Chasing a 172-run target, the match was in the balance at 118 for 4, with skipper Rishabh Pant still at the crease. Then Lockie Ferguson dealt a double blow in the 15th over, the first dismissing Pant for 43 and Axar Patel, four deliveries later.
Those dismissals tilted Saturday's IPL match at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, in Pune, Gujarat Titans' way and they ultimately won by 14 runs.
"Not bad, to be honest. Very happy with the way everyone is stepping up on the right occasion. We thought we might be 10-15 runs short, but with the attack we have we can restrict them to 20-25 runs short. That over from Lockie changed the momentum," said Gujarat Titans captain Hardik Pandya in the post-match presentation ceremony.
Ferguson’s figures of 4 for 28 won him the man of the match award.
Despite the comfortable victory, Panya believes his team could have done better and put up some more runs on the board while batting.
"To be honest, I felt we were 10-15 runs short. I thought par was 185, to be honest. When Rishabh was there, I thought the game was in the balance," he added.
Pacer Varun Aaron could only bowl one over. To cover for his three overs, Pandya had to hand the ball to all-rounder Vijay Shankar and Rahul Tewatia. They conceded 36 runs in the three overs bowled between them.
“Varun (Aaron) felt something happened to him. We were one bowler short so we had to finish the game on the 19th over. The courage Tewatia and Vijay showed, when they had not been told to bowl, they stepped up and helped us to win the game," said Pandya.
Shubman Gill top-scored for Gujarat Titans with 84 off just 46 balls, hitting six fours and four sixes, to take the team to 171 for 6 in 20 overs.
"Fantastic, this is the Shubman Gill we all want to see. The kind of confidence he's carrying is going to come to all the batters," said Pandya.
With two wins from two matches, Gujarat Titans have had a perfect start to their IPL campaign. They will be looking to extend that run when they take on Punjab Kings in their next match.
