In a game that witnessed momentum swing like a pendulum between the two sides, the Gujarat Titans (GT) pulled off a narrow six-run victory over Mumbai Indians (MI) to start their Tata Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 campaign.
It came down to the last over, with MI needing 19.
Hardik Pandya flat-batted the first ball over cover for a massive six and then hit one along the ground to the boundary.
Umesh Yadav held his nerve and produced a short ball that made Pandya pull it straight to long-on. Piyush Chawla then hit the fourth ball straight to deep mid-wicket as the huge crowd at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad celebrated an impending win.
Umesh finished the job and ensured the win for GT.
For a major part of MI’s innings, it looked like they were on course to victory.
Chasing a target of 169, MI got off to a tough start when Ishan Kishan edged the fourth ball of the innings to wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha.
Debutant Azmatullah Omarzai got the new ball to swing away from Kishan, who poked at it. Naman Dhir settled in and attacked during Omarzai’s second over, smashing three fours before lofting one into the stands over long-off.
Omarzai then came back by trapping him leg-before off the last ball.
Dewald Brevis was introduced as an Impact Player in place of Luke Wood and controlled proceedings with Rohit Sharma.
The duo kept up the tempo of the run-chase, attacking the GT bowling almost every over. Their attacking intent was evident, with Rohit taking on Umesh Yadav in the fourth over.
Brevis, the promising batter, essayed some great shots. One of the highlights was an upper-cut for six, which welcomed Spencer Johnson to the Tata IPL.
The 77-run stand put MI on course before R Sai Kishore trapped Rohit leg-before for 43. GT managed to pull things back thereafter, as they conceded only one boundary across the next four overs.
With five overs in hand, MI needed 43 runs with seven wickets in hand. Brevis’s attractive 46 ended when he hit one back to Mohit Sharma, who held on to a remarkable reflex catch in his follow through.
GT’s bowling came together in the slog overs. Johnson delivered a crucial penultimate over. Despite being hit for six off the first ball, he kept it tight thereafter and accounted for two scalps.
The game then moved towards that dramatic finale featuring Umesh.
It was a game of firsts, with Shubman Gill making his captaincy debut in the Tata IPL and leading GT. Pandya too was captaining MI for the very first time in the tournament.
As many as five players made their Tata IPL debuts during this match. GT introduced Omarzai and Johnson, whereas MI brought in Dhir, Wood and Gerald Coetzee.
Earlier, Pandya won the toss and chose to bowl first. In an innings where the home side started off well and looked set to post an imposing score, MI’s pace bowling pair of Jasprit Bumrah (3/14) and debutant Gerald Coetzee (2/27) helped restrict GT to 168 for six.
The 2023 edition’s Most Valuable Player, Shubman Gill, started off confidently on his captaincy debut and essayed typical classy shots on his way to a 22-ball 31 featuring three fours and a six. Saha too got off to a good start before a trademark Bumrah yorker castled his bat and shattered the woodwork.
Sai Sudharsan’s innings of 45 helped keep the GT innings together as they lost wickets at regular intervals in the second half of their innings.
Omarzai showed glimpses of good form during his 17—a six down the ground being a big highlight.
Bumrah returned in the slog overs and dismissed the dangerous David Miller with a wonderfully disguised slower ball to begin the 17th over.
Sai Sudharshan holed out towards deep square leg two balls later to further dent GT’s charge. Rahul Tewatia’s (22 off 15 balls) pyrotechnics towards the end helped GT post 168. (IPL)
