6 min readNew DelhiMay 8, 2024 08:32 AM IST
First published on: May 8, 2024 at 12:46 AM IST
SYNOPSIS: Samson on song gives Delhi a scare after another Fraser-McGurk blitz and some good hitting from Porel and Stubbs power them to 221
Samson on song
Sanju Samson looked unstoppable like he does when he middles everything with that sweet timing of his. Calm, unflappable and holding his shape while hitting some glorious sixes, the Rajasthan Royals captain looked good to score his first hundred of the season and take his team home. The target was daunting, even on this batting-friendly wicket in Delhi, but as long as Samson was tonking the ball around, against spin and pace, that match result seemed to be heading just one way.
With 60 needed off 27 balls, Samson, batting on 86, hit Mukesh Kumar straight down the ground. Shai Hope held on to the catch along on the edge of the boundary line and tip-toed thereafter to stop himself from stepping over. Samson was on the way back to the dugout but stopped after seeing the replay on the giant screen.
The third umpire had given him ‘out’ but the Rajasthan captain wasn’t satisfied after seeing the replays. Samson had an animated discussion with the on-field umpires and then even signalled for a review. But it was futile to review an on-field umpire’s review. From here on the match slipped away from Rajasthan’s grasp as they lost the momentum.
Samson is having one of his best IPL seasons ever and his knock, days after being selected for the T20 World Cup, was an exhibition of his ability to find boundaries, almost at will. His 46-ball knock was studded with eight boundaries and six sixes. Sanju didn’t get much support from the other end — the other proven-match winners Jos Buttler (19 off 17 balls) and Riyan Parag (27 off 22 balls) failed to convert their starts. Shubham Dubey (25 off 12 balls) played a good hand but succumbed under the scoreboard pressure.
The win helped Delhi stay in contention for the playoffs.
Fraser-McGurk blitz
On the eve of the match, Delhi Capitals head coach Ricky Ponting had said he wanted Jake Fraser-McGurk to open with Travis Head in the T20 World Cup and expressed his displeasure at the youngster not getting picked for Australia. “I was a little bit surprised that he wasn’t included in the Australia squad. If you think of what Travis Head has done in this tournament and then what Jake’s has done, if those two were able to walk out together in a T20 game, I think it could have been pretty entertaining.”
Ponting has hinted that Fraser-McGurk should replace David Warner at the top for Australia, just like he has done at Delhi Capitals. On Tuesday, Fraser-McGurk once again displayed his hitting power with his 20-ball 50, showing that George Bailey (chief selector) and Mitchell Marsh might have missed a trick.
After winning the battle against Jasprit Bumrah the other day, Fraser-McGurk ‘s next big challenge was against Trent Boult, always a tricky prospect with the new ball. The tussle started with a couple of wild heaves from Fraser-McGurk. There were three attempted pull shots and one of these deliveries hit him on the box. When he was back on his feet, he finally connected one over mid-off to get going.
In Boult’s second over, he cleared his front leg and in Sunil Narine-style slammed the ball over the bowler’s head for a six. The big shot forced Boult to change his angle and he switched to over the wicket. Boult found an edge but it flew past the first slip region. Then Boult came round the wicket and was welcomed with a forehand slap for a boundary. Fifteen runs came from Boult’s second over.
The best was saved for Avesh Khan, who started off with beauty — the inside edge went for a boundary. Thereafter Jake plundered 28 runs from Avesh’s over, including four boundaries and two sixes. He completed his fourth fifty in just 19 balls.
Porel, Stubbs flourish
Ravichandran Ashwin put an end to the Fraser-McGurk show. The off-spinner was a touch lucky as he dismissed Fraser-McGurk with a full toss. The kind of touch Fraser-McGurk was in, he could have easily hit that full toss into the Feroz Shah Kotla nearby. But he ended up chipping it straight to Donovan Ferreira at cover.
Fraser-McGurk couldn’t believe his luck and neither did Ashwin. Samson might have missed a trick by not giving Ashwin another over with two left-handed batters Abhishek Porel and Axar Patel at the crease. Porel, who played second fiddle to Fraser-McGurk, changed gears by hitting a six and a four against spinner Yuzvendra Chahal.
Ashwin was brought back and this time he got the better of Axar Patel. At the other end, Porel kept going for his shots and completed his maiden fifty off just 28 balls. Ashwin had the last laugh as he got the prized wicket of Porel. The southpaw, who has replaced Prithvi Shaw in the playing XI scored a 36-ball 65, a knock studded with seven boundaries and three maximums. A late flourish from Tristan Stubbs — 20-ball 41 — helped Delhi reach 221 for 8. For Rajasthan Royals, R Ashwin (3/22) was the pick of the bowlers.
Rajasthan Royals captain Sanju Samson in action against Delhi Capitals. (Express photo by Praveen Khanna) 
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