GT complete first ever successful 200-plus chase vs DC
He conceded 10 off the final over vs MI, Tewatia needed needed just two balls to finish things off here. Buttler will remain 97*, almost certainly the POTM.
Starc went for the wide yorker first up, bowled a half-volley and Tewatia slog swept over midwicket for six. He got the yorker next ball, it nutmegged the batter and went for four through fine leg. DC kept their own towards the end but could not prevent GT from crossing the line.
It's their second loss this season. It means these two teams are now at the top of the table.
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Don't take it deep
GT are trying not to, but the wide-yorker plan from Mohit and Mukesh has dried up boundaries. With 11 needed off 8, Mukesh bowls a wide-ish full toss. It's high but well under the waist and is top edged to long-off. Buttler's still out there 97*, DC still somehow hanging on.
There's a ball change. Tewatia has one ball, essentially a free hit. Instead, he cuts and takes a single to deep point. He's a finisher, so, it's not the worst option. Ten to win off the last over though.
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GT inch closer
GT not only see out Kuldeep but also get a boundary off him when he goes too short. Mukesh starts the death overs with a no-ball and the free-hit is smacked over midwicket. DC going for yorkers predominantly but it's not doing it. A 14-run over brings the equation down to 25 off 18. Buttler on 90*.
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Starc back but no reverse
DC saving an over from Kuldeep and bring in Starc in the 15th, he goes around the wicket but offers room while looking for yorkers. Buttler's feasting, first five balls go for four. Change of angles doesn't matter either. The gaps at in front of and behind point are found by reaching out.
A short ball to change things up, a top-edged pull does come about... Vipraj runs in from deep-backward square but can't take it. Ball trickles back for four. A break in play with GT needing 46 off 31. It's theirs to lose now.
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Rutherford finds his rangle
Rutherford was struggling at 11 off 13, he's now motoring. He seemed to miscue a full ball from Kuldeep's third over but the ball sailed well past long-off. Mohit Sharma's back at his old home performing an old role, starting his spell in the 13th. Not a good time as it turns out, Rutherford's found his timing. Two slower bumpers are pulled for sixes and the batter changes his tempo by scoring 19 runs in four balls.
Buttler joins in, punches through cover to get to a 32-ball fifty. 18 off the 13th over, asking rate's dropped from 11.77 to 10.85 in two overs.
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Check-in
Vipraj created a false shot off Rutherford but the ball fell safely at cover. Buttler thumps a googly over head for six, Kuldeep keeps it floaty, goes for four when he's quicker. GT 94 for 2 after 10, need 110 in the back ten.
They don't bat deep. Shahrukh, Tewatia and Rashid to come in. But their ploy has been one of the top-three to bat long. Their template's still in play.
Middle-overs things
It's just a phase doing its thing. The pitch is still fantastic but having a spread field allows Axar to sneak in a six-run over. Kuldeep comes on in the eighth over, bowls a short one that Sai Sudharsan pulls off the middle, the ball rockets flat to Stubbs at deep midwicket. GT 74 for 2, 130 needed off 75.
Running's ginger, hitting's fluent
Buttler got hit in the box by a length ball off Starc. He's been grimacing every now and again, lunging deep too. He probably doesn't want to run, won't have to if he's able to stay leg side of the ball and whack it through the line. Does it twice for two sixes off Vipraj. Spin in powerplay not working for DC.
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Boundaries with ease
Sai Sudharsan is driving Starc through cover off the front foot. Jos Buttler is happy to launch his second ball over extra. Talk about trusting the bounce.
Axar comes on nice and early, starts around the wicket to Sai Sudharsan, gets pick-up swept over fine leg. A bit of width two balls later and Buttler cuts through point. No spin, no seam, fill your boots.
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Be a fielder!
A self-barbecue from Gill. Direct hit from Nair who was at midwicket and DC get a bonus. Gill nudged a length ball straight towards Nair and took off. Sai Kishore noticed the fielder was close and said 'no.' Gill was halfway down. Nair had time to set himself and hit the stumps while Gill was on the turn.
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Why be a bowler?
That's an optimistic video on this pitch. Mitchell Starc gets a bit of swing but is around the wicket bouncing a left-hander four balls into the innings. When he goes full, he's driven through cover. Mukesh Kumar starts the next with sharp outswing on a fullish length but is creamed through cover by Shubman Gill.
GT don't let DC maximise
After a tough couple of days, the Ahmedabad pitch gave a bit of respite for batters on a hot Saturday afternoon.
Karun Nair, KL Rahul, and DC's middle-order batters got starts but none of them crossed 39. GT used only five bowlers for 19 overs of the innings. Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna, who got hold of the Purple cap with a two-for, pulled the visitors back after a great start.
DC leaving out Jake Fraser-McGurk created the new opening combination of Abhisek Porel and Karun Nair. Porel’s boundaries in the first over - drive on the up over mid-off and help-along flick behind square - showed that the pitch could be trusted.
