One run shy of victory, they got there in the final breath. Shubman Gill called it tight, yet enough. Not the smoothest ride, still, he wore a grin after the Gujarat Titans edged past the Punjab Kings in Sunday's tense match, in the latest cricket news. A pitch that talked back kept things tense, though steady hands midway through steadied the ship. Last-ball escapes aren’t ideal, sure, but two points landed all the same.
Chasing down 163 felt tighter than expected, even though the Gujarat Titans got there in the end. Pitch conditions kept Shubman Gill cautious instead of attacking early on. Building stands ball by ball turned out to be the key. Pushing the game toward the later overs made all the difference.
“Would have liked to not take it as deep as we did”, says Shubman Gill
“Would have liked to not take it as deep as we did. But two points! We always knew this was not the kind of wicket where we can chase it in 15-16 overs. If someone is set, they should go deep,” said Shubman Gill during the post-match presentation.
“Length balls weren't coming. Important for the batter who was set, lucky for us, Washy finished it off. It was all about the kind of situation we are in, and the best batter (on sending out left-handers),” Gill said.
Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer walked away frustrated, even though he thought their score should have been enough. Losing quick wickets slowed everything down, yet what followed brought some rhythm back, pushing them beyond 160.
“I personally thought it was a great score. The new ball was doing a bit at the start. Their bowlers made the best use of the surface, the way they were hitting the deck. We lost four wickets in the powerplay, just to get to 160 from there was a phenomenal effort.
“With the new ball, I thought we would be able to hit line and length and be accurate and get wickets, but it didn't work out. Kudos to the effort, attitude and approach. We missed hitting the hard lengths, I think. Hitting over midwicket wasn't easy on this wicket; there was variable bounce," he said.
Falling short on execution, that’s what Iyer pointed out, despite the team keeping a hopeful outlook ahead.
Even so, the plan did not work out fully. Being first in the standings helps soften the blow. The bowlers showed grit, aiming hard to claim victory even if things stayed flat today.
“Excited for the opportunity (in Hyderabad next). Boys are putting in hard yards. If the character is high, attitude is right, results will come eventually,” Shreyas Iyer said.
