Gujarat Titans needed 15 runs off the last two overs and the onus of bowling the crucial overs fell on Jofra Archer and Tushar Deshpande. The Rajasthan Royals skipper Riyan Parag had decided to bowl Tushar Deshpande the penultimate over and the Archer would send down the final over.
However, on vice-captain Dhruv Jurel’s advice, Parag changed the order and it proved to be a masterstroke. Deshpande bowling the last over with GT needing 10 for a win, did outstandingly well to defend 10 runs by conceding only four runs. GT were restricted to 204 for 8 while chasing 211 for victory.
“Riyan changed his mind. He (Deshpande) was going to bowl the 19th, and I was going to bowl the last. Everything that could have gone right in the field, went right, and I am proud of the boys,” said Archer, who also conceded only four runs in the penultimate over.
RR skipper Riyan revealed that it was Jurel who suggested to make the switch.
“I was actually going to switch the order but credit to Jurel – he asked me to go with Jofra for the 19th. Wanted to go as fast as possible and as straight as possible,” Riyan said.
“It was just incredible. Took a chance – to go full and fast, and the boys delivered. I was so excited they executed the way they wanted,” he added.
GT’s stand-in skipper Rashid Khan and Kagiso Rabada stitched a crucial partnership, which helped them take the game deep after the hosts lost quick wickets in the middle overs. Rashid held key to GT’s chase but Archer did well to take a brilliant catch in the deep to dismiss him.
“Initially, when he hit it, I thought it was going to six. I just ran and hoped for the best, and thankfully it went in.”
Archer said he and Deshpande had a plan to bowl the last overs, where the pitch was not aiding slower balls, hence they decided to bowl full tilt.
“One day, we will have to bowl pace-on and pace-off (on other days). Slower balls were not staying in, so we had to go pace-on,” he explained.
Rashid lauded the bowlers for their effort but pointed to the wickets that fell in the middle overs restricted their momentum.
“Well, I think, we bowled really well, especially the way they have started to restrict them under like, 210. I think it was a great effort on this wicket by the bowlers. And then we started really well with the bat too. I felt we have given a great start with the openers. And then I felt in the 12th and 13th overs, we lost back-to-back wickets,” he said.
“That’s something which really put us on the back foot. But I think, if they were there, it wasn’t that hard to score, but I think in that period of time, we just lost the momentum of the game. Well, I feel, on the wicket like this, 9-10 per over, it’s not that the hard job to be done,” he added.
