohit Sharma would certainly have liked to make a statement with the bat on his 35th birthday. He couldn’t, but was still a happy man as Mumbai Indians finally got off the mark in this IPL after eight losses in a row.

“I’d definitely take this win. That’s how we play, as the real potential came out in this game, with the ball especially,” the Mumbai captain said at the post-match presentation.

“They (bowlers) kept applying the pressure. If you keep taking wickets, it’s going to be difficult for the opposition batters, and we did that perfectly.”

Analysing the disappointing season so far for the five-time champions, Rohit rued “those close matches” that his team couldn’t win. “The conditions are different in these venues. The ball tends to grip here, while the pitches are flatter at the other venues.

“We try and field the best combination, but it didn’t work for eight games. But one thing I can say is, we weren’t blown away by the opposition and we came really close.

“Had we won those games, things would have been slightly different for us,” Rohit pointed out.