Coming into this game, Gujarat Titans had nothing to lose. With minimal pressure, Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan, smashed centuries to propel their team to 231. After posting a daunting total, GT bowlers started well by removing Chennai Super Kings’ top order, and despite the fight shown by Daryl Mitchell and Moeen Ali, they could only manage to score 206,thus losing the game by 31 runs. With this win, mathematically, GT are still in the race for the playoffs. For CSK, the next two matches are must-win games.
Gill and Sudharsan make merry
Wriddhiman Saha’s absence proved to be a boon for GT. They notched up 107 in the first 10 overs. Sai was given a free run at the top of the order today and he made the most of it. GT’s batting in the first six overs has been a cause of concern in this IPL. But that was not the case today.
Sai has proved time and time again that he has the game for all conditions and against all kinds of bowlers. Square cuts, pulls, slog-sweeps, drives – his innings had it all. It was a chanceless knock. On the other hand, Gill was at his aggressive best. Right from the first over, it was evident that the GT skipper was in no mood to hang around. He complemented his partner really well. Very much like Sai, Gill found the gaps and hit boundaries frequently. Both played low-risk cricket and still kept the run-rate over 12 runs per over. CSK were without their three first-choice bowlers, and the pair of Sai and Gill capitalised on that.
CSK pull things back
GT were in control of the game. The opening duo of Gill and Sai had amassed 190 runs by the 15th over. The home team was well poised for a big finish, but CSK came back well to arrest the momentum, conceding only 41 runs in the last five overs. Tushar Deshpande, who had earlier missed a chance to dismiss Gill, redeemed himself well. His slower deliveries proved effective, leading to the dismissals of both centurions. Deshpande and Shardul Thakur bowled exceptionally well in the slog overs, conceding just 10 runs collectively in overs 18 and 19.
Good recovery from CSK
After being reduced to 10/3 in 3 overs, CSK did remarkably well to recover and reach 43/3 off 6. They were still lagging behind, but the recovery was commendable. Both Mitchell and Moeen seemed uncertain to start with, but as they faced more balls, they began hitting them cleanly. Although not at a brisk rate, they still performed reasonably well to lead CSK’s recovery. Mitchell and Moeen formed a 109-run partnership in 57 balls, both of reaching half-centuries. Without their partnership, CSK would have lost by a bigger margin.
Mohit’s match-turning spell
At the start of his spell, Mohit Sharma outfoxed Mitchell with a knuckle ball, as the batsman was holed out at long off. Moeen also became Mohit’s victim in the following over, as Noor Ahmad took a catch at deep mid-wicket. Ravindra Jadeja and Shivam Dube tried to sustain the fight. Although they capitalised on Kartik Tyagi’s erratic line and length, the left-handed pair struggled against Mohit’s variations. The bowler cleverly varied his pace, bowled in the right area and effectively sealed the game with the dismissal of Dube.