David Miller’s decision not to take a single against Gujarat Titans led to Delhi Capitals losing by one run on Wednesday in their IPL 2026 clash at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. His call has sparked a debate over whether he should have taken the single, bringing back memories of the iconic tied Test between India and Australia in 1986 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
On Day 5, with India needing two runs to win and one wicket in hand in a chase of 348, all three results were still possible. Ravi Shastri tapped off-spinner Greg Matthews to the leg side for a single, handing Maninder Singh the strike. But Matthews trapped Maninder lbw for a duck as India failed to get over the line.
Shastri remained stranded at the non-striker’s end on an unbeaten 48 off 40 balls. It was only the second tied Test in cricket history, with the Australia vs West Indies Test in Brisbane in 1960 being the first. Shastri’s single did not help India win, but it ensured they did not lose. Had India been beaten, they would have gone 0-1 down in the three-match series.
In contrast, had Miller taken the single, he could at least have ensured that Delhi Capitals did not lose within the stipulated 40 overs. Instead, Miller backed himself to score two off the final ball, a gamble that did not pay off for him or DC. Even if Kuldeep Yadav had failed to score off the last delivery, DC would still have had a chance to make amends in the Super Over.
MILLER COULDN’T, BUT IFTIKHAR DID
On the same day that David Miller failed to steer Delhi Capitals home, a strikingly similar situation played out in the Pakistan Super League (PSL), but with a very different outcome. In the clash between Hyderabad Kingsmen and Peshawar Zalmi at the National Stadium in Karachi on Wednesday, Iftikhar Ahmed found himself in an almost identical scenario, with Zalmi needing two runs off the last two balls.
Unlike Miller, Iftikhar wisely took the single, allowing Aamer Jamal to finish the chase with another run and seal a four-wicket win for Zalmi. Iftikhar was later named Player of the Match for his all-round display, having scored a crucial 15 runs and claimed four wickets.
Miller will look to make amends when Delhi Capitals take on Ruturaj Gaikwad’s Chennai Super Kings on Saturday, April 11, at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
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