Morkel was left out to maintain balance: Eric Simmons

Morne Morkel

When specifically queried at the post-match media conference whether the decision to drop Morkel backfired, Simmons went into a lengthy explanation and claimed that the South African fast bowler's omission was dictated by the need to lend balance to the team.

Delhi Daredevils coach Eric Simmons

"When we do not have the services of Irfan Pathan, we need to find balance and we could have only four foreigners in the playing eleven. The question is not about Morne Morkel. You have to try and do the best possible to get the right. Lot of things go into it and we decided to have Andre Russell," Simmons said.

"Russell bowled well, giving 29 runs from four overs, and took a catch and scored 16 runs. He has made a decent contribution. So, you could measure from that perspective. We discuss every possible angle when that happens. Russell was the direct replacement for Irfan Pathan. That is the decision we made and took our chance," he added.