IPL 2022: Ferguson, Gill star for Gujarat Titans in 14-run win over Delhi Capitals

Written by Shamik ChakrabartyUpdated: April 3, 2022 1:48:29 pm

At 142/7 and 30 runs required for victory off the last three overs, it became Rovman Powell-or-bust for Delhi Capitals.

The Jamaican was batting on 20 off 11 deliveries and Mohammed Shami had the ball. The fast bowler had given away 27 runs in his previous three overs. But cometh the hour, his class shone through. An incoming delivery that skidded off the surface trapped Powel leg-before. Another angled-in delivery that reared off a length accounted for Khaleel Ahmed.

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Mustafizur Rahman saved the hat-trick but he should have been out in the final ball of the over. Substitute Jayant Yadav dropped a tough catch at fine leg.

By then, though, Gujarat Titans were breathing easy. Shami’s over had tilted the balance in their favour. Pant’s 29-ball 43 and Powell’s power-hitting had kept Delhi in the game.

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In the end, Gujarat’s 171/6 proved to be enough. They won by 14 runs. Shubman Gill and Lockie Ferguson were the chief architects of their win.

Ferguson came into the attack in the fifth over and immediately hit the deck hard. Speed-gun showed 138kph but Prithvi Shaw was late on the pull, top-edging the delivery to Shankar. Ferguson would gradually increase his pace to 147kph, making Mandeep Singh to back away and nick a thunderbolt to Matthew Wade behind the stumps. The fast bowler set the tone with two wickets in his first over. Pant tried to counter-attack Ferguson but he, too, wasn’t comfortable against such whirlwind pace. Wade dropped a tough chance when the Delhi captain was on seven. But the evening belonged to the Kiwi. He would come back to have his man, when Pant could have taken the game away from the opponents. And after softening up Axar Patel with a 144kph yorker, Ferguson dismissed him as well to return with 4/28 from four overs.

Before the IPL, Hardik Pandya got the message loud and clear from chief selector Chetan Sharma – he wouldn’t be considered for India selection until he was bowling regularly. The Gujarat captain looks to be back to full fitness. He bowled four overs in the first game against Lucknow Super Giants. On Saturday, against Delhi in Pune, Pandya took the new ball and dismissed Tim Seifert. Figures of 1/22 from four overs had been a very good effort. It also allowed Ferguson to bowl with the semi-new ball, something which the New Zealander likes. Gill’s classy knock

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On his way to an eye-catching 84 off 46 balls, Gill hit glorious shots aplenty. His straight six against the left-arm spinner Axar Patel was gorgeous. In between, Gill’s back-to-back fours against Ahmed, a brilliant six against Kuldeep and an exquisite cover drive off Shardul Thakur were the shots to fall for.

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Fifty came off 32 balls and Gill looked set to reach three-figures. He anchored the innings with a 65-run third wicket partnership with Pandya.

Brief Scores: Gujarat Titans: 171 for 6 in 20 overs (Shubman Gill 84; Mustafizur Rahman 3/23) beat Delhi Capitals: 157 for 9 in 20 overs (Rishabh Pant 43, Lalit Yadav 25; Lockie Ferguson 4/28, Md Shami 2/30).

© The Indian Express (P) LtdFirst published on: 03-04-2022 at 06:21:17 am Next Story

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