IPL 2020: 'I was not 100% impressed with Shreyas Iyer's bowling changes' - Aakash Chopra on the Delhi Capitals' loss in the final

Former Indian opener Aakash Chopra has opined that Delhi Capitals captain Shreyas Iyer did not use his team's bowling resources effectively against the Mumbai Indians. He believes that Delhi's strike bowlers were not given enough overs early in their bowling effort.

Chopra made this observation while reviewing the Delhi Capitals' bowling performance in the IPL 2020 final in a video shared on his YouTube channel.

Aakash Chopra started by pointing out that Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje were taken out of the attack after just one expensive over each.

"The bowling was the Delhi Capitals strength. Some things came out to the fore which was very strange. Nortje and Rabada proved to be expensive at the start, in the first overs they bowled, but after that they were not given the bowling only."

The renowned commentator highlighted that the only way the Delhi Capitals could have won the match was by dismissing the Mumbai Indians batsmen.

"I couldn't get it that if you save their overs here, then when will they come of use later. Because if they had to win this match, then had to go to their best bowlers, they could have only won by taking wickets."

He questioned Shreyas Iyer's decision to bring the two premier pacers back into the Delhi Capitals attack only in the latter stages of the Mumbai Indians innings, with the match already in the Rohit Sharma-led team's grasp by then.

"I was not 100% impressed with Shreyas Iyer's bowling changes. It could have been better is what I feel because Nortje and Rabada are wicket-takers. They came in the end and took wickets but I feel it was too late in the day. The match was already over by then."

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Aakash Chopra on the Delhi Capitals spin bowlers

Ravichandran Ashwin failed to take a wicket for the Delhi Capitals [P/C: iplt20.com]

While talking about the Delhi Capitals spin bowlers, Aakash Chopra pointed out that Ravichandran Ashwin tried to play a restrictive role when the need of the hour was to go for wickets.

"Ravichandran Ashwin bowled tightly, but tight bowling was not required in this match. He was required to flight the ball in this match. He was bowling a little fast and personally I feel that when Ashwin flights the ball then his stature grows. When he bowls flat, the batting gets a little easy."

He even cited the example of Jayant Yadav extracting turn from the wicket by giving flight to the ball, which was something the Delhi Capitals off-spinner failed to do.

"Jayant was getting that turn and bite, which you only get when you a give little more air to the ball. So I was a little surprised there."

While observing that Pravin Dubey gave a good account of himself, Aakash Chopra highlighted that the Delhi Capitals missed the wily Amit Mishra in yesterday's encounter.

"Dubey bowled well, he didn't bowl that badly but they missed Mishra here. If he had been there, it would have been interesting as he flights the ball and takes wickets. And you need such a big player in such a big final."

The former KKR player added that while Axar Patel played the restrictor's role to perfection, Ashwin should have stuck to an attacking line and length, which he is known to do in Test cricket.

"Axar was quite decent. He bowled a tight line, in the right areas, which is his strength. I am not asking him to flight the ball but I am asking Ashwin to flight the ball because you expect that from him, he has taken more than half of his 300 Test wickets with flight."

Aakash Chopra signed off by pointing out that the Delhi Capitals bowling lineup lost its mojo towards the business end of IPL 2020.

"The Delhi Capitals bowling unit lost its steam a little towards the end of the tournament."

After the Delhi Capitals posted a somewhat below-par score of 156 runs on the board, their only hope of restricting the Mumbai Indians was by scalping a few early wickets.

But the defending champions got off to a flyer in the run chase, and the first-time IPL finalists helped Mumbai's cause by holding back Rabada and Nortje for the latter stages of the innings.