Following the thrilling win in a rain-curtailed match against Mumbai Indians (MI), Gujarat Titans (GT) assistant coach Parthiv Patel defended the performance of his side's middle-order, saying that they have hardly got to bat in the presence of its dominant top three of skipper Shubman Gill, Sai Sudharsan and Jos Buttler and they seek to improve as tournament progresses. It was a rollercoaster ride for GT and MI fans as a target of 156 runs was reduced to 147 runs in 19 overs during a match curtailed by rain, which saw the 2022 champions emerge as victors in a last-ball thriller.
The match saw GT acing the run-chase, then almost fumbling it with a wobbly middle-order performance, and then sealing a win thanks to some fine hits by Rahul Tewatia and Gerald Coetzee down the order.
Speaking during the post-match presser, Parthiv said about the middle-order, "They hardly got a chance to bat. Today was the only day when none of the top three got a fifty. It is just one odd game, but we should have made some right decisions. We are not the team who are happy with just two points, but we want to improve."
In the middle-order, Sherfane Rutherford (229 runs in eight innings at an average of 38.16, strike rate of over 159, best score of 46), Shahrukh Khan (90 runs in eight innings at an average of 30.00, with best score of 36, strike rate of over 183), Rahul Tewatia (67 runs in nine matches at an average of 11.16, strike rate of 191.42, best score of 24*) have achieved varying degrees of success.
Parthiv also said that the team is taking things one game at a time and is not thinking about the playoffs.
Hailing groundsmen for their efforts in making sure that the game could achieve a proper outcome, he said, "The groundsmen did well to give us that kind of game. When you are behind in the Duckworth-Lewis method, you want to give yourself a chance. We knew it would be a one-over game at max, and we wanted to give ourselves a chance."
The coach also hailed skipper Shubman Gill for his captaincy and how well he has batted in the tournament.
"He has batted really well throughout the tournament. He has captained really well. He has been great with youngsters and is passing on knowledge to other youngsters. He is very proactive on the ground. You can feel his presence in the dressing room, that is what you look for in a leader. His game sense is very good," said Parthiv.
Coming to the match, GT won the toss and opted to bowl first. A 71-run stand between Will Jacks (53 in 35 balls, with five fours and three sixes) and Suryakumar Yadav (35 in 24 balls, with five fours) was the highlight as wickets fell regularly, restricting MI to 155/8 in their 20 overs.
Sai Kishore (2/34) was the pick of the bowlers for GT, while Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Arshad Khan, Rashid Khan and Gerald Coetzee took a wicket each.
The run-chase was a rollercoaster ride for both teams. GT did lose Sai Sudharsan early, but a 72-run stand between skipper Gill (43 in 46 balls, with three fours and a six) and Jos Buttler (30 in 27 balls, with three fours and a six) marked their comeback in the game.
In the 14th over, with GT 107/2, a rain break was taken with GT ahead as per the DLS Method. After the break, Jasprit Bumrah (2/19) and Trent Boult (2/22) brought MI back in the game, collapsing GT to 132/6 in 18 overs at the start of another rain break. This time, GT was behind.
When the game finally resumed, the revised target was 147 runs with one more over left. Rahul Tewatia (11*) and Gerald Coetzee (12) single-handedly finished the job for GT, earning them a win by three wickets on a last-ball thriller.
GT is at the top with eight wins, three losses and 16 points, while MI sits at fourth with seven wins and five losses, giving them 14 points. Their six-match win streak is finally broken.
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