The fast and the furious delivered for the Rajasthan Royals. Among the protagonists in executing the unenviable task of denying the Gujarat Titans 15 runs in the last two overs was Mumbaikar Tushar Deshpande and Jofra Archer.
Deshpande, in particular, more than justified his skipper Riyan Parag’s faith in him by firing in four yorkers to defend 11 runs off the last six balls as RR pulled off a six-run win over GT at the Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium on Saturday night.
Deshpande was not even in the starting XI for RR in their opener against Chennai Super Kings. The RR skipper hadn’t pencilled in the Mumbai bowler for the last over. However, he was advised by their batting hero of the day, Dhruv Jurel (75, 42 balls, 5×4, 5×6), to give Archer the 19th over and the final over to Deshpande.
GT had done well to fight back thanks to a 45-run eighth-wicket partnership between Rashid Khan (24, 16 balls, 3×4) and Kagiso Rabada (23, 16 balls, 1×4, 2×6).
Chasing 211 for victory, GT were given a good start by Sai Sudharsan (73, 44 balls, 9×4, 3×6) and his new opening partner Kumar Kushagra (18), who had replaced injured Shubman Gill. However, their middle order — Washington Sundar, Rahul Tewatia and Shahrukh Khan — imploded.
GT’s bowlers had an off day as well, as bowling coach Matthew Hayden put it. “I felt like a lot of our bowlers were just a little bit off their rhythm and their line in particular. Rabada’s figures were a bit more expensive than perhaps what he bowled today [Saturday]. Siraj had an off day too, he was a little bit too short. Rashid actually could have had a couple of more wickets and so too with Rabada,” Hayden said.
How Tushar Deshpande restricted GT to just four runs in the last over
19.1: Deshpande starts with a full toss which goes well outside off as Rabada swings and misses. Umpire signals a wide — 1 run (wide)
19.1: A yorker taken on the full by Rabada, who sits deep in his crease and squeezes it out towards sweeper cover — 1 run
19.2: Another yorker on middle and off-stump. Rashid Khan opens his bat face and digs it out towards deep third for a single — 1 run
19.3: In the blockhole outside off and Rabada can only hit it back to the bowler, who gets his right hand to it but cannot quite prevent the single as the ball rolls away — 1 run
19.4: Yorker again on off-stump. Rashid moves across to scoop it, but misses as the ball goes between his legs to the ’keeper — No run
19.5: A length delivery outside off. Rashid throws the kitchen sink at it, but slices it wide to deep extra cover, where Jofra Archer completes the catch — Wicket
19.6: Finishes in style with a low full toss at the stumps. Ashok Sharma swings hard, but only gets an inside-edge onto the pads as the ball rolls down the pitch — No run
