Kochi Tuskers' aim is to finish on a high: Parthiv

With absolutely no chance of qualifying for the play-offs, the stand-in captain of Kochi Tuskers Kerala, Parthiv Patel, wants to finish the IPL campaign on a high beating defending champions Chennai Super Kings in their own den.

"Honestly, the chances are very slim. The primary aim would be to finish on a high. This was our first year in the competition and we have done well to win six games," Parthiv told on the eve of their match against the CSK.

The glovesman who is the first-choice 'keeper for the tour of West Indies in the absence of Mahendra Singh Dhoni attributed his inconsistent performance in the tournament due to a change in the batting order.

"My role has changed for Kochi Tuskers. I am batting at No 3 whereas I used to open for CSK. As far as my performance, it is an average one. I haven't got big scores but then I have remained not out on a few occasions. Overall, I believe I got a chance to show my mettle as a middle-order batsman." 

The pint-sized Gujarat lad admitted that Chepaul strip demands an extra spinner to be included in the line-up. 

"With Mahela leaving for national duty, there will be some changes in the line-up. Obviously, we may get an extra
spinner in the line-up." Asked about his pace trio of R Vinay Kumar, RP Singh and S Sreesanth, Parthiv termed them as bowlers with "different variations." 

"Vinay is a bowler who depends a lot on his slower ones while Sreesanth is at his best when he is getting the ball to swing. RP has also done exceedingly well in the tournament. Our coach Geoff Lawson had interactions with each one and that has definitely helped them." The stand-in-captain praised Sreesanth for putting up a lot of hardwork in the nets and also doing a lot of fitness training. 

"He has been really good and working hard in the nets. He has been working hard in the gym as well. He can surely come back as well." Parthiv also feels that it will be unfair if one tries to curb Sreesanth from "expressing himself." 

"We always wanted him to express himself. He is at ease when he expresses himself in his own way. I have never told him and I do not know whether the coach or the captain (Mahela) had told him to keep away from it or had a word with him on that."