Delhi clinch victory as MI continue to struggle in IPL 2021
Delhi Capitals avenged their last season finale’s loss against Mumbai Indians, beating the reigning IPL champions by four wickets on Saturday.
On a tricky UAE track, Mumbai had posted a 130-run target that the Capitals chased down with five balls in hand.
Iyer, Ashwin let calmness do the job
With the top order collapsing in a jiffy, it was down to Shreyas Iyer and Ravi Ashwin to spend some time on the pitch to get the job done. Prithvi Shaw, Shikhar Dhawan and Steven Smith returned to the hut without entering double figures.
Skipper Rishabh Pant provided temporary stability in the run chase for his 22-ball 26 before Jayant Yadav got the better of him.
Iyer (33*) batted with a calm head, knowing how the pitch can play tricks if they lose their temperament. Despite a low scoring game, it turned out to be a thriller in the end.
Ashwin finished the job with a six off Krunal Pandya in the final over, remaining unbeaten on 20*. He also earned praise from Iyer after the game for keeping the scoreboard ticking with singles.
“He came in and was really positive. He wanted to take singles, and that went to the last two overs. He decided he would take the bowlers on during the last two overs,” Iyer said.
“I felt really amazing to bat through and take my team through. It was a low scoring game. I backed myself and my instincts. I knew I would win the game for the team,” he added.
The former DC skipper is eyeing a top-two finish in the points table to maintain their dominance going into the playoffs.
“If we finish in the top two, we have that opportunity to play that one game and make the final,” Iyer continued.
Avesh-Axar duo topples DC
Avesh Khan (3/15) dismissed MI skipper Rohit Sharma before the Hitman could go berserk. After that, it was an Axar Patel show. The left-arm spinner Quinton de Kock, Suryakumar Yadav and Saurabh Tiwary in a short while to leave MI struggling in the middle overs.
His 3/21 earned him the Man of the Match award for turning the game in Delhi’s favour.
In the post-game interview, Axar said he was thinking ahead of the batsman to outplay them. “I am able to read the batter more easily and can plan better. If I can think about what the batter is doing and deny them the ideal ball, I can be more successful,” the spinner explained.
“(On de Kock’s wicket) I thought he would go for the slog sweep or through the cover. That’s why I hung it out there for him to hit. I think there’s no need to experiment when some of the simple things are working better,” he added.
