Gujarat Titans captain Shubman Gill felt they held their nerves after the four-run win against Mumbai Indians at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad on Sunday. GT was able to bounce back into the contest as they successfully defended 43 runs in the last five overs.
The hosts’ bowlers were right on the money and kept MI batters at bay despite dew conditions. Mohit Sharma dismissed a well-settled Dewald Brevis and also accounted for a dangerous Tim David.
Spencer Johnson, making his IPL debut, got the big wicket of Tilak Varma whereas MI skipper Hardik Pandya was dismissed by experienced Umesh Yadav in the final over. Furthermore, GT spinners – Rashid Khan and Sai Kishore – did a fine job for the franchise. The spin duo conceded only 47 runs in the eight overs they bowled collectively.
Shubman Gill said in the post-match presentation, “The way the boys held their nerves with dew coming in, it was outstanding. The way our spinners bowled made sure we are always in the game. It’s all about holding your nerves.”
Earlier in the match, GT posted a fighting score of 168 after Sai Sudharsan top-scored with 45. Gill also scored a decent knock of 31 runs to set the platform for the franchise. Gill showered praise on the left-hander for getting them to a competitive score.
Gill added, “He (Sai Sudharsan) has been a revelation for us. We just wanted to build on the pressure and wait for them to make mistakes. The crowd is one thing, have always come whether it is a day game or a night game and shout out to all the fans who have come here to support us.”
The youngster admitted they were at least 15 runs short of a par score but the bowlers delivered for them.
Gill concluded, “I thought that was a good score, but we definitely left at least 15 runs there, it was hard to hit those short balls as the wicket got a bit slow towards the end.”
Gujarat Titans will next take on Chennai Super Kings at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai on Tuesday.
