An incredible counterattack by Ashutosh Sharma helped Delhi Capitals (DC) edge Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) by one wicket in the last over of an IPL thriller in Vizag on Monday. Set 210 to win, DC had lost five wickets by the seventh over, but Ashutosh shared two important partnerships to haul the team back on track before single-handedly finishing the match with a six.
Ashutosh had made an impressive IPL debut last season for Punjab Kings. Playing his first match for DC, he walked in at 65/5 in the seventh over. His association for sixth wicket with Tirstan Stubbs was worth 48 runs. What turned the match on its head was a breathtaking partnership for the seventh wicket between Ashutosh and Vipraj Nigam.
When things looked gone, Nigam, the IPL debutant played an unbelievable knock. The player from Uttar Pradesh had taken a wicket with his leg-spinners in his first over. But his batting made a bigger impact as he plundered 39 off 15 balls to reignite the DC charge.
Ashutosh, the Impact Player, who was on 20 after 20 balls, exploded after losing his partner and hammered five sixes and fours apiece in his unbeaten 61 off 31 balls. It was one of the most memorable chases in IPL orchestrated by an uncapped Indian. The player from Madhya Pradesh refused to give up when everything seemed lost and stayed until the end to win it for his team.
LSG looked like getting more than they eventually did. At 117/1 after 10 overs, and Mitch Marsh (72 off 36) going strong with Nicholas Pooran (75 off 30), a total in the region of 225 looked possible. Marsh and Pooran hit 12 fours and 13 sixes between them and hit the ball to distant corners of the relatively small ground. They had batters to follow as well.
However, Mitchell Starc (3/42) and Kuldeep Yadav (2/20) took crucial wickets in the middle overs to check the progress of Rishabh Pant’s team. The LSG captain made a six-ball duck in his first outing for the franchise. Pooran had plundered 28 in the previous over bowled by Stubbs and the total read 161/2 after 13. Instead of getting him back on strike, Pant took on Kuldeep to be caught in the deep.
David Miller struck sixes off the last two balls of the innings to give LSG some late momentum, which they carried into the first few overs of the DC innings. Two wickets fell in the first over, one more in the next one and it was five down in the blink of an eye. It was LSG’s game to lose from there and their all-Indian attack proved inadequate.
Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!
