AHMEDABAD, Mar 31:
Dishing out an all-round show, Gujarat Titans brought down high-flying Sunrisers Hyderabad with a clinical seven-wicket win in the Indian Premier League (IPL) today.
Veteran seamer Mohit Sharma was at his deceptive best in the last over for his splendid figures of 3/25, while Afghan spin twins Rashid Khan and Noor Ahmad bossed the middle overs as GT restricted the marauding SRH to a modest 162/8 after Pat Cummins opted to bat.
SRH must be disappointed with themselves after putting on board an astonishing 277 for five in their last outing.
South African batter David Miller found his flair in his 44 not out from 27 balls to anchor the small chase despite suffering cramps and finished the game with a six off Jaydev Unadkat in the first ball of the final over.
Sai Sudharsan also lifted his game, top-scoring for GT with his 45 from 36 balls as GT won with five balls to spare.
GT now have won both their matches at home. Their only loss came against Chennai Super Kings in an away match.
SRH have suffered two losses and with one win they have two points from three matches.
GT had things under control in pursuit of the small target at their home venue and Wriddhiman Saha did his job to set the tone. He stepped out to Bhvneshwar Kumar for a boundary, and then pulled Jaydev Unadkat over square leg.
But Saha could not convert his start and mistimed Shahbaz Ahmed to be dismissed for 25.
From going at nine runs per over, GT suddenly struggled to pace the innings with Sai Sudharsan typically slow at one end.
Gill was looking fluent at the other end but Sudharsan was unable to rotate the strike and ate up a lot of deliveries, putting pressure on his skipper.
Gill eventually threw his wicket away, holing out to Abdul Samad at long on in a soft dimissal.
With Miller also struggling to get going, the Cummins-led side fancied their chances at the halfway mark where GT were 78/2, needing 85 from the back-10.
With 18 from 20 balls, the Tamil Nadu youngster Sudharsan once again found himself at the receiving end as he broke free against Unadkat in the 12th over, hitting the leftarm pacer for a boundary.
Miller too soon get into the act and the small target didn’t help the cause for SRH.
Fresh from smashing a record 277 in their last game, SRH were going great guns with 56/1 inside the power-play but the young and experienced Afghan duo of Noor (1/32) and Rashid (1/33) turned the match on its head in the crucial 7-15th over phase. (PTI)
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