IPL 2017, DD vs GL: 5 things that went wrong for Gujarat Lions

The audience at Delhi’s Feroz Shah Kotla got their money’s worth as they witnessed a match full of sublime strokes and some sensationally clean ball-striking.

First it was the turn of Gujarat Lions’ Suresh Raina and Dinesh Karthik and in the second innings, it was the turn of the two wicket-keepers, Sanju Samson and Rishabh Pant. Pant out-batted all of them in one of the best knocks of the IPL and it was heart-breaking to see him trudging along after being dismissed on 97, excruciatingly close to what would have been the century of the tournament.

It is not every day that a team posts 208 batting first which is what Gujarat Lions did. Only once before this had a target of 209 or more been chased down in the entire IPL history. Delhi Daredevils showed that they could do it by racing off to 63 for 1 in the powerplay. It just got better and better from thereon as, in the end, Delhi reached there in a canter.

Extra Cover: IPL 2017, GL vs DD: Delhi's decision to persist with Rishabh Pant at No. 3 is the SK Turning Point of the Match

Here are five things that went wrong for Gujarat Lions on the night.

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#1 Lions’ pacers out-bowled comfortably by Delhi’s

A team doesn’t lose often after scoring 208. Obviously, Gujarat had a bad day at the office with the ball. This was evident from the bowling numbers of the pacers on either side. Sangwan went for 43 in his 4 overs, Basil Thampi went for 40 in his 4 overs and Faulkner went for 35 in just 2.3 overs.

In contrast to that, for the Daredevils, Rabada had figures of 2/28 in 4 overs and Pat Cummins had figures of 2/30 in his 4 overs. Shami didn’t do well going for 40 in his 3 overs but Rabada and Cummins more than made up for that, especially by striking at the right time. In the end, those extra 20 runs that Gujarat Lions’ pacers gave away made all the difference.

#2 Bad start

Baz managed just 1 in a match where more than 400 runs were scored

200 on this ground was par for the course. Given Delhi’s powerful batting order, Gujarat needed at least 20 runs more. For that, they needed a solid start and they didn't get that. Gujarat lost both their openers in the first 8 balls. McCullum nicked one behind the stumps with Pant taking a stunner and Smith was run out in the very next over.

Gujarat were 10 for 2 in the second over at that point. Suresh Raina and Dinesh Karthik played fine counter-attacking innings adding 133 for the third wicket in 12 overs at more than 11 per over. But one can only imagine what could have transpired had McCullum got going on the small ground.

#3 Karthik and Raina fall in successive overs

Raina played a good hand but should have gone on and made a century

Wickets fall in clusters and that is what happened to Gujarat. Raina was the first to go in the 14^th over after a 43-ball 77. He was run-out in an unfortunate manner. In the very next over, Karthik was out caught thanks to a stunning catch by Corey Anderson.

Suddenly, Gujarat were 158 for 4 in 14.1 overs. That had a massive influence on the game. The Lions only scored 50 in the next 35 balls, when ideally, they should have been looking for a minimum of 70.

Gujarat still posted 208 but at one point, they were looking close to 225, a score that would have been much harder to chase down. Gujarat scored just 30 runs in the last 3 overs, something that is inexcusable at the Feroz Shah Kotla.

#4 Gujarat’s spinners had an off-day

Jadeja, the No.1 ICC Test bowler, was treated with disdain by Pant

Gujarat’s slow bowlers had a terrible day at the office. Suresh Raina went for 24 off his 2 overs. Ankit Soni went for 26 off his 2 overs. Jadeja gave away 28 off his 2 overs. This made it impossible for the Lions to keep a lid on the scoring.

In all, Delhi Daredevils smashed 20 sixes during the chase – 120 runs coming off just 20 balls.

It was also surprising that Raina decided to bowl ahead of his strike spinner Jadeja even though the latter hadn’t been at his best since returning from injury. Interestingly, the Daredevils hit just 8 fours on a ground where six-hitting seemed to be a piece of cake. Samson and Pant added a whopping 143 runs in just 10.3 overs in one of the most gorgeous IPL partnerships in the tournament’s rich history.

#5 Not sending Ishan Kishan out to open

Ishan Kishan was demoted to No. 6

Ishan Kishan has been one of Gujarat Lions’ most refreshing batsmen this IPL. The 18-year-old scored 31 and 48 at a blistering pace in his last two innings. So, it was strange from Gujarat not to have sent him at the top once again.

Aside from deflating the young man’s confidence, it also gave the side an unstable opening pair at the top, even though Dwayne Smith and Brendon McCullum had been highly successful in the past. Kishan was wasted at No. 6 as his flamboyance could have helped Gujarat Lions get off to a flier on a freakishly small ground and a flat batting track.