Synopsis: Gujarat’s spin trio of Rashid, Noor and Sai had been very good in limiting Punjab. The run-chase of 143 was largely soporific however Gill and Tewatia had been adequate at both finish as GT gained by 3 wickets within the final over
Jugalbandi, within the musical sense, refers to duets performances the place two particular person artistes share the stage for one rendition. For Gujarat Titans, that usually comes within the type of Rashid Khan and Noor Ahmad bowling in tandem. It’s a thumb rule in IPL that if you’re an abroad spinner looking for a spot within the taking part in XI, you higher be good (learn: wrist or thriller spinner). GT have the posh of taking part in not one however two as a result of the Afghans are that good.
Punjab had been off to a flier at 42/0 after 4 overs when Rashid got here into the assault and conceded simply 3 runs in his first over. Bowling his first, simply after the Powerplay, Noor accounted for Rilee Rossouw, out LBW. Subsequent over, stand-in captain Sam Curran was additionally out LBW as Rashid struck. The center-order dangerman for Kings was Liam Livingstone and Noor bowled a magnificence to have him caught at slip. Rashid completed with 4-0-15-1 whereas Noor registered 4-0-20-2 to suck the momentum out of Punjab’s batting effort.
Sai Kishore again with a bang
The unintended consequence of getting two class abroad spinners is the restricted alternatives for R Sai Kishore. He didn’t get his probability at Chennai, so many thought GT was the place he would thrive. Nevertheless it hasn’t panned out that approach. He performed a few matches this season however went lacking after that.
Introduced again into the XI because the third act behind Rashid and Noor, Sai confirmed why he’s rated so extremely, with a pleasant show of sluggish left-arm spin. After being hit for a six first ball, Sai slowed it down superbly – round 82kph – to dismiss a struggling Jitesh Sharma.
He then dismissed the red-hot Ashutosh Sharma and Shashank Singh, Punjab’s finest batsmen this season, once more utilizing flight to deceive them. A dropped catch by David Miller spoiled the left-armer’s bowling figures as Harpreet Brar, after the reprieve, hit a 4 and a six. Kishore did ultimately get him too, ending with figures of 4/33.
Rahul Tewatia the person once more who’s on the ending line guiding them dwelling 😎
Gujarat Titans have come up on 🔝 in Mullanpur with a medical efficiency and have settled their scores with #PBKS 🙌
Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/avVO2pCwJO#TATAIPL | #PBKSvGT | @gujarat_titans pic.twitter.com/h8BiuB7UVT
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 21, 2024
Ice-Man delivers
The GT run-chase was largely forgettable however for flashes of brilliance at both finish. Twice throughout his knock of 35, Shubman Gill’s ridiculous use of wrists stood out in opposition to Kagiso Rabada. First, the short-arm jab sq. of the wicket. Then, a front-foot flick previous midwicket. However as soon as he fell, the run-chase meandered earlier than Rahul Tewatia determined to hang-out Punjab, not for the primary time.
One among Ian Bishop’s classics on air is “The Ice-Man Cometh!” when Tewatia pulled off considered one of his many end-game heists in 2022 in opposition to RCB. This wasn’t fairly a heist. He initially took his time to evaluate the tempo and bounce of the pitch however completed with a flurry of boundaries, his 36* off 18 balls the innings of the evening, as he completed issues off calmly.
Transient scores: Punjab Kings 142 all out in 20 overs (Prabhsimran Singh 35, Harpreet Brar 29; Sai Kishore 4/33) misplaced to Gujarat Titans 146/7 in 19.1 overs (Rahul Tewatia 36 not out, Shubman Gill 35; Harshal Patel 3/15, Liam Livingstone 2/19) by 3 wickets