Tewatia and Rashid win it for Gujarat in the nick of time!

Indian Premier League 2022, Match 40 saw an intense match between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Gujarat Titans, as they won by just 5 wickets at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Wednesday. It has been a good debut season for Gujarat and Hardik Pandya sure did put his words into action with his captaincy. Hyderabad has made a good comeback after consecutive defeats and is now a lot more balanced. 

Gujarat won the toss and opted to bowl. The team stays unchanged for GT, but SRH makes one, as Washington Sundar replaced Jagdeesha Suchith. Kane Williamson and Abhishek Sharma opened for Hyderabad while Mohammed Shami started off with the proceedings. It was a poor delivery as Shami drifted it way down the leg side, Sharma missed his flick further and swung it away from the keeper and whizzed away to the fine leg fence.Yash Dayal started off well and he got a hint of swing. Williamson was beaten on the drive, he also induced an inside edge which went for a single. He then erred in line, offered a hint of width, Sharma on a couple of occasions and both were hit for FOURS. 11 runs were scored off the Dayal over. Williamson played a loose drive, it nips back in further and castles the timber. Brilliant delivery and over by Shami as there was one ball he erred in line and ws flicked away for FOUR by Williamson. But he bounced back, drew an inside edge which bounced over Williamson’s stumps and then castled him with a beauty. 4 runs and a wicket off the over. 

Tripathi stayed in the crease and looked to defend but was beaten by the inward movement. Dayal showed a decent over. He was unlucky as Rashid Khan dropped a touch catch off Tripathi. There was a good contrast between shami and Tripathi. The latter took the attack to Shami by charging down the track and cracking a FOUR and a SIX and then crunching another FOUR through covers. Shami though bounced back hard to trap him LBW. 18 runs and a wicket off the last two overs. Joseph made a good comeback in that over and Sharma slammed a couple of fours, one over cover and the other along the ground through the same region. Rashid was introduced into the attack and he bowled a disciplined over to give away just 6 runs. 15 runs were scored off the last over. Hyderabad had a mixed couple of overs. Ferguson made a good comeback in that over. After a DOT, Markram hits a lovely FOUR off the back foot. Ferguson though was disciplined for the rest of four balls and conceded just three singles. Khan beat Markram’s outside edge with a fast leg spinner off the last ball. 10 off the Rashid over and 17 off the last two. After 9 overs, Sunrisers Hyderabad stood at 76/2. Ferguson bowled a mixed over as he did not get his lines right off a couple of balls and conceded two WIDES. Markarm appeared aggressive but could not find the gaps or enough power behind the shot. He got one off the last ball and hammered a pull over deep mid-wicket for a SIX to make it 12 off the Joseph over. Sharma plays smartly as he scores a six against Rashid Khan, 50 off 33 balls and then got down to slog sweep it over deep mid-wicket.

After 13 overs Sunrisers stood at 115/2. Sharma attempted a deep square leg and didn’t get it in the middle while putting Shankar in a dilemma of whether to go for a catch or not. He went for the catch but it bounced in front of him and ricocheted off him and to the fence. Markram continued to stay in his position at the crease and swung a good length delivery on off, over deep mid-wicket, off Ferguson. Sharma proceeded to hit a four which was uppish and fell just ahead of the fielder rushing in. Two more singles after the streaky four and deep mid-wicket six totalled up to 12 off the Ferguson over. Sharma lofted one extra cover for a FOUR. 

18 overs later, Sunrisers Hyderabad were 161/5 as Dayal bowled another good over. The slower bowling did the trick off the last ball as he sent back the set Markram. It was a brilliant work from Joseph as Washington Sundar walked back. He looked to pull but missed. Joseph charged on his follow through and scored a direct hit at the bowler’s end. Jansen was about to go but he got bottom edged onto the ground and towards the keeper. SRH post 195/6 as Shashank finished brilliantly. 

Chasing the target, Wriddhiman Saha and Shubman Gill opened for GT and Bhuvneshwar Kumar started off the proceedings. Gujarat started off with mixed overs as Kumar bowls well and spared only two runs. Saha took on the attack to Jansen and hit him for a four and a six. Jansen proceeded to beat Gill’s outside edge with finesse, but then erred in line and conceded five WIDES. Natarajan misfieled as Saha charged and swung it to deep square leg where the former made a mess of it and let it through. Saha and Gill performed well as the former took a more aggressive approach and hit Bhuvneshwar for a couple of fours. Three more singles were made off that over. After 4 overs, Gujarat stood at 40/0. It was a good powerplay for them as Saha hit 39* off 18 balls. GT scored 59/0 with 6 overs. Saha lofted one over midd off for a four off Jansen. With a good length delivery on off, Gill backed away and looked to slash it away but it was too fast for him and the ball knocked the stump even before he could get his bat down. 

Umran started with fire and he knocked down Gill’s stump and proceeded to hit Pandya’s shoulder with a bouncer. He replied back with a punch through the vacant midd off region for a four. Umran got his 2nd wicket which was that of Pandya’s. Saha hit a four off the Washington over but overall they only took 8 runs off it. Only 10 was scored over the Umran over. They took five singles off Sundar’s over. But Saha reverted back in the Jansen over and had five runs off the first four balls. 

GT was at 109/2 after 12 overs. Umran castled Saha with a 153 kmph yorker and Saha backed away but Umran bowled a pin point yorker in the middle. Saha and  Miller took 12 runs off the Washington over but the team got jolted as Umran was brought back and he castled Saha again off the first ball. Tewatia got off the mark with a four to third man but overall SRH had a good over. There was an eventful over from Bhuvi as he dropped a very tough caught and bowled chance off the second ball. A single later, Tewatia slashed one through backward point for Four. Three more singles made it 8 off the over. Umran shattered the stump yet again and cleaned up Miller and then proceeded to dismiss Abhinav Manohar. It was fast and full on middle and off, Manohar tried to defend but it whizzed through his defence and knocked back the off stump. 

After 18 overs Gujarat scored 161/5 over the fielder. Full outside off from Natarajan as Tewatia cracked it over mid off. Only 31 was needed off 11. Rashid Khan mistimned his flick to fine leg where it bounced to Malik for just a run. Low full toss outside off from Natarajan as Tewatia heaved it over deep mid-wicket and he was on strike. Jansen bowled and Tewatia scored a brilliant six in the first ball itself. Low full toss outside off, Rashid Khan smacked it over covers. 3 was needed off the last ball and Rashid Khan won it for GT. 

Tewatia and Rashid got together at 140/5 with 56 needed off 4 overs and they pulled off a stunning chase. Umran Malik was named the Player of the Match. It was an intense match for both as GT posted 199/5 while SRH was just 5 wickets behind with 195/6.