DC has blown hot and cold this season. After starting with two back-to-back wins, they lost two back-to-back games. Then they had a spectacular win against RCB in Bengaluru to climb the table. However, they were given a harsh reality check by SRH last night in Hyderabad as the Orange Army outplayed them in all facets of the game to win by 47 runs and climb to 3rd in the table, while DC are now in 5th place. There were glaring errors by the Capitals last night, and we shall point them out for you.
Inability to dismiss Abhishek Sharma seals DC’s fate
DC won the toss on a flat deck, and despite not being so good, the chasers decided to bowl, while SRH had won all their 3 games while setting a target. So, both captains got what they wanted at the toss. Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head came out to open the batting and were watchful for the first 2-3 overs. But then they accelerated. Abhishek was the main man as he was the one who took it to the opposition, while Head was more watchful but supported him well in the partnership.
The duo added 97 runs inside 9 overs before Head fell to Axar against the run of play. Captain Ishan Kishan came in and played his shots, but the story was all about Abhishek as he blazed away to his second IPL ton in 45 balls. DC had their chances, though, as when batting on 50, he was let off with KL Rahul missing an easy collection for a run out. Thereafter, when he reached 86, he slashed at the wide delivery to deep backward point, where Nitish Rana dropped a sitter. Abhishek made sure he made the DC team pay for these lapses.
Heinrich Klaasen played the perfect role of a finisher, but Abhishek was the main contributor. DC lacked ideas and strategy against him. When the plan worked, the catch was dropped. Too many mistakes on the field and with the ball meant 242 on the board, and the game was as good as over then. DC needs to get its planning right and bowl with better strategies to make a comeback after this setback.
Lack of intent while chasing in the power play dents DCÂ
DC had conceded 242 on the board and had to bat out of the world to make a match out of it, let alone win it. A fast start was the order of the day inside the power play. But DC, while chasing 243, lacked intent out there in the middle, especially in the power-play overs. Pathum Nissanka tried and fell early. But KL Rahul played well, but lacked the necessary intent. Nitish Rana was great as he was fearless and played his shots from time to time, but DC needed explosive runs from both ends.
Rahul made 37 off 23 balls with a strike rate of 160.87, which is fine in a normal game. But in a 243 chase, it will look inadequate. Seeing them play looked like a lack of intent and not going for it. That is the reason DC, despite losing a single wicket, scored 59/1 in 6 overs. The visitors needed to be around 75-80 in 6 overs for this 243 chase, as that would have made a match out of it. But scoring around 60 meant the required rate would climb up, and it was catch-up cricket for the Capitals, and they lost a flurry of wickets in the end to not reach 200 as well.
DC needs to show a bit more intent in their play and come out all guns blazing in order to go deep into the tournament. Such timid approaches won’t do in this tournament. Rana showed his prowess, and so did Sameer Rizvi, but for one second, SRH were not threatened. It was a smooth game for them as they had humongous runs on the board. DC never put the pressure on them.
Glaring tactical blunders by Axar Patel expose team management
Another aspect that we noticed last night was glaring lapses and blunders made by Axar Patel. Yes, the team management is also there to suggest, but these errors were not just minor errors; these were major blunders. It was multiple decisions which made the result look even worse.
For starters, make Nitish Rana bowl a full quota of 4 overs, and have him bowl in different phases of the game. Nitish is at best a part-time bowler, who as a batting all-rounder can chip in with an over or two. But Axar had other ideas. Obsessed with the match-up against Abhishek Sharma, he used Rana from the second over and used him till the end of his spell. It meant that Rana, who tried his best, was taken for big runs as he is a part-timer. He went for 55 runs in 4 overs.
Add to that, the two main spinners, Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel, bowled 2 overs each. So, here we have specialists spinners sharing the quota of overs while the part-timer bowled 4 overs. Yes, Axar went for runs despite picking up a wicket and the same case with Kuldeep, who was wicketless. Saying so, on a batting track with set batters at the crease, the main bowlers need to bowl rather than a part-timer. This was a gross error and cost them the game, alongside fielding issues and all.
Plus, other bowlers went the distance, like Mukesh Kumar, T Natarajan, and Lungi Ngidi, to name a few. But the tactical errors came in the first innings. In the chase, the batting order was decent as no one really batted out of position. It’s just that they did not click as a unit under the scoreboard pressure. So, Axar has to improve his leadership skills and lead from the front to help DC recover from a stuttering campaign so far.
What Lies Ahead
So, SRH have climbed to 3rd in the points table ahead of RR on NRR, while DC stays in 5th place with 3 wins and 3 losses. Today’s IPL game takes us to Lucknow, where LSG will host RR, who are in 4th place, while LSG are in 9th place. LSG has lost 3 games in a row, while RR, after winning their first four games, lost 2 in a row. One losing streak ends tonight. Who will come out on top? Only time will tell.
Also Read: SRH vs DC: Abhishek Sharma’s 2nd IPL Ton Flattens DC