IPL 10, Match 42, DD vs GL: 5 Game Changing Moments

In the 42nd game of the IPL, both Gujarat Lions and Delhi Daredevils found themselves in a must-win situation. The two teams gathered six points each, with a game in hand for Delhi. The Daredevils put an end to their losing streak by defeating Sunrisers at home in their last match. Gujarat Lions found themselves close to victory on two occasions before but were unfortunately outplayed by the brilliance of Ben Stokes and Jasprit Bumrah.

They hoped to gather some important points so as to keep their hopes alive in the tournament. But as it turned out, the Daredevils were too hot to handle for them tonight. One simply cannot believe that this is the very team who were bundled out for as many as 67. Even after posting a daunting total of 209 on the board, Gujarat bowlers were not able to contain the Delhi batsmen. In the end, it was a comfortable victory for Daredevils with 7 wickets in hand and 15 balls to spare.

Let us look at those 5 moments that shaped the game as it happened.

1. Early strikes by Rabada and Nadeem

The Daredevils put the visitors on the backfoot within the first couple of overs of the match, as they saw the back of dangerous Brendon McCullum and Dwayne Smith, thanks to some brilliant bowling from Rabada and electric fielding from Shahbaz Nadeem. With two new batsmen at the crease, the Daredevils were absolutely on top of the Lions as Raina and Karthik consumed few balls to get their eye in.

2. Dropped catches

Delhi Daredevils dropped three crucial catches off Suresh Raina. Marlon Samuels dropped him twice, once at mid-wicket and the other at covers. Shreyas Iyer too was responsible for dropping a dolly at first slip. Rabada and Shami were left fuming after witnessing these catches being dropped as Suresh Raina kept piling up runs to change the momentum of the game. In hindsight, this was the game changing moment as Raina went on to score 77 off 43 at a strike rate of 179.

3. Suresh Raina and Dinesh Karthik partnership

When the chips were down for the Lions, two of their most experienced batsmen stood up and counter-attacked the Daredevils bowlers, which deflated the home team. When Dinesh Kartik went into bat after 1.2 overs, the score was at 10/2. The duo added as many as 133 off next 12 overs and at one moment, Gujarat Lions looked for a total around 225-230, with the kind of arsenal they had in their line-up. Karthik scored a brisk 34-ball 65 laced with 5 sixes and boundaries, at a strike rate of 191.

4. Daredevils Death Bowling

Delhi Daredevils bowlers made a good comeback in the death, especially after the 14th over. They made inroads into the lower middle order of the Gujarat Lions batsmen, by dismissing Raina and Karthik timely before they further damaged the bowling figures of Delhi. Before the final over was bowled, Daredevils conceded only 33 runs in 5 overs and three wickets, after the 14th over. Thanks to a late onslaught from Jadeja, Gujarat managed to reach a total of 209.

5. The Rishab Pant & Sanju Samson show

Delhi Daredevils would have received a huge jolt after losing Karun Nair in the third over with only 24 on the board and an asking rate of almost 11. But the highlight of the match arrived when Rishab Pant came in to join Sanju Samson. The duo made an absolute mockery of the chase as they smashed all the bowlers towards the upper tiers of the stadium. Pant scored a flamboyant 43-ball 97 at a strike rate of 225 while Samson scored a devastating 31-ball 61 at a strike rate of 197. The duo added 143 off just 62 balls as they were going at 14 per over to seal a win for their side,