"The decision was taken before we played the first match that we would be playing this one on black soil. It suits our batting and bowling more," said Gujarat Titans skipper Shubman Gill, revealing the tactical move that led to their 36-run victory over Mumbai Indians at the Narendra Modi Stadium.
With former captain Hardik Pandya returning as the opposition's skipper, Gujarat Titans opted for a slower black-soil pitch to challenge Mumbai’s stroke-makers.
The plan worked perfectly as Sai Sudharsan's composed 63 off 41 balls and Gill's quickfire 38 from 27 set a solid foundation. Jos Buttler's 24-ball 39 added the necessary firepower, helping the Titans post a competitive 196/8 in their 20 overs.
Batting on black soil, it is difficult to hit boundaries when the ball gets old, so we wanted to capitalise during the powerplay.
The Titans' bowlers then executed the plan flawlessly. Prasidh Krishna (2-18) and Mohammed Siraj (2-34) led the attack, effectively stifling Mumbai's chase. Suryakumar Yadav's spirited 48 off 28 balls and Tilak Varma's patient 39 from 36 deliveries were not enough as Mumbai Indians managed only 160/6.
Interestingly, Rashid Khan, the Titans' trump card, bowled only two overs, conceding just 10 runs.
I actually kept his overs for the end, but the way the pacers were bowling, I didn't want to loosen the grip. Prasidh was bowling beautifully, so I thought why not bowl him out.
Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya acknowledged his team's shortcomings.
There were errors, we weren't quite professional in the field, and that probably cost us 20-25 runs. They did the right stuff in the powerplay, avoided high-risk shots, and that put us on the back foot.
Pandya further pointed out the challenges posed by the variable bounce on the black-soil pitch. "It was gripping, making it tough to score. When you have this much variable bounce, it becomes difficult as a batter. They used it well against us."
Adding to Pandya’s woes, the Mumbai Indians skipper faced a fine of INR 12 lakh (€13,200) for maintaining a slow over-rate. The IPL governing council announced the penalty under Article 2.2 of the Code of Conduct. This comes after Pandya had already missed the season opener due to a one-match suspension for repeated slow-over rate offenses.
Despite the defeat, Pandya remained hopeful. "Early stage, but the batters need to step up. Hopefully, they come to the party soon."
Brief Scores: Gujarat Titans 196/8 in 20 overs (B. Sai Sudharsan 63, Jos Buttler 39; Hardik Pandya 2-29) Mumbai Indians 160/6 in 20 overs (Suryakumar Yadav 48, Tilak Varma 39; Prasidh Krishna 2-18, Mohammed Siraj 2-34)Result: Gujarat Titans won by 36 runs.
