Jake Fraser-McGurk’s Fiery IPL 2024 Debut Hands LSG A Sweet Defeat

The young Australian arrived at IPL in style with a 35-ball 55, with 3 fours and five humongous sixes!

Jake Fraser-McGurk announced his arrival in the IPL 2024 with a 55 off 35 – with 3 fours and 5 sixes – as Delhi Capitals handed Lucknow Super Giants their first defeat in the IPL in a game where the latter posted a 160-plus total. The DC bowlers – led by Kuldeep Yadav – tripped up LSG’s top order early before Ayush Badoni counter-attacked successfully. LSG’s 167/7 was the highest total for a team after losing their first seven wickets for under 100 in IPL history. But this big effort was for nothing in the end.

Left-arm match-up joy for DC

Delhi Capitals might be languishing lower in the points table, but Khaleel Ahmed finds himself joint-third on the bowling charts for the season. He was instrumental in setting up the team’s only other win this season – against CSK – and was once again at hand in rocking LSG’s top-order. Khaleel had the rub of the green as the umpire ruled in his favor for an LBW appeal after Quinton de Kock missed a full ball on the leg stump. The left-hander’s stay was cut short by the umpire’s call. In his next over, he had Devdutt Padikkal out leg before too.

The match-up worked perfectly for DC as this was the fourth time de Kock fell to a left-arm pacer and the third instance for Padikkal.

Kuldeep magic after the PowerPlay

The left-arm wrist spinner lured Marcus Stoinis into a big, risky heave in his first over. The result was a leading edge to Ishant Sharma at backward point. LSG were left stunned just the next ball when he bowled a fabulous googly to an unsuspecting Nicholas Pooran and knocked back his stumps. KL Rahul, who had shown some intent early on, became Kuldeep’s third wicket in the 10th over. It needed DC to review but Rishabh Pant was convinced of an edge and was rewarded for it.

LSG regressed further, slipping from 80 for 5 in 10 overs to 94 for 7 in 13 overs.

Badoni to the rescue

The 24-year-old resurrected LSG’s essay with an unbeaten 55 off 35. He had Arshad Khan for company in an eighth-wicket partnership worth 73 off the last seven overs. Badoni took on DC’s death-overs pacers Mukesh Kumar, Khaleel, and Ishant Sharma as 39 runs came off the last three overs. Kuldeep meanwhile finished with figures of 3 for 20, including 10 dot balls.

IPL, meet Jake Fraser-McGurk!

David Warner’s dismissal in the fourth over did nothing to DC’s run-chase as their 22-year-old Jake Fraser-McGurk marked his IPL debut with an impressive show. Fraser-McGurk and Prithvi Shaw went on a boundary-hitting spree, collecting 15 off Arshad Khan and 17 off Krunal Pandya to take DC to 62/1 in 6 overs.

Ravi Bishnoi pushed DC back with a one-run seventh over that included the wicket of Shaw – caught at deep midwicket. This brought along a period of lull as DC managed just 13 runs in 4 overs until the halfway stage, without a boundary scored. Rishabh Pant then turned it around by going after Bishnoi in the 11th over, giving him the charge for a straight six and a four. The DC captain also went after Stoinis before Fraser-McGurk dwarfed the equation by hitting three successive sixes off Krunal – over deep midwicket, deep extra cover, and long off.

Late faint hopes for LSG?

Not quite.

In the space of five deliveries, Naveen Ul-Haq and Bishnoi dismissed both Pant and Fraser-McGurk, and ended the chase-defining stand of 77 runs. But at this point, DC needed just 20 off 27 balls which Shai Hope and Tristan Stubbs saw through comfortably in 18.1 overs.

What next?

LSG have just a day’s gap to travel to Kolkata where they take on KKR in the afternoon game on Sunday (April 14). DC travel to Ahmedabad to take on Shubman Gill’s side on Friday (April 17).