As Delhi Capitals outhit Mumbai Indians in yet another game with a match aggregate exceeding 500 runs, Jack Fraser-McGurk hammered 87 off 27 to enter an elite club of only three players to boast a 300+ strike-rate having faced 20 or more balls in an IPL innings. The Delhi Capitals scored 257, but Rasikh Dar’s outstanding bowling performance (3 for 34) was required to win by 10 runs. The Delhi Capitals have won four of their last five games to re-enter the playoff picture after dropping their opening five games.
Where was the victory in the game?
In the PowerPlay, as usual. Mumbai Indians could only muster 65/3, leaving them requiring too much to catch up to Delhi Capitals, who scored 92/0.
Fraser-McGurk spares no one, not even Bumrah (PowerPlay)
DC 92/0 15.33, 4s/6s: 12/5; RR:
You could be forgiven for thinking that the opening moments of this game are a highlights reel of some of the other games you’ve already seen this season if you squinted until the colors were difficult to see. Fraser-McGurk was giving the Mumbai bowlers all the heat on this steamy afternoon. Luke Wood bowled the opening three balls of the innings for four, four, and six runs, and the 19-run over set the tone for the remainder of the PowerPlay. The 22-year-old didn’t even spare Jasprit Bumrah, greeting the elite pacer with a six and giving him an 18-run over that was Bumrah’s most costly of the season.
The Australian batted without hassle, standing motionless at the crease, clearing his front foot, and swiping across the line. In the first five overs, he made 78 from 24 balls [11×4, 5×6], matching his personal record for the quickest fifty of the season (15 balls). Abhishek Porel, his new opening partner, appeared to be playing a different style, as he managed just three runs from Bumrah’s second over, only making 11 off 13.
Middle Overs: DC keeps up with Hope as the Spinners strike.
DC 98/3 (10.88 RR, 4s/6s: 4/8)
In an attempt to slug Piyush Chawla to the further boundary for a 27-ball 84, Fraser-McGurk stumbled. Amidst a pause in the game, with overs 8–10 yielding just 15 runs, Porel fell shortly after for a solid 36. It appeared at the time that DC had made a mistake by starting Shai Hope at number three. When he hit Chawla for a six in the eleventh over, everything was altered. In Mohammad Nabi’s subsequent over, two more were added. After sustaining a 17-ball 41 with great momentum, Hope fell in the 14th over after hitting two more sixes off Wood.
Death Overs: Stubbs dismantles Wood
DC 67/1 [RR: 13.4, 4 min/6 sec: 6/4]
67 runs were scored in DC’s last overs of the innings. Out of the 18 overs bowled by Luke Wood, 26 came from Tristan Stubbs, who hit every delivery for a four or a six. The best part of Stubbs’ attack was how he could walk across the field and either reverse-scoop or scoop full-length deliveries to take advantage of the third-man and fine-leg up positions. 48* off 25 was the former MI batter’s final score. Bumrah managed to end with 1 for 35 from his four overs, conceding just 17 runs from his final three overs despite all the damage.
Indians from Mumbai
PowerPlay: Three down with a little trickery from the pitch
MI 65/3 [RR: 10.83, 8/2 for 4s/6s]
After the Mumbai Indians scored 65 in the PowerPlay, it appeared as though the gap between the two teams in this match had grown. To begin with, the pitch started to hold up as Rishabh Pant had predicted. There was also an impact from the speed of delivery. Lizaad Williams rushed Rohit Sharma, causing him to lose his form while trying to heave Khaleel Ahmed. Despite having a strong start, Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav were caught in the circle. After dismissing Suryakumar with the final ball of the PowerPlay, Khaleel finished with two wickets for thirty-four from three overs, forcing the visitors to play catch-up.
Tilak and Hardik take down spin in the middle overs.
MI 108/2 [RR: 12, 4s, 6s, 8/7]
During overs 7–15, Mumbai Indians scored 71 runs in five overs of spin. Early on, Hardik Pandya established the tone by effectively employing the sweep shot to strike Kuldeep Yadav for three fours and a six. Then, Tilak Varma smashed Axar Patel for a six and a four, making the most of his match. After taking out the top spin duo of the season, Rishabh Pant picked up the pace again, and Rasikh Dar assisted in breaking the stand in the 13th over. However, not before Hardik struck 46 off 24 in a stand of 71 (39). Nehal Wadhera was also removed by Dar in the over, but Tilak scorched 21 off Kuldeep to keep MI barely afloat in the chase. To prevail from the last five, they required 83.
Death Overs: Magnificent Rasikh Dar repels MI
MI 74/4 [4.4/7s: 4/6, RR: 14.8]
Tim David and Tilak took 14 off a Lizaad Williams over to start the death overs, with the former scoring a 25-ball fifty in the process. Another former MI player, Rasikh Dar, bowled a succession of full-length deliveries or low full-tosses that were difficult to swat away, and provided the game’s defining over, giving up just 7. Mukesh Kumar gave MI 23 off his next over, but Tim David was lost when the Australian batsman hit two sixes and a four before putting on a full toss on his pads. Rasikh finished with amazing figures of 3 for 34, dismissing Mohammad Nabi in his penultimate over. Although MI managed to score runs till the very last over, his spell ensured they were just short.
Brief scores: Mumbai Indians 247/9 in 20 overs (Tilak Varma 63, Hardik Pandya 46, Rasikh Dar 3-34) lost to Delhi Capitals 257/4 in 20 overs (Jake Fraser-McGurk 84, Tristan Stubbs 48*; Jasprit Bumrah 1-35) by 10 runs.
The teams’ upcoming match is as follows: on Tuesday, the Mumbai Indians will play LSG while still on the road. The Delhi Capitals will play KKR at the Eden Gardens on Monday; their turnaround time is lower.
