Axar and Pant make a crucial stand, and the Gujarati player Pant goes all in on the game. However, Miller and Rashid are unable to close it late this evening.
For this game, Kotla used a different strip. There was no indication of grass, and the area did not resemble the belter that had witnessed Sunrisers Hyderabad’s demolition of the opponents. At the toss, Rishabh Pant—who refers to the location as a virtual home—had made a suggestion about it. “Compared to the last game, it moves a little more slowly.” After a 43-ball outing, Axar Patel had stated as much. “Thoda fass raha tha.”
Although there were runs in the offering, the batters needed to put in more work. Ultimately, Pant and Axar were the ones who read the situation the best, stabilising the innings when Delhi’s top-order, which did not include David Warner, misjudged when returning to the dressing room.
The two began ticking their way to a hundred-plus stand against the Afghan spin pair of Noor Ahmad and Rashid Khan. The two wrist-spinners were mirror pictures of one another, so it was a harsh test. However, the two DC left-handers appeared perfect as they maintained a strong boundary flow throughout the middle overs phase, having done their study. It was a true partnership in which the two benefited from one other’s accomplishments.
With a slog sweep over mid wicket, Axar may have selected the wrong man from Rashid, but Pant was more than happy to accommodate Noor’s googly with a paddle shot down fine leg for four, finding space on the off-side. As the leggie dragged back his length, Rashid’s next ball saw both southpaws clear the field for a boundary each on the leg side. Since the ball took a while to get to the bat, the pull in particular was the preferred shot for the two.
Hit Sixes as Finishing Skills: Pant
Mohit Sharma was brought on in the second half of the innings, and from then on, the off-speed deliveries were consistent. In an over, if Pant were to scythe an angled delivery down deep backward point off the pacer, Axar produced a cut shot of his own, matching it by rocking back in his crease off the spinner. In the last overs, Pant quickened the pace and hit two sixes off Mohit, then Axar hit two consecutive maximums off Noor. While Gujarat made progress thanks to his effort at a third, the Delhi captain continued to hone his finishing skills.
Since he made his big-stage debut announcement, fans of Indian cricket have imagined Pant playing this position. He has the appropriate toolkit to do so because to his use of the crease and variety of unconventional shots. However, for whatever reason, it hasn’t occurred. But Pant’s change of strategy on Wednesday couldn’t have come at a better time, with a wicketkeeper-batter spot still out for grabs at the T20 World Cup this summer.
He produced the shot of the evening against Mohit Sharma, a hoick off a length ball in front of square while hanging back in his crease. But Pant would treat Gujarat’s designated death bowler with contempt in the last over, hitting four sixes and a four.
At the midway point, Axar would confess, “The plan was to take the game deep.” Their opponents have built their reputation on this act. They came close to pulling off this act on Wednesday.
GT is about to close it.
Delhi had every right to believe they were the favorites when Pant clung onto Rahul Tewatia’s outside edge from Kuldeep Yadav. With just four overs remaining, 72 runs were needed. Despite his notoriety, David Miller hadn’t been fired yet this season. In the following over, he would break the chains and steal 24 from Anrich Nortje.
Miller struck the opening ball, a decent length delivery at 146.5 kmph on the stumps, with his front leg cleared, and he hammered it down mid-wicket for four. The Proteas speedster picked up the tempo off the subsequent one, and his fellow countryman appeared to have read the move. With 150 ticks, little more volume, and the southpaw sliced through the line over more cover for six runs.
Miller held his ground to create the classic short ball pull shot. However, the person he struck on the ground was the one who won. Just a light push with the straightest possible bat trajectory. After a 21-ball fifty, the last three equations were down to 48. However, he dug one too far square leg in the next over.
Sai Kishore, the recently named captain of Tamil Nadu, entered the field after stepping up with the ball a few nights before. The 27-year-old dismissed Rasikh Dar Salam with two consecutive sixes before getting out on the last ball of the penultimate over.
There was cause for concern for the home team with 19 needed off the last over. Strike was owned by Rashid Khan. The Afghan spinner had previously shone for the two-time finalists at bat. And it appeared as though Gujarat was winning another game right up to the last minute when he hit back-to-back fours off Mukesh Kumar’s opening two deliveries. He hit a six to stay in the game even after a few dot balls. The game would have been extended to the Super Over. It wasn’t to be, as Mukesh nailed a yorker and Rashid couldn’t get the bat underneath it.
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