DC vs PBKS IPL 2022: Delhi bowlers torment Punjab as they stroll to a nine-wicket win

In a brilliant bowling led by their spinners Axar Patel (2 for 10) and Kuldeep Yadav (2 for 24) and an overall disciplined effort by the Covid-hit Delhi Capitals, the Rishabh Pant-led side had it easy against Punjab Kings at Brabourne Stadium on Wednesday.

After bowling out PBKS to 115, DC met the target comfortably in 10 and a half overs to win by nine wickets. The win, DC’s third in six matches, took them from eighth to sixth, their net run rate being boosted significantly.

After being put in to bat, PBKS went into a shell right from the start when, after some early strokes by their captain Mayank Agarwal (24, 15 balls, 4x4), they lost their top-order batsmen including the six-hitting Liam Livingstone inside the Power Play overs.

Though PBKS’ total of 47 for three in six overs was not the least in Power Play by teams so far at the venue, their final total was certainly the lowest in 32 matches this season, pushing Chennai Super Kings’ 126 against themselves on April 3 at this venue behind.

It was not a pitch that was responsible for the low PBKS total. Though it was the same surface that was used two days ago in which 427 runs were scored in 39.4 overs with Rajasthan Royals edging past Kolkata Knight Riders by seven runs, it was dry and at least warranted 170-180.

The match, originally scheduled in Pune, was shifted to Mumbai as the teams could avoid travel and change of hotels. The team, with Mitchell Marsh and a few of their support staff testing positive for Coronavirus, had another positive case on Wednesday when their New Zealand wicketkeeper-batsman Tim Seifert returned positive in the day’s RT-PCR test. The entire Delhi Capitals underwent two rounds of RT-PCR testing on the day before the match went as per the reschedule.

There was some uncertainty if the match was going to be held as even 75 minutes before the scheduled 7.30pm start, DC team had not arrived at the venue. At around the same time, their opponents had already started their warm-ups.

But once they started arriving and went about their pre-match routine, their priority was not to think about Covid but to focus on the match. Focus, they did, with their bowlers maintaining discipline, rarely erring in their line and forcing the PBKS batsmen into making mistakes, going for some hurried shots and falling in the process.

With their two main scorers, Shikhar Dhawan and Liam Livingstone back in the pavilion for single digit scores, it was a tall ask for PBKS though they have some firepower in their batting. Add to it Jonny Bairstow also dismissed, and the top four PBKS were in the dugout for just 54. Though Jitesh Sharma, who has been a good find for the team at No. 5 gave some respectability to PBKS total. His 23-ball 32 with five fours was responsible for taking PBKS past 100.

The PBKS wickets were shared by five bowlers, spin trio of off-spinner Lalit Yadav (2/11), left-arm spinner Axar Patel and left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav dictating terms.

Delhi Capitals were off to a blazing start, wanting to finish the match in a hurry with Prithvi Shaw playing the way he does, dealing in boundaries right from the first over. He picked three fours in three directions – inside edge, flick to mid-wicket and over covers – in the first over sent down by Vaibhav Arora that yielded 14 runs. Shaw and David Warner shared 83 for the first wicket before the right-hander fell for 41 (20b, 7x4, 1x6) to a catch at deep mid-wicket. The manner in which Shaw and Warner went about the run chase saw DC reach 81 without loss in Power Play, the highest score in the first six overs in this year’s IPL and also the highest for DC in IPL history.

Warner stayed till the end to hit the winning runs and return unbeaten on 60, scoring at two runs every ball, with 10 fours and a six decorating his punishing knock.