DC vs GT review

Dominance is not an easy thing to maintain, but Hardik Pandya's Gujrat Titans have found a way to do just that. The Gujrat Titans claimed victory over the Delhi capitals with a 6-wicket win, and two overs to spare. After winning the toss, Titans decided to bowl first on what they thought was a flat batting surface. But it was anything but that.

Captain David Warner got off to another start, but he kept losing partners at the other ends. Prithvi Shaw and Mitchell Marsh succumbed to the pressure and fell in quick succession, and Sarfaraz Khan didn't find any momentum, scoring 30 off 34. South African batter Rilee Rossouw fell on the first ball. The Gujrat pacers Mohammad Shami and West Indian Alzarri Joseph were breathing fire, and Afghan spinner Rashid Khan too chipped in with 3 wickets. A late blitz from youngster Abhishek Porel and Axar Patel gave Delhi some respite and got them to a competitive score on a challenging Delhi surface.

But the Giants remained as calm as ever. After Anrich Nortje removed their openers Saha and Gill, captain Pandya departed early. But the impact player Vijay Shankar and Sai Sudarshan made a good partnership and kept the chase in control. After Vijay Shankar was sent back by Marsh, the returning South African batter David Miller walked in with one clear intention to go hard. He scored 31 off 16, finishing the job with 11 balls to spare.

For Gujrat, the formula of last year is doing wonders, with every one of the 11 players contributing to the team's success. Pacers Shami and Joseph are in prime form and spinner Rashid Khan is doing it with the bat and the ball. Saha and Gill are giving the team starts in every game. Not many weaknesses to see, and GT are looking to defend their title.

For Delhi, the absence of Rishabh Pant is definitely haunting them. Even with his presence in the stands in the last match, Delhi couldn't get over the line. Nortje is looking positive, but captain Warner's strike rate is a concern. Mitchell Marsh's lack of runs is a dry tap which needs to start flowing, and finding the right 11 and the right way to use the impact player is something that DC need to work on. With these issues, their preparation and road to the playoffs remains on uncertain footing. But expect DC to fight back with the positive signs that they have shown.