He fell to a full toss from Arshad Khan and KL Rahul’s shift in approach kept DC ticking. Rahul cut Siraj and was able to pump him down the ground. His start was ominous but an outswinging yorker from Prasidh trapped him lbw for 28 off 14 balls.
Nair, too, got boundaries on both sides of the wicket. He was out in a relatively soft manner - gliding a shortish ball straight to deep third.
A pristine cover drive from Stubbs off Prasidh brought up DC’s hundred in the ninth over. But he and Axar were relatively sedate after that during the 53-run stand off 36 balls. They were happy to take Rashid and Ishant Sharma for ones and twos.
Rashid bowled quicker and at the stumps in his first two overs. He slowed the pace down in his third, Stubbs took him for six down the ground but then miscued a swipe across the line. Rashid ran back but couldn’t hold onto the catch close to the ring at mid-on. It led to a slog-swept six from Axar next ball.
Ishant was struggling in the heat and went off the pitch after two overs. Siraj returned and removed Stubbs, who reverse swept a yorker and the ball lobbed to short third.
GT’s death bowlers included a lot of yorker attempts with short balls peppered in between. It nearly worked first ball, but Rashid dropped Axar at the start of the 17th.
DC’s skipper could not hit a boundary in his last nine balls and was out caught behind. He charged Prasidh and tried to slap a length ball over cover and got an edge. Prasidh was on a hat-trick a ball later thanks to a brilliant diving catch from Jos Buttler to dismiss Vipraj Nigam.
Ashutosh Sharma was the primary boundary hitter in the final overs. He got a six and a four off Arshad early in his innings and hit two sixes off Prasidh later on. Ishant and R Sai Kishore, whose only over was the final one of the innings, went for just 15, it was enough for GT to inch past 200.
Last over = Sai Kishore's first over
Gill was out of options, so he had to go with the left-arm spinner. GT have brought in their impact player too. Sherfane Rutherford replaces Ishant Sharma. It's two hours into the innings, so there's a fielding penalty too.
It's a decent over all things considered. Sai Kishore bowls either wide of off or on the pads and goes for nine in the over. GT trickle past 200. Considering they were 93 for 2 in the ninth over and the pitch is a belter, they might not have maximised their score.
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DC get a bit of impetus
Ashutosh is finishing well. He helps a full toss over fine leg, so Prasidh compensated in length by going shorter. In response came the ramp over the keeper for six more.
Four of GT's bowlers had completed their spells after 18, and Ishant is brought back. So, there'll be a new bowler bowling the 20th. Ishant doesn't concede a boundary! Went for the yorker for the most part, then goes for the bumper. It's called wide, there's another bumper. Ashutosh goes for the pull, gets hit on the shoulder and the ball goes to the keeper. Not given caught behind, GT out of reviews. Ishant not happy with the batter, points fingers at him. Ashutosh pulls his sleeve up to show where he was hit.
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Nose and toes
Siraj is persistent with the yorkers to start the death overs. He should've had Axar first ball of the 16th but Rashid dropped a catch at cover.
There's compensation in the field next over though. Buttler leaps left to take Axar, who charged Prasidh, and tried to flay the ball over cover. Buttler goes one better next ball diving full length to the right, to take a thick deflection off Vipraj's bat. The batter had made room and tried to guide it to third there. Donavan Ferreira, DC's impact player replacing Porel, is out for the hat-trick ball.
Good hat-trick ball. Back-of-length skidder to beat the flick to hit pad. Too high.
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SIraj strikes on return
It's a yorker, Stubbs was in a good position for the reverse ramp but there's always guesswork with bounce on those shots. This ball landed and took the edge before popping up to short third.
The action's heating up a little too literally in Ahmedabad. Axar seems to have cramped up taking a run, which leads to the timeout. Ishant Sharma was out of the ground after bowling two overs. GT have used five bowlers in the first 16, Sai Kishore hasn't gotten a bowl yet.
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What could have been
Rashid trying to bowl fuller has been a narrative in itself this season. It's led to him conceding sixes and that's what happens when he floats up to Stubbs. Hit downtown. The next ball, Rashid goes full again, goes a touch wider. Stubbs swipes with a horizontal bat and gets a top edge, Rashid runs back and misses the catch.
He had to run close to the edge of the ring, got to the ball but likely saw Prasidh rushing in from long-off. Next ball, he bowls on leg stump to Axar and is slog swept for six. There's a failed GT review for a strangle down leg. The 14th over could've gotten Rashid a wicket but ends up costing 15. DC 146 for 3.
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Rashid, Ishant contain
Rashid's gone back to older methods, bowling into the pitch and at the stumps, not looking for turn so much as making the batter hit to deep fielders. And as I type that, he floats one up on fourth stump, Axar pumps him downtown for six.
It was a good couple of overs for GT before that though. Ishant Sharma was brought in and bowled late 130ks and mixed up a couple of slower ones in between to keep Stubbs and Axar relatively quiet.
