Gujarat Titans Secure Victory Over Mumbai Indians with Strategic Pitch Use
Gujarat Titans Triumph Over Mumbai Indians
Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], March 30: After leading his team to victory against the Mumbai Indians (MI), Gujarat Titans (GT) captain Shubman Gill shared insights on their tactical choice of a black soil pitch for the match. He noted that batting second on such surfaces becomes challenging as the ball ages, making it tough for batters to hit boundaries.
The match showcased impressive bowling performances from Prasidh Krishna and Mohammed Siraj, alongside a notable half-century from Sai Sudharsan, as the Gujarat Titans defeated the Mumbai Indians by 36 runs at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Saturday. This victory earned GT two crucial points and extended their flawless record to 4-0 against MI in Ahmedabad, enhancing their overall head-to-head statistics to 4-2.
In the post-match presentation, Gill remarked, “We decided before the first match that the second game would be played on black soil. This pitch suits our style. Batting on black soil becomes tricky once the ball gets old, so we aimed to make the most of the powerplay. While we can discuss strategies, sometimes things just align in our favor. I think this is the first instance where Rashid Khan didn’t bowl his full quota of overs. I intended to save him for later, but the pacers were performing well, especially Prasidh, so I opted to utilize them.”
During the match, MI won the toss and chose to bowl first. GT's openers, Shubman Gill (38 runs off 27 balls, including four boundaries and a six) and Sai Sudarshan, established a solid foundation with a 78-run partnership. Another significant partnership developed between Sudarshan and Jos Buttler (39 runs off 24 balls, with five fours and a six). Sudarshan delivered a commendable performance, scoring 63 runs off 41 balls, featuring four boundaries and two sixes. However, GT faced a minor collapse towards the end, finishing at 196/8 after starting strong at 179/4.
For MI, skipper Hardik Pandya was the standout bowler with figures of 2/29, while Trent Boult, Deepak Chahar, Mujeeb ur Rahman, and Satyanarayana Raju each claimed a wicket.
In their chase of 197 runs, MI struggled early, losing Rohit Sharma (8) and Ryan Rickelton. Nevertheless, Tilak Varma (39 runs off 36 balls, with three fours and a six) and Suryakumar Yadav (48 runs off 28 balls, with one four and four sixes) attempted to stabilize the innings with a 62-run partnership. Following their dismissals, MI faltered and ended their innings at 160/6.
Prasidh Krishna (2/18) and Mohammed Siraj (2/34) were the leading bowlers for GT, with Kagiso Rabada and Sai Kishore also contributing with a wicket each.