STATE TIMES NEWS
NEW DELHI: Jake Fraser-McGurk produced a power-hitting master class as Delhi Capitals kept themselves in the race for IPL play-offs with a 10-run win over Mumbai Indians here on Saturday.
Bringing his big-hitting prowess to the fore, young McGurk gave the scorching Delhi heat competition with a sizzling 27-ball 84, powering DC to a massive 257 for four after being asked to bat.
Tilak Varma (63) and Hardik Pandya (46) played some lofty shots to give MI a glimmer of hope but Delhi bowlers, led by Rasikh Salam (3/34), kept striking at regular intervals to stop MI at 247 for 9.
The win elevated DC to the fifth spot while MI continued to occupy the penultimate place.
While McGurk sparkled upfront, Tristan Stubbs dazzled with an unbeaten 48 off 25 balls at the death overs as DC put up a superlative batting effort to register their highest-ever score in IPL.
In reply, MI’s script didn’t go as per plan as Khaleel Ahmed drew first blood in the form of Rohit Sharma (8).
With more than 250 runs to score, MI batters had to go from the word go and that led to Ishan Kishan (20) and Suryakumar Yadav’s (26) wickets.
Three wickets down and the required run rate increasing, Pandya took things in his own hands, plundering 19 runs of the ninth over by DC’s star spinner Kuldeep Yadav.
He punched three fours before launching the ball for a towering six over long on. Tilak Varma joined in with a boundary and a six off Axar Patel as the duo stitched a 71-run stand.
But ‘Impact Player’ Salam not only broke the partnership, claiming Pandya’s wicket but also got rid of Nehal Wadhera in the same over.
Varma then found an ally in Tim David but he was run out in the final over.
Earlier, opening for DC for the second time this season, the 22-year-old Fraser-McGurk equalled his own record for the fastest fifty this season, getting the milestone off just 15 balls after the hosts were put in to bat by MI.
With McGurk in the middle, it was raining boundaries and sixes at the rather small Arun Jaitley Stadium. He hit 11 fours and six maximums. He got 19 runs off the first over bowled by Luke Wood, setting the tone as he skilfully exploited the field restrictions in the powerplay to nab 92 runs.
Facing arguably the best bowler in the world, the Australian greeted Jasprit Bumarah with a six over log on, followed by a four in the second over.
Replacing Wood, Nuwan Thushara also couldn’t stop MCGurk, who displayed his brute force, smashing three fours.
With his pacers being carted all over the park, MI skipper Pandya decided to introduce spin in the form of Piyush Chawla but it hardly mattered to McGurk, who struck a maximum over long-on to get his third IPL fifty.
MCGurk then took a special liking for Pandya as he clobbered the ball out of the park before sending one over deep mid-wicket as Abhishek Porel (36) had the best seat to enjoy the stroke-making, standing at the other end.
Chawla finally managed to put an end to the carnage with a googly. MI dominated for a couple of overs, with Mohammad Nabi picking up Porel in the 10th over.
But Shai Hope (41) swung into action, hitting five sixes while Rishabh Pant (29) unleashed the helicopter shot. The DC skipper whipped the ball, which soared over deep mid-wicket.
Stubbs took DC past the 200-run mark. The South African continued his menacing form as he took Wood to the cleaners in the 18th over where he only dealt in boundaries. The over read 4, 4, 6, 4, 4, 4.
However, Bumrah displayed his class as he came in with a bouncer in the next over to get Pant, who attempted a pull only to find Rohit at deep backward square leg.
