Jake Fraser-McGurk enjoys fine IPL debut as Delhi Capitals down Lucknow Super Giants

Jake Fraser-McGurk announced his arrival in the IPL with a 55 off 35 – with 3 fours and 5 sixes – as Delhi Capitals handed Lucknow Super Giants their first defeat in the IPL in a game where the latter posted a 160-plus total. The DC bowlers – led by Kuldeep Yadav – tripped up LSG’s top-order early before Ayush Badoni counter-attacked successfully. LSG’s 167/7 was the highest total for a team after losing their first seven wickets for under 100 in IPL history. But this big effort was for nothing in the end.

Delhi Capitals might be languishing lower in the points table, but Khaleel Ahmed finds himself joint-third on the bowling charts for the season. He was instrumental in setting up the team’s only other win this season – against CSK – and was once again at hand in rocking LSG’s top-order. Khaleel had the rub of the green as the umpire ruled in his favour for an LBW appeal after Quinton de Kock missed a full ball on the leg stump. The left-hander’s stay was cut short by umpire’s call. In his next over, he had Devdutt Padikkal out leg before too.

The match-up worked perfectly for DC as this was the fourth time de Kock fell to a left-arm pacer and third instance for Padikkal.

The left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav,  lured Marcus Stoinis into a big, risky heave in his first over. The result was a leading edge to Ishant Sharma at backward point. LSG were left stunned just the next ball when he bowled a fabulous googly to an unsuspecting Nicholas Pooran and knocked back his stumps. KL Rahul, who had shown some intent early on, became Kuldeep’s third wicket in the 10th over. It needed DC to review but Rishabh Pant was convinced of an edge, and was rewarded for it.

LSG regressed further, slipping from 80 for 5 in 10 overs to 94 for 7 in 13 overs.

Ayush Badoni the 24-year-old resurrected LSG’s essay with an unbeaten 55 off 35. He had Arshad Khan for company in an eighth-wicket partnership worth 73 off the last seven overs. Badoni took on DC’s death-overs pacers Mukesh Kumar, Khaleel and Ishant Sharma as 39 runs came off the last three overs. Kuldeep meanwhile finished with figures of 3 for 20, including 10 dot balls.

David Warner’s dismissal in the fourth over did nothing to DC’s run-chase as their 22-year-old Jake Fraser-McGurk marked his IPL debut with an impressive show. He and Prithvi Shaw went on a boundary-hitting spree, collecting 15 off Arshad Khan and 17 off Krunal Pandya to take DC to 62/1 in 6 overs.

Ravi Bishnoi pushed DC back with a one-run seventh over that included the wicket of Shaw – caught at deep midwicket. This brought along a period of lull as DC managed just 13 runs in 4 overs until the halfway stage, without a boundary scored. Rishabh Pant then turned it around by going after Bishnoi in the 11th over, giving him the charge for a straight six and a four. The DC captain also went after Stoinis before Fraser-McGurk dwarfed the equation by hitting three successive sixes off Krunal – over deep midwicket, deep extra cover and long off.

In the space of five deliveries, Naveen Ul-Haq and Bishnoi dismissed both the batters and ended the chase-defining stand of 77 runs. But at this point, DC needed just 20 off 27 balls which Shai Hope and Tristan Stubbs saw through comfortably in 18.1 overs.

Brief Scores:
Lucknow Super Giants 167/7 in 20 overs (Ayush Badoni 55*, KL Rahul 39; Kuldeep Yadav 3-20, Khaleel Ahmed 2-41) lost to  Delhi Capitals 170/4 in 18.1 overs (Jake Fraser-McGurk 55, Rishabh Pant 41; Ravi Bishnoi 2-25) by 6 wickets

(Cricbuzz)