New Delhi: Skipper Hardik Pandya led from the front and scored 66 off 50 to take Gujarat Titans to a fighting total of 135/6. Pandya brothers stepped up for their respective teams and LSG spinners led GT to a middle-order collapse. Restricting runs and picking up wickets in the middle overs were the jobs done right by Super Giants.
Krunal Pandya dismissed in-form Shubman Gill for a duck and returned to break the 68-run stand between Hardik and Wriddhiman Saha to end up with the figures of 16/2.
After Gill’s early wicket, Saha attacked and tried to score a boundary every over. He scored 47 off 37 before Deepak Hooda took a catch off Krunal’s delivery. Amit Mishra continued his form to dismiss Abhinav Manohar in the next over with a slow leg break and Naveen-ul-Haq took the catch. Afghan pacer ul-Haq also struck by getting Vijay Shankar bowled for 10(12).
Hardik Pandya, who came at number 3, fought a lone battle, hitting two fours and four sixes and scoring a fifty to get something on the board. He targeted Ravi Bishnoi and he went for 49 in his four overs, while the rest of everyone was economical.
Marcus Stoinis bowled a brilliant final over to get two wickets after getting hit for a six and gave just nine runs in the end.
The clash between the Pandya brothers began before the game when Hardik told Krunal he will go after him, but Krunal reminded him that he got out the last time he tried it.
While 135 is a low score, it is a great pitch for the spinners to bowl on and batters will find it difficult to time the ball on the slow turf. Titans have the Afghan duo of Rashid Khan and Noor Ahmad who will be the best in the business on this slow pitch.
