Rishabh Pant’s bowlers stepped up to the plate and regained a bit of sanity and balance as Delhi Capitals fell behind in the Indian Premier League in Ahmedabad on Wednesday. A six-wicket win over the Gujarat Titans in a low-scoring match. Capitals, who opted to bat first, defeated the Gujarat Titans by 89 runs in 17.3 overs as the bowlers finally had a say in the final few games of the lucrative league. Mukesh Kumar was DC’s most successful bowler with figures of 3/14, while Ishant Sharma (2/8) and Tristan Star Tristan Stubbs (2/11) took two wickets each.
As far as GT batting is concerned, only Rashid Khan showed any semblance of resistance with his 24-ball 31.
Chasing 90 runs, DC completed the match in just 8.5 overs to register their third win and improve their run-rate.
What also stood out on the day was Pant’s leadership and his work behind the stumps. The flamboyant wicketkeeper-batsman sports big gloves and is sharp and agile, performing quick stumps in addition to performing incredible catch-diving full extensions.
With the T20 World Cup approaching, Pant’s dexterity behind the stumps is a very good sign for Indian cricket.
Pant (16 off 11 balls) was also in the middle when he hit the winning runs.
Captain Shubman Gill (8) was invited to bat first and he timed Khaleel Ahmed’s delivery perfectly to score GT’s first score of the innings.
Ishant Sharma fed Gill a free-kick and the ball got its due, with the opener finding a gap in the offside.
Experienced player Ishant batted on the next ball and Gill chipped a long ball straight to Prithvi Shaw at cover on a pitch that was being used for the first time this season and was described as “100% black” – soil” surface.
Sai Sudharsan (12) came in early and got into the groove with back-to-back fours, including a fine boundary through extra cover.
DC captain Rishabh Pant then introduced Mukesh Kumar in place of Ishant and the bowlers responded in the fifth ball of the first over with Wriddhiman Saha (2) caught thick on the inside edge and disturbed at middle and outside stump.
Sumit Kumar, who came on in place of the injured David Warner, then performed well and bowled a straight delivery at the off-striker’s end, bowling Sudharsan to the batsman A diving save failed to save him as the ball hit the target. The bottom of the stump.
The Capitals were singing and their skipper led by example as he took a superb catch off Ishant to send back the dangerous David Miller (2) to give the home side a five-over Falling behind at 30/4.
Ishant teed up Miller with a left-hander but despite loud appeals, the umpire seemed uninterested.
However, Pant decided to review it after being persuaded by Ishant and Fraser-McGurk. It was the right call, and UltraEdge showed Miller had a clear advantage.
More trouble awaited the Titans as Pant’s brilliant knock off Tristan Stubbs led to the fall of Abhinav Manohar, forcing the home side to send super sub Shah Rukh Khan into midfield .
The move didn’t work out and Shah Rukh was dismissed in the next ball, although Pant somehow managed another stump without taking a clean catch.
Left-arm spinner Axar Patel then knocked Rahul Tewatia off the pads and the umpire raised his finger after the bowler appealed confidently. Tewatia was reviewed but decided to stay as GT scored just 66 runs in the 12th over, losing their seventh wicket.
Khalil came back to dismiss Mohit Sharma before Rashid Khan bowled Kuldeep at long-on in the first and only six of the innings.
However, Mukesh Kumar ended his resistance when Rashid chipped in a short ball outside off.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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