IPL 2024: Gujarat Titans vs Mumbai Indians, 5th Match - Who Said What?
GT defeated MI by six runs in a last-over thriller at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Gujarat Titans defeated Mumbai Indians by six runs in a thriller of a match at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. The Hardik Pandya-led side was in control of the match for the majority period of the time, but it was Mohit Sharma and Rashid Khan who kept the hosts in the hunt and eventually, it played a role in Gujarat registering their maiden victory in IPL 2024.
Speaking of MI, they once again lost their opening match of the season, maintaining their 11-year-long streak. The Hardik Pandya-led side started well with the ball, as ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah picked up three wickets while South African pacer Gerald Coetzee scalped a couple. Surprisingly, Hardik took the new ball instead of Bumrah, which eventually didn't turn out well, as the skipper ended up giving 30 runs in his three overs. Meanwhile, GT posted 168 runs in the first innings, as Sai Sudharsan hit 45 runs off 39 deliveries while Rahul Tewatia made 22 runs off 15 deliveries.
In the second innings, Rohit Sharma gave a good start as he built a strong partnership with Dewald Brevis. The veteran made 43 runs off 29 deliveries, while Breevis made 46 runs. Meanwhile, Omarzai picked up two wickets with the new ball, while Umesh Yadav picked up two wickets in the final over to get the job done.
Talking Points
1. Small contributions, Big impact
None of the Gujarat batters managed to hit a half-century, but their collective effort helped the team post 168 runs in the first innings. Wriddhiman Saha and skipper Gill gave them a good start, while Sudharsan and Tewatia kept up with the momentum and played well against MI’s quality pacers to help the team post a respectable total.
2. Jasprit Bumrah doing his things
It was a strange call from Pandya to keep Bumrah hanging, but whenever he bowled, Bumrah delivered. The ace pacer gave away just 14 runs in his three overs and picked up three wickets, which kept MI in the race. Apart from Bumrah, none of the bowlers looked economical, which eventually shortened their target by a bit, but to no avail as they still ended falling short by a few.
3. Gujarat pacers walked the talk
Gujarat Titans pacers were incredible throughout the match. Spencer Johnson and Umesh Yadav proved costly in their first spell, but later made a remarkable comeback. Mohit Sharma, on the other hand, was the unsung hero for Gujarat. In the absence of Mohammed Shami, the veteran pacer took the responsibility on his shoulders, and delivered what was expected of him by the management.
Who said what?
Losing skipper Hardik Pandya said:
Obviously, we backed ourselves to chase those 42 runs but it was one of those days when we see the score quite less compared to what it could have been in five overs, I think we lost little bit of momentum there. It feels good to be back because this is one stadium where you can enjoy and feel the atmosphere quite lively and obviously the crowd was full and they got a good game as well. (On Tilak not taking the single vs Rashid) I think Tilak felt that was a better idea at that point of time, I completely back him, not an issue, 13 more games to go.
Winning skipper Shubman Gill said:
The way the boys held their nerves with dew coming in, it was outstanding. The way our spinners bowled made sure we are always in the game. It's all about holding your nerves. He (Sudarshan) has beena revelation for us. We just wanted to build on the pressure and wait for them to make mistakes. The crowd is one thing, have always come whether it is a day game or a night game and shout out to all the fans who have come here to support us. I thought that was a good score, but we definitely left at least 15 runs there, it was hard to hit those short balls as the wicket got a bit slow towards the end.
Player of the Match Sai Sudharsan said:
I feel even in the first innings it was slightly difficult and second innings because of the dew they were able to play a few shots, but we pulled off a great game today. I am just taking it as an extra opportunity to try and win a game for my team. After a few balls, I felt this is that kind of a wicket where you can go hard everywhere and wanted to build on the momentum. Too many great contributions in the second innings and I am actually shocked to be receiving this award. As a batter, I found it tough when they took the pace off and our bowlers executed really well today.
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