DC faced 3rd defeat of the season against RCB at Delhi. They scored a slightly below par score of 162-8, started really well with the ball and lost the match in crucial moments. Let’s look at the reasons for DC‘s defeat.
Struggling innings from KL Rahul and Faf du Plessis
Faf du Plessis made a comeback on this side after an injury. He opened the innings along with Abhishek Porel. Porel started well and set the tone in the powerplay for a big score. He got out for 28 runs off 11 balls. But Faf played a slow inning from the other end. The wicket became a bit slower, so it was difficult to play strokes with the old ball.
So, Faf and KL Rahul constructed a partnership slowly. But, Faf got out in the 10th over for 22 runs off 26 balls and struck only 2 fours. He couldn’t make up for the balls in which he took a bit of extra time to get his eye in. DC’s score at Faf’s dismissal was 72-3 in 9.5 overs.
KL Rahul, on the other end, was holding his wicket in the pitch and slowly constructed his innings, aiming to accelerate in the death overs. But, before he could do that, Bhuvneshwar Kumar removed him in the 17th over. Rahul got out for 41 runs off 39 balls as score was 118-5 in 16.2 overs.
When two batters failed to accelerate their innings after getting set on the pitch, it would affect the team’s total. Tristan Stubbs showed some fireworks in the end with 34 runs off 18 balls, but sill DC fell short of some 15 runs. They finished with 162 runs on the board.
DC’s not-so-strong bowling plan
DC bowlers started well in the powerplay with Captain Axar Patel delivering with a double wicket over, and a brilliant run out of Karun Nair from the boundary line to dismiss the RCB Captain Rajat Patidar. RCB were restricted to 26/3 in 4 overs. Virat Kohli and Krunal Pandya was standing in the crease.
But, after that, Virat and Krunal made a brilliant partnership which snatched the game away from DC. DC bowlers couldn’t break that partnership until it was very late. RCB spinners were the main reason for controlling the run flow of DC in the middle overs.
Axar and Kuldeep bowled well for DC. They had the luxury of another quality spinner, Viraj Nigam. But, he went for 12 runs in his first over, and Axar didn’t give him the ball again. He could have been given one more over against Krunal Pandya initially, where he could have created a chance. He also took the wicket of Virat Kohli in the previous encounter between these two sides.
Axar decides to compensate for his remaining three overs with Dushmantha Chameera. The wicket was slow, and DC pacers surprisingly didn’t use their slower ones. Chameera bowled a leg cutter in the 18th over and got the wicket of Virat Kohli. He gave just 8 runs in that over.
After that, one was left for Chameera, Starc, and Mukesh Kumar, and DC has to defend 18 runs from 2 overs. Mukesh Kumar was not in his best form. He went for 32 runs in his first 3 overs. He didn’t try any slower variations, but rather stuck to his yorker plans, which he couldn’t execute successfully.
Axar could have given the 19th over to Starc, who had done well for them in the death overs this season, and the Chameera, who did well in the 18th over, could have continued in the last over. But, he went with Mukesh in the 19th over, and he went for yorkers again, which landed as full tosses, and Tim David finished the match in 3 deliveries.
Mukesh is a champion bowler for DC, but when it is not his day, you have to accept that and go with a bowler who had done better on that given day. Axar made a blunder and trusted Mukesh, but it backfired on him. Starc most likely should have bowled the 19th over as the best bowler bowls the 19th over in a run chase, as Axar slightly missed the trick. Starc too was expensive with 31 runs conceded in 3 overs but it was a pressure situation where he would have excelled.
Also Read:Â DC vs RCB : Krunal Pandya’s All-Round Brilliance & Virat Kohli Stun DC In A Thriller