Delhi Capitals have been inconsistency personified this season and losing is not an option with a place for the play-offs on the cards. So when Rishabh Pant called right at the toss he put Sanju Samson's Rajasthan Royals into bat.
Delhi struck early with the big wicket of Jos Buttler, but then Ravichandran Ashwin, promoted to No 3, and Yashasvi Jaiswal led the Royals fight back with both batters taking on Anrich Nortje, Axar Patel and Shardul Thakur for big runs.
Mitchell Marsh and Kuldeep Yadav then put the brakes on the scoring after the Powerplay overs, adding pressure on the batters. Marsh broke the 43-run partnership, cramping Jaiswal who miscueD his pull shot to hand a catch to mid-wicket.
Devdutt Padikkal then joined Ashwin and together they kept the scoreboard ticking while getting the fours and the sixes without much fuss. Ashwin reached his 50 in the 14th over with a single before Marsh struck again, removing Ashwin, breaking another blossoming partnership. His twin strikeS put the breaks on Rajasthan as they lost wickets at regular intervals thereafter and other than Padikkal no other RR batter could get going.
Then batting at No 3, Marsh played a scintillating knock. He started slowly but then went into overdrive post the Powerplay. He smashed Kuldeep Sen for two sixes and 16 runs before Yuzvendra Chahal was lofted for a six in the 11th over to bring up his 50 off 38 balls.
Marsh played perfect foil to David Warner who happily gave the strike to his compatriot to go after the bowling. Marsh played some fearless strokes all over the ground and went after Ashwin and Trent Boult before Chahal took out Marsh with 17 needed off the last 3 overs.
Marsh did a fine job to hammer the RR bowling, scoring briskly while playing perfect partner to Warner to take the team to what was eventually a smooth victory.
With his twin blows to take out Jaiswal and Ashwin and then scoring a blazing 80 off 62 balls, Marsh is rightly our player of the day.
© 2024 Rediff.com -