Published: Apr 21, 2019, 09:42 AM (IST)
Edited: Apr 21, 2019, 09:42 AM (IST)
Delhi Capitals found a way to win at home, beating Kings XI Punjab for their sixth victory of the ongoing season of Indian Premier League.
Here we look at the passages of play that proved decisive:
Ingram magic
On a sluggish Kotla track were everybody struggled, Chris Gayle scored his fifty off just 25 deliveries, taking on the DC spinners. Had it not been for Colin Ingram–Axar Patel relay catch, the Jamaican could have created more damage that would have made the difference. Batting on 43, Gayle just thwacked Amit Mishra for a six and a single off consecutive deliveries to reach his half-century and smashed one over the midwicket region for another maximum before surviving a run-out. He then swept one from Lamichhane for his fifth six of the night before a superb effort from South African Ingram ended his assault off the following delivery. Gayle pulled a short one to midwicket. Ingram caught it near the boundary but the momentum pushed him behind. He flicked the ball back into the field, all the way back to long-on fielder Axar Patel who accepted the catch. Gayle’s innings ended on 69 off 37.
Lamichhane’s wrong’uns do the trick
Although Sandeep Lamichhane was thrashed in the Powerplay overs, the Nepalese legspinner did well to make up for the runs conceded by striking at crucial period. His first over cost DC 27 runs including one in which Gayle belted four fours off him. His first two deliveries were put away for a six and four by KL Rahul. And then a leg-break outfoxed the opener to be stumped for 12 off 9. Lamichhane was taken off the attack and brought back with Gayle in full flow in the 13th over. He was smacked for another biggie before a wrong’un got rid of him but that was in part thanks to some brilliance from Ingram. In the same over, he slipped in another googly and Sam Curran was caught and bowled. He could have ended up with a fourth had Kagiso Rabada not misjudged a catch from Mandeep Singh off the final delivery of his fourth over.
Dhawan provides a breezy start
Ricky Ponting had earlier pointed out that their opening batsman Shikhar Dhawan had to score quickly after failing to do so initially. The lefty has responded to the call in the last three games. The much criticised Kotla track continued to be true to its nature, not allowing for easy strokeplay, unless you are Gayle. And Dhawan. He helped Delhi to 60/1 in 6 overs and on a sluggish Kotla track. After a quiet first over, Dhawan got off the mark with a four in the second over before thumping one through extra cover for his second. Hardus Viljoen induced an edge from his bat which flew over the slip cordon for a lucky boundary. A poor delivery followed which was punished appropriately via an upper-cut. He showed no mercy to debutant Harpreet Brar whose first delivery was launched over long-off boundary. His aggression had laid a solid platform for the chase despite an early run-out of his opening partner. DC had scored 60/1 in the Powerplay with 34 of those coming from Dhawan. He was out after hitting 51 with seven fours and a six.
Iyer’s level-headedness
DC have a reputation of making a mess of easy chases. Twice they have done that this IPL season. Saturday could have very well turned out to be the third occasion had it not been for a composed knock from their captain Shreyas Iyer who batted till the end to see the chase through. With Dhawan, his 92-run stand for the second wicket had put the host on track for their second win at home. But they slipped losing Rishabh Pant (6), Ingram (19) and Axar Patel (1) cheaply. They needed six off the final over. They scored four off those the first three deliveries before Iyer hit a four to end any chance of a late setback, sealing a five-wicket win. He remained unbeaten on 58 off 49.
