Kolkata:
Despite hitting just two sixes, Shubman Gill managed to score an impressive 76 runs from 38 deliveries. In the final over, three more wickets fell, yet Gujarat Titans concluded their innings at 224 for 6. It seemed like only one team had the potential to chase such a total down; however, Sunrisers Hyderabad appear to be reminiscent of their recent less formidable form. Thus, the 38-run loss wasn’t entirely surprising.
#Travishek was all set to provide Sunrisers with the ideal start they desperately needed, however, Rashid Khan dashed 32 meters from deep square leg, dove full outstretched, and executed an incredible catch which led to Travis Head being sent back in the fifth over.
Despite his efforts, Abhishek Sharma scored 74 runs from 41 deliveries. Leveraging Gerald Coetzee’s pace, he hit a six over long leg and then consecutively struck Rashid for both a four and another six. For an extended period, their run rate had been under 200; however, so long as Abhishek rotated strikes efficiently alongside Heinrich Klaasen, the Sunrisers maintained hope. It all changed when Ishant Sharma delivered a full-length ball which Abhishek failed to handle correctly, leading to Mohammad Siraj taking advantage of this opportunity. In the following over, Klaasen was dismissed quietly after missing out on connecting a scoop shot. Then came nearly a hat-trick for Siraj in the subsequent over, effectively ending any chances for Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Hoping for the higher-ranked team to bail them out might have been wishful thinking considering how poorly Sunrisers handled their situation as Titans batted. Their bowlers struggled with strategy, their fielding was sloppy, and their general demeanor seemed off. Things took an even worse turn when Jos Buttler was missed by Cummins, causing everyone’s spirits to sink lower still.
Despite this, the consistency of Titans’ batting is exhausting us in the most thrilling manner. Yet again, we saw a significant opening stand, succeeded by another vital knock from Buttler, unfolding precisely as anticipated and at the ideal stage of the innings. In nine games so far, Mohammad Shami has failed to complete his required three overs six times; his inability was noticeable even by his second over. On the second delivery to Gill, Shami erred towards the pads, which allowed the Titans skipper to merely deflect it over the backward square leg boundary for a maximum. Following suit, Sai Sudharsan proceeded to hammer five boundaries off him—through midwicket, point, fine-leg, third man, and eventually past the square leg fielder on the fine side.
The wicket in Ahmedabad didn’t have a particularly fast bounce, yet the speed off the ball remained impressive as Sunrisers opted for four fast bowlers. Jaydev Unadkat maintained better line and length, which helped control the scoring rate somewhat, though he couldn’t do much else. Pat Cummins gave away around ten runs an over, whereas Harshal Patel leaked about 13.66 runs each over. The majority of the damage had been done during the Powerplay when Titans surged ahead to score 82—their record-breaking tally up until that point. Shubman Gill played a pivotal role in this assault, slamming two successive fours against Cummins early on and then sweeping him elegantly for a massive six after shifting position towards the leg stump.
While focusing on boundaries, Sudharsan turned his attention towards Patel as the Sunrisers rapidly found themselves struggling for inspiration. The pace picked up naturally. “Our mindset isn’t focused on avoiding dismissals; instead, we’re responding with our best efforts and aiming to maintain a high run rate without dwelling on potential outcomes,” explained Sudharsan during the halftime break. Maintaining such composure at a large venue like Ahmedabad is challenging. Nevertheless, playing at their home ground meant the Titans had no intention of letting the early advantage fade away.
Gill seemed destined for another century when he was run-out at 76. However, Buttler contributed significantly with a well-timed half-century, aiding Titans in reaching 162/2 after just 15 overs. In the following over, Cummins allowed 10 runs, yet Buttler unleashed powerful shots against Zeeshan Ansari, launching one shot over long-on for a six and followed it with an audacious reverse lap for a boundary. Facing Patel, Buttler drove a four past mid-off and then hammered a towering six beyond long-on. By achieving over two hundred in the 18th over, Titans accomplished their primary objective.
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