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Flat-pitch dynamics
Nair's healthy 18-ball 31 ends with him gliding a shortish ball off Prasidh just outside off to deep third. He probably wanted to get that wider but would not have been amiss if he thought he could clear the fielder because the ball's coming off the pitch at such an even pace. Stubbs comes in and, first ball, drives a three-quarter-length ball through cover.
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DC win the powerplay
Two key wickets down but with 73 runs scored, they're ahead. Nair's looking good, he's good two more boundaries both sides of the wicket off Arshad. Axar gets away with a miscued shot, Gill drops a tough chance at mid-off.
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Prasidh's jaffa gets KL
Rahul looked near invincible today, his timing was on point and intent was positive too. Gill had to bring in Prasidh Krishna, GT's middle-overs strike bowler early, and that does the trick.
Rahul was able to put the length balls away, made room and Prasidh went bouncer to try and follow him, the ball went down leg. Then Prasidh went yorker, it was spearing towards leg stump but the late outswing made it lethal. Rahul's flick was beaten, his balance went out of whack, and was hit around the side of the ankle. Hitting leg stump, Hawk-Eye shows, good call not to review.
And Prasidh gets extra bounce at the end of the over. It's like Hazlewood bowling yesterday. Hard length, just outside off, beats Nair on the cut as the ball zips over the edge.
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Don't let em settle
Mohammed Siraj goes wobble seam, Arshad shuffles his lines but nothing's working. Rahul needed just one sighter against Siraj before clearing his front leg and pumping through the line.
Siraj can't bowl into the pitch, he's getting cut off a length. If he goes full, Rahul thumps through the line. Arshad's pace is being used nicely too, ball's helped behind square both sides of the wicket for fours. DC's fifty is up in just four overs.
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No such thing as a bad ball
Arshad Khan's full toss ends a promising start from Porel. Lucky break. It was around shin-high and just outside off, Porel could've plonked it anywhere but the bat-face turned inwards and he spooned it straight to mid-on.
KL Rahul is in at No. 3. So, it's two Karnataka boys together right now.
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Swing, swing
Mohammed Siraj gets swing at the start but his lines were too straight. Two balls went down leg. Then the bat started swinging. When Siraj went outside off, he got clubbed over mid-off. He compensated, but Abhisek Porel helped the ball over fine leg. The third boundary, drive down the ground off a three-quarter length, showed that the pitch is good for batting.
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GT bowl; Rabada and du Plessis not back yet
Gujarat Titans have won the toss and chose to bowl vs Delhi Capitals
Shubman Gill won the toss on a hot afternoon in Ahmedabad and decided, partly due to the weather, to bowl first. He confirmed that Kagiso Rabada, who has returned to South Africa for personal reasons, will come back to play "in the next ten days or so". The hosts will be playing the same team.
Delhi Capitals left out Jake Fraser-McGurk, who had played all of the first six matches, but had scored just 55 runs at a strike rate of 105.76 with a best of 38. Faf du Plessis, who has missed the last two games due to an unspecified injury, has not returned. Captain Axar Patel confirmed that Abishek Porel will not be an impact player. Porel has also been slotted in to open the innings.
Gill said there's more grass on the pitch than normal because heat could lead to cracks opening up. Axar Patel says he wanted to field, but he was confused about what to do because of the heat. He's happy to bowl though as the bowlers will not have to toil less.
Gujarat Titans XI: Shubman Gill (capt), Sai Sudharsan, Jos Buttler (wk), Rashid Khan, Shahrukh Khan, Rahul Tewatia, Arshad Khan, R Sai Kishore, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Ishant Sharma
Impact Players list: Sherfane Rutherford, Mahipal Lomror, Anuj Rawat, Washington Sundar, Karim Janat
Delhi Capitals XI: Abishek Porel, Karun Nair, KL Rahul (wk), Axar Patel (capt), Tristan Stubbs, Ashutosh Sharma, Vipraj Nigam, Mitchell Starc, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohit Sharma, Mukesh Kumar
Impact Players list: Jake Fraser-McGurk, Sameer Rizvi, Darshan Nalkande, Donovan Ferreira, Dushmantha Chameera
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Faf or JFM?
Faf du Plessis is out at practice. Jake Fraser-McGurk is there too, but if the former is back to full fitness the latter might have to miss out.
JFM's biggest theory, stand still and hit it baseball style, paid rich dividends last year, but he's holing out to long-on and cow corner. Last game, he slogged a hard-length ball, which brings shot selection into focus. Will he be given more chances? Is his season done or should he be given time off?
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Eyes on batters as GT, DC eye top spot
The weekend is here, double-headers are here, Gujarat Titans are here facing table-toppers Delhi Capitals in Ahmedabad. Over the past few days, being a bowler has turned from an occupational hazard to being a blessing. Not sure if that'll be the case on a hot afternoon in Ahmedabad, where teams batting first have put up totals of 243, 196 and 217 so far this season. GT have a strong, in-form top order, DC too have guys like KL Rahul and Abishek Porel stepping up. Both teams have great spinners too, there are a lot of things to look out for. So, do join in as we build up to and bring you the action from the game.
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