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Turning Point: Lalit-Axar's Batting

March 28, 2022 08:05 IST

IMAGE: Axar Patel, left, and Lalit Yadav celebrate Delhi Capitals's win over Mumbai Indians at the Brabourne stadium in Mumbai on Sunday, March 27, 2022. Photograph: BCCI

It had perfect ingredients for a thriller and the Mumbai Indians-Delhi Capitals game kept us hooked till the very end.

Chasing 178 for victory, DC lost quick wickets after leggie Murugan Ashwin took out Tim Seifert and No 3 bat Mandeep Singh in the same over to have Ishan Pant's side on the backfoot.

With Captain Pant, Opener Prithvi Shaw and danger man Rovman Powell dismissed soon after and DC five down inside 10 overs, Delhi needed a miracle if they had to pull off victory.

Shardul Thakur came in next and scored a quickfire 22 off 11, showing there were no demons in the Brabourne pitch.

Once Thakur was dismissed (106/6; 13.2 overs), Delhi's hopes rested on the unlikely pair of spinners Lalit Yadav and Axar Patel to do the unexpected and they pulled it off and how!

They picked nine runs off Tymal Mills's over 15. In over 16, a below par Jasprit Bumrah was clobbered for 15 runs to bring the equation down to 41 off 16.

It may have seemed improbable, but never take Axar's batting lightly. Basil Thampi, who had otherwise bowled a decent spell and taken Shaw, Powell and Thakur's wickets, went for 13 runs in the 17th.

Daniel Sams came in for special treatment from Axar and Lalit who smashed 24 runs in the 18th over, leaving four needed off the last two overs.

Axar scored the winning runs to ensure DC log its first points. Mumbai retained its strange record of having never won its opening IPL game since 2012.

Axar's 38 off 17 and Lalit's 48 off 38 set up DC's win at the backend which completely changed the course of the game and highlighted Mumbai's anaemia in its bowling attack.

 
NORMA ASTRID GODINHO