Mumbai Indians are all set to face Delhi Capitals on Sunday at the Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi.

James Pattinson has been amongst the wickets for Mumbai Indians in the ongoing Dream11 IPL 2020. The right-arm pacer has picked 9 wickets so far. His economy rate of 7.73 currently, has been the best by any MI bowler this season.

The fast bowler addressed the media at the pre-match press conference. Pattinson shared his experience playing for Mumbai Indians, bowling alongside Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah, and his back surgery.

Your first IPL, tell us about your experience so far with Mumbai Indians?

Pattinson: “This is the first time I have played in the IPL. I was picked up in 2011 by Kolkata but didn’t play. It’s been fantastic. Mumbai Indians have been really good. I like to come over here. They've welcomed me and looked out for me. I’ve just been happy to play my part. We’re 4 (wins) and 2 (losses) at the moment. So hopefully, we can keep the winning run going.”

You’ve replaced Malinga at Mumbai Indians. Is it big shoes to fill and what was going on in your mind when you were approached?

Pattinson: “It’s disappointing for Malinga not to be able to come out here this year. It was awesome to replace such a great player. Coming over as a replacement for one of the best T20 bowlers and highest wicket-taker ever in IPL, it’s big shoes to fill. It’s just good to be able to play my part. We’ve got two good white-ball bowlers in Jasprit and Trent. So, nice to play a sort of backseat role for them and just try to help out the team as much as I can.”

Share some experience about opening the bowling with Trent Boult?

Pattinson: “I think that’s the greatest thing about IPL. Giving great opportunities that you probably won’t experience without it. You get to open the bowling with someone who plays for another country and is one of the best bowlers in world cricket. So it’s a great experience for me and something that I pinch myself about. Not just open with him but then obviously bowl in tandem with Boom (Bumrah), he’s probably the best T20 bowler in the world. So, very lucky to be able to bowl in such a great company. It’s something that I’m relishing at the moment and hopeful we will continue.”

You three have been very impressive for Mumbai Indians. If you could give us one thing that you’ve picked up from Trent and Jasprit?

Pattinson: “I just think it’s the planning that goes into it. Before the game, we plan and work out our fields and a different set of plans for different batters and stuff like just about executing there. I think that confidence has rubbed off me while going to games. Especially Trent and Boom. They have great confidence in their abilities. You just see the way they go about things. It’s great to have that rub-off and going to games with confidence knowing you are surrounded by world-class bowlers. Not just the seamers but the spinners too. Rahul and KP have been fantastic as well and Polly chiming in. Still early in the tournament, it’s only six games gone. We’re almost halfway but we’ve got to keep putting the foot on the pedal and keeping the pressure on.”

What will be your plan against Delhi Capitals who have some power-hitters on top? Would you go to contain the run flow or go for the wickets?

Pattinson: “I think that’s the good thing about our bowling attack. We’ve got a combination of those traits. Some players contain the run-rate while others attack and take wickets. So I think we have got a great combination there. They have got a wonderful batting lineup similar to ours as well so it should make for a really good game. I think it’s all about trying to limit the damage on both sides of the wickets. I think in T20 cricket, you set your fields and you try to bowl accordingly wherever that might be and always try to think ahead of the batter and not be predictable. One of the big things for us is trying to plan well and execute that. So, I think we’ll continue to play well and try to execute in the game. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t, but what we can do is to try our best.”

This is related to your surgery in 2017. How difficult was that phase from rehab to staying focussed? And did you ever doubt that you would be able to come back and play at the highest level again?

Pattinson: “Yeah, it was a really difficult time. I think it was the fourth time I had a stress fracture in the same year in my back. So that was why we decided to go down the route of surgery. It was like a last resort. There’s a fair bit of anxiety around when you go down that path because you know if it doesn’t turn out well, then you know your career’s done. So, I always kept optimistic that it would work. I am really lucky to have been in close contact with Shane Bond, who had the same surgery and was actually the first guy to have that surgery. Things fall in place actually as he is the bowling coach here now. Things always fall into place. I was getting feedback from him on how I was feeling after the surgery. Some days I’d wake up and I could hardly walk. But he assured me that that was all part of it. You get better. And I have slowly over the last few years gradually got better and better. Now, I’m feeling really good and I think that’s probably another year before it’s fully trusting when you go through something like that with setbacks. It takes a while to trust it. You get little niggles as well and you sort of wonder what that is but you just try to work through it and keep an open mind and try to be optimistic about it all.”

How far have you had to go from your usual bowling to plan your success in the UAE? What has worked best so far?

Pattinson: “It was tough because I was coming off. We were in Victoria, we’re in lockdown so I didn’t have a lot of training during the pre-season. I hadn’t played any cricket since March or April. The lucky thing was most of my training has been done with the white ball in the pre-season, so that helped me coming over here. Although it’s probably different conditions. It was about 7 degrees in Victoria, and coming over here it’s about 40 degrees. So, I had to adjust to that. I think probably the biggest thing is how we are just keeping it simple, trying to hit the stumps, and lucky enough, I was able to work on a few change options in the pre-season. So, for that sake, it was good that I was able to do that and come over here and just try to keep things pretty simple.”