It was flawless cricket by Shubman Gill and to some extent, anchorman Sai Sudharsan. But Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s fifer denied Gujarat Titans the flurry of runs in the death overs and Sunrisers Hyderabad were set a target of 189 runs at the Narendra Modi Stadium here on Monday.
Centurion Gill (101, balls,13×4 1×6) played a classic knock with cricketing shots all around the wicket. Not once did he attempt an aerial shot while going past the 50-mark with a strike rate of 227. There was no attempt to play gallery-pleasing unorthodox T20 strokes as long as he was hitting the ropes with elegant drives, along the ground, through the cover region and straight past the bowler.
At the same time, Gill did not miss an opportunity to cut when width was on offer or pull the shorter deliveries. The Gujarat bowlers, particularly Mohammed Shami, have proved in IPL-16 that even Test match length works and Gill showed that there was no need to indulge in percentage shots because cricketing shots can fetch you runs at an equally fast clip.
Also Read: Huge heart, exceptional skill-set makes Shami the bowler he is: GT Team Director Vikram Solanki
Gill’s first shot in the air was also his first six into the stands over square leg after he had played 37 balls. At the other end, Sudharsan (47, 36 balls, 6×4,1×6) played a watchful knock, performing the anchor role well. Sudharsan played the first premeditated shot of the match when he scooped Marco Jansen for his team’s first six after 64 balls.
The Titans were motoring at 10-plus an over with nine wickets in hand, but managed only 57 runs in the last eight overs, exposing the chink in their middle-order once again. Their middle-order had collapsed against Mumbai Indians last week and they failed again to consolidate the start given by Gill and Sudharsan. Four Gujarat batsmen fell in the last over with Bhuvneshwar running out Noor Ahmed.
Brief scores
GT 188-9 in 20 overs (S Gill 101, S Sudharsan 47; B Kumar 5-30) v SRH (scores incomplete)
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