It was a game won by the Gujarat Titans in the middle overs, with both bat and ball, in the scorching heat of Ahmedabad. They took four wickets with the ball in the first innings and lost just one wicket in that phase in the second innings, as Sunrisers Hyderabad’s decision to bat first proved to be wrong and costly, with the pitch becoming relatively easier to bat on in the second innings.
GT Choke SRH’s Fiery Batting
The way SRH started, scoring 56 in the first six overs and going at almost 10 runs per over, made it seem like they would easily post over 200. However, that was when Shubman Gill brought Noor Ahmad into the attack. He made an immediate impact by outfoxing the dangerous-looking Travis Head with a googly. From the other end, Mohit Sharma came and got Abhishek Sharma out in the tenth over. Heinrich Klaasen neutralised Noor’s threat with two sixes in an over. As Klaasen was able to pick Noor, Gill brought Rashid back into the attack, and the change worked as Klaasen got out in the 14th over. In the very next one, Aiden Markram, Klaasen’s countryman, was undone by the slowness of the wicket. The slow nature of the pitch was exposed. Just 66 runs were scored during the middle-overs phase (7-15). Four wickets were taken; two by pacers and two by spinners. The spinners, along with Mohit and Umesh Yadav, choked the SRH middle order. They lost momentum in the middle overs, which is why they couldn’t go past 170.
Mohit’s Variations do the Trick
Since it was an afternoon game, the pitch was expected to be on the slower side. Head’s dismissal proved that there was plenty of assistance for the spinners from the wicket. However, a pacer, Mohit, emerged as the best bowler in the match. With very little help for the seamers, Mohit, who has experience playing on the slow wickets of Chennai in the past, brought his experience to the fore and finished his four-over spell with figures of 3-25. The 35-year-old has become a proven wicket-taker for GT. Be it middle overs or death overs, Mohit is the man for the Titans. This pitch was tailor-made for him, and he delivered to the best of his ability.
Sai – The Saviour
Every time Sudharsan has come out to bat, he has looked the most sorted player of all GT players. There’s a sense of calmness and responsibility in the way he bats. On a tricky wicket where GT lost an early wicket, it was important for someone to take charge and anchor the run chase, and once again Sudharsan stepped up. The way he paced his innings was remarkable for a 22-year-old. His innings of 45 (36) laid the foundation and gave freedom to other batters to bat in their own style.
Game-changing 16th over
When GT needed 49 off 30 balls, the game was still in balance, and it could’ve gone either way. Pat Cummins decided to bowl Mayank Markande, who conceded just nine runs in his first two overs with one wicket to his name. With two left-handed batters at the crease, Cummins took a gamble and it proved to be costly as both Sudharsan and David Miller went berserk against the leg-spinner to accumulate 24 runs. This really tilted the game in GT’s favour as it brought down the equation to 25 off 24. Even after the dismissal of Sudharsan, Miller kept his cool and took his team to their second win of the tournament.