Delhi Capitals all-rounder Mitchell Marsh admitted it was one of the toughest PowerPlays he has faced in his T20 career when he batted against Rajasthan Royals at the Dr. DY Patil Sports Academy, Mumbai on Wednesday. It was seaming and swinging in the first four-five overs and Marsh had to be cautious in his approach.
Furthermore, DC got off to a poor start as they lost KS Bharat on the second ball of the innings while chasing 161 runs. In fact, Marsh could only manage five runs off the first 13 balls he faced as he respected the conditions and the new ball.
Moreover, Marsh had the rub of the green on his side as RR decided not to take the review when he was plumbed in front of the wickets. Marsh was then able to change gears and took the attack against the RR bowlers.
The right-hander scored a match-winning knock of 89 runs off just 62 balls with the help of five fours and seven sixes to get his team over the line by eight wickets. Furthermore, he scalped two wickets and conceded 25 runs in the three overs he bowled.
Thus, he was awarded the Player of the Match for his all-around performance. Marsh said in the post-match presentation, “Was a tough game. Physically it’s tough when you bowl a bit and bat a bit. Slower balls and cutters, they were tough to score. 160 was par. But it’s about one good partnership. The first four-five overs of powerplay were about as tough a batting as I’ve had in T20 cricket. It was swinging, bit of seam there and there was bounce. Reminds me of Perth Stadium this wicket. Felt like the last couple of games I’ve got back to hitting the ball like I wanted to. I honestly thought I smashed it first, wasn’t worried one bit. Which is probably a good thing because I tend to look guilty when I think I’m out.”
On the other hand, Marsh added a fine alliance of 144 runs with David Warner, who continued his good form to score a vital knock of 52 runs. Warner played a second fiddle to Marsh and got the crucial runs for his team.
Warner said after the game, “Feels good to get across the line. How good was Mitch there! Came out there and started positively. We just told him that if he can get an 80 or 90, he can games for us. Bowlers did a great job too. It was a bit two-paced, that hard length wasn’t easy to hit. Some bounced a bit extra. It’s important (to win big) as net run rate is a big factor with many teams in the race for those spots. Everyone is in good spirits and this is a great win for us.”
DC will next face Punjab Kings at the Dr. DY Patil Sports Academy, Mumbai on Monday.
