Gujarat Titans’ big-hitter Miller (51-ball 94*) reveals plan of going after Chennai spinners early to ensure preferred pacers were brought on as defending champs suffer fifth loss in six games
Gujarat Titans’ David Miller celebrates their win against CSK at Pune on Sunday. Pics/PTI
Back in 2013, after hammering a 38-ball 101 for erstwhile Kings XI Punjab against Royal Challengers Bangalore in an IPL match, David Miller had famously uttered these words that his father used to say to him: “If it’s in the V, it’s in the tree; if it’s in the arc, it’s out of the park.”
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Dad’s the way
On Sunday evening, Chennai Super Kings gave the South African a few in the V and more than a few in the arc. And the results were exactly how his father would have wanted them to be, as Miller hammered an unbeaten 94 off 51 balls (8x4, 6x6) to help Gujarat Titans steal a three-wicket victory from the jaws of defeat at the MCA Stadium here.
GT’s stand-in skipper Rashid Khan en route his 40 against CSK
Chasing 170 for victory on a pitch where the ball was holding up a bit and turning, Miller walked in at 16 for three. The team’s in-form batsman and skipper Hardik Pandya missed this game due to injury, so the Titans were playing a batsman short, at least on paper.
Gill’s golden duck
Then, dashing opener Shubman Gill got out for a golden duck. Now, it’s no secret that Miller likes pace on the ball, so CSK brought on off-spinner Moeen Ali and left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja very early into his innings. But it didn’t matter as Miller smacked Moeen over long-on for a six and Jadeja for two sixes and a four.
“They had three spinners, so I knew if they bowl well, they were going to bowl all their overs to me, and then try and change the pace bowlers around and rotate them. But after we took on the spinners early, they were forced to bring in their pace bowlers early, and that was pretty much part of our plan,” Miller said about his batting strategy.
But even with Miller’s heroics, the target seemed improbable to achieve single handedly, with 48 runs needed off the last three overs. That’s where stand-in skipper Rashid Khan delivered a decisive blow, smashing Chris Jordan for three sixes and a four. “I consider myself an all-rounder, I want to fulfill that responsibility,” Rashid told the official broadcaster later.
Jolt for Jordan
And though Jordan failed to land most of his attempted yorkers accurately, credit can’t be taken away, first from Rashid, and then Miller, who struck a six and a four off the Englishman in the final over.
Like Miller said after the match, the Titans could have easily lost four out of six games, but currently stand at five wins out of six games. And considering the fact that they have found a new hero in each of those five wins, the Titans are definitely the team to beat at IPL 2022.
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