Delhi Capitals bundled out Gujarat Titans for 89 in their Indian Premier League match here on Wednesday, the bowlers finally having a say after being blasted all over the park in the last few matches.
Mukesh Kumar was the most successful bowler for DC with figures of 3/14, while there were two wickets apiece for Ishant Sharma (2/8) and Tristan Stubbs (2/11).
As far GT batting is concerned, only Rashid Khan put up a semblance of resistance with a 24-ball 31.
Invited to bat first, skipper Shubman Gill (8) timed to perfection an overpitched Khaleel Ahmed delivery for GT’s first scoring shot of the innings.
Ishant Sharma served up a freebie to Gill, and the ball got the treatment it deserved as the opener found the gap on the off-side.
Ishant, the seasoned campaigner, struck in the very next ball though with Gill chipping a fuller-length ball straight to Prithvi Shaw at cover on a pitch that is being used for the first time this season and has been described as a “100 percent black-soil” surface.
Sai Sudharsan (12) walked in early and got into the groove with back-to-back fours, including an exquisite boundary through extra cover.
DC captain Rishabh Pant then introduced Mukesh Kumar in place of Ishant, and the bowler responded in the fifth ball of his first over as Wriddhiman Saha (2) got a thick inside edge and the middle and off stumps were disturbed.
Playing the match in place of the injured David Warner, Sumit Kumar then produced a brilliant piece of fielding and ran out Sudharsan with a direct throw at the non-striker’s end, a diving effort from the batter failing to save him as the ball hit the base of the stumps.
The Capitals were on song, and their skipper led by example as he dived to pull off an excellent catch off Ishant to send back the dangerous David Miller (2), leaving the home team reeling at 30/4 in five overs.
Ishant opened up Miller with one that angled into the left-hander, but the umpires didn’t seem interested despite a loud appeal.
However, Pant decided to review after being persuaded by Ishant and Fraser-McGurk at slip. It was the right call, as UltraEdge showed Miller got a clear edge.
More trouble awaited the Titans as Pant pulled off a fine stumping off Tristan Stubbs to bring about Abhinav Manohar’s downfall, forcing the home team to send super sub Shahrukh Khan into the middle.
The move did not work as Shahrukh was dismissed in the very next ball after Pant somehow managed another stumping despite not gathering the ball cleanly.
Then, left-arm spinner Axar Patel rapped Rahul Tewatia on the pads and the umpire raised his finger after a confident appeal by the bowler. Tewatia reviewed, but the decision stayed as GT lost their seventh wicket with just 66 runs on the board in the 12th over.
Khaleel came back to dismiss Mohit Sharma, before Rashid Khan hoicked Kuldeep over long-off for the innings’ first and only six.
Mukesh Kumar, however, ended Rashid’s resistance after the all-rounder went for an upper cut off a short ball outside off.
Teams
Gujarat Titans: Shubman Gill(c), Wriddhiman Saha(wk), Sai Sudharsan, Abhinav Manohar, David Miller, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Mohit Sharma, Noor Ahmad, Spencer Johnson, Sandeep Warrier.
Delhi Capitals: Prithvi Shaw, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Tristan Stubbs, Shai Hope, Rishabh Pant(wk/c), Axar Patel, Sumit Kumar, Kuldeep Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Mukesh Kumar, Khaleel Ahmed.
