Titans are first among equals in the IPL 2022.
Gujarat Titans’ 144/4 total was not enough to win the match. Not at all. However, the pitch was not conducive to stroke play, so grafting was the order of the day. Such low-scoring games are occasionally enjoyable despite an overabundance of batting bludgeoning in T20 cricket. The Titans won and qualified for the playoffs because of Shubman Gill’s class and a well-rounded bowling attack. However, the Lucknow Super Giants’ batting imploded once their openers were out cheaply. They were bowled out for 82 runs, falling by 62 runs.
The Titans’ innings were, for the most part, sterile, in keeping with the stadium atmosphere.
Large swaths of empty seats greeted the two table-toppers at the MCA Stadium in Pune, also it appeared to have affected the Titans’ batting intensity. The pitch was not a straight shot, and some creative thinking was required to up the ante. A couple of soft dismissals didn’t help.
Matthew Wade was recalled from the bench after a brief absence, as the Titans made three changes following two consecutive losses. Wade began with back-to-back fours against Dushmantha Chameera before succumbing to Avesh Khan while attempting to play his favorite lap shot through the vacant fine-leg region.
Hardik Pandya’s scalp with a loosener, short and wide outside off, was a real bonus for the fast bowler on the night. After that, Hardik would send it to the point boundary nine times out of ten. On Tuesday, however, he received an outside edge to the keeper instead. It occurred immediately following the resumption of the first strategic time-out. Perhaps Hardik’s concentration had been compromised. He also attempted to hit the ball too hard. The Titans’ captain chided himself.
Titans chose to bat first and struggled to 35/2 after six overs, their lowest Powerplay score in this IPL. Hardik was needed in the middle overs to boost the scoring rate, and his dismissal was a setback.
