After conceding 17 runs in his first over, Spencer Johnson came back strongly in the penultimate over of the match by picking up two crucial wickets.
Gujarat Titans pulled off a heist on Sunday (March 24) when they defeated five-time IPL champions Mumbai Indians by 6 runs. Chasing a modest target of 169 to win, Mumbai were on course to reach the target for the most part of their innings. But as soon as Rohit Sharma got out for a well-made 43 off 29 balls, Mumbai’s innings fell off the track.
None of their young batters could take the responsibility as Mumbai’s batting crumbled under pressure. They lost their 7 wickets for just 53 runs and ultimately fell short of the target by just 6 runs. Hardik Pandya did his best in the last over by starting with a six and a four but there was too much work to be done.
It was a collective team effort from Gujarat Titans’ bowlers, who are known to hunt in pairs. Azmatullah Omarzai picked up two wickets with the new ball while Umesh Yadav kept his calm despite being hit for 10 runs in the first two balls of the last over.
Spencer Johnson, on IPL debut, conceded 23 runs in his first 7 balls but came back strongly and picked up two wickets to get his side back into the game. While speaking to the host broadcaster after the win, the left-arm seamer revealed his plans and the chat with coach Ashish Nehra.
“Absolutely incredible (feeling) to get the win in front of a full house is pretty special. Ash (Ashish Nehra) told me to be calm, you are going to win the game. What worked well for me was the hard length and keeping calm and not panicking and sticking to what I do well,” Johnson said.
The young Australian quick also expressed his views about playing in front of the full-packed stadium. He also lauded captain Shubman Gill for keeping him calm. This was Gill’s first match as IPL captain and he started with a win.
“I’ve always wanted to play cricket in india and here I am. I hope we can keep winning. Shubman is unbelievable. He sat next to me on the bus trip. He was calming me. We talked through the game. As a young captain, he’s unbelievable,” Spencer added.
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Gujarat Titans have little time to celebrate their win as they quickly move to Chennai for their next game against Chennai Super Kings on March 26. It is likely to be a thrilling contest between the last year’s finalists.
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