For the first time in the ongoing 2022 Indian Premier League (IPL) Gujarat Titans were off to a brilliant start with the opening pair of Wriddhiman Saha and Shubman Gill scoring a century stand along with their respective half-centuries. Unlike any of their last 10 games, where the pressure was always on their middle order line-up to script a rescue act, the openers had taken the pressure off the batting line-up. Yet, Gujarat Titans fell five runs short in their 178 chase at the Brabourne Stadium against Mumbai Indians and former cricketers Kevin Pietersen and Virender Sehwag lashed out at Hardik Pandya and Rahul Tewatia for the loss. (Follow IPL 2022 full coverage)
Gujarat lost both their openers in the 13th over after a 106-run stand. The table toppers, who needed just a win to become the first team in IPL 2022 to make the playoffs, needed 66 more from the next 42 balls with eight wickets in hand.
A couple boundaries and solitary six in the next four overs kept Gujarat well in the race for a win despite the unfortunate hit-wicket dismissal of Sai Sudarshan. The equation stood 29 off 18. Gujarat have won from tougher positions earlier and they had Hardik and David Miller in the middle with Tewatia and Rashid Khan waiting for their chances. It was Gujarat’s match to lose.
However, two moments of lazy cricket from Gujarat – Hardik’s run out in the 18th over and Tewatia in the final over – saw the team fall short by five runs. And the two dismissals left Pietersen and Sehwag furious.
“What about a bit of desperation. Desperation is diving for the crease in a tight run out. No dives today. Where is the desperation? Where is the desperation to get over the line and guarantee a place in the playoffs. That is the one thing I would have been saying in the dressing room. But the skipper himself didn’t dive too. He was cruising,” said the former England captain on Star Sports.
Despite Hardik’s run out, Gujarat had reduced the equation to nine off the last over. It wasn’t anything new for Tewatia, but Daniel Sams held his nerve in the final over to help MI win the thriller.
“I was thinking that had GT openers flopped, it would have been better. Usually, when they flop, they end up winning. Now today they had such a great start, the chase should have been wrapped up with 2 overs to spare. Hardik Pandya and Rahul Tewatia dug their own grave today. They threw away a match that should have been won,” said Sehwag in conversation with Cricbuzz.
