Stuart Broad and James Anderson have been of huge value to the England Test side: Hussain.(photo:Twitter/ECB)
Broad noted that debutant fast bowler Josh Tongue, who took five wickets on debut in the second innings, looked really dangerous with the ball and was appreciative of another pacer coming through the ranks ahead of the Ashes…reports Asian Lite News
Veteran England fast-bowler Stuart Broad stated that he has no anxiety leading into the upcoming highly-anticipated Ashes series, adding that he is at a stage right now where he is very comfortable with his performances.
Broad took six wickets in England’s 10-wicket victory over Ireland in the one-off Test at Lord’s, including a five-wicket haul in the first innings, to start his home summer with a bang. In the Ashes, Broad has overall picked 131 wickets in 35 matches while averaging 29.05.
“Your first Ashes series comes with an inevitable bag of nerves, but there will be no anxiety leading into this one for me. I couldn’t be more relaxed, to be honest. That doesn’t mean I am not fully switched on or hugely competitive, it just means that I am very comfortable with what I’m doing right now,” wrote Broad in his column for Daily Mail on Sunday.
Broad also expressed confidence over his ability to deliver for England whenever required in the Ashes.
“I’ve experienced everything in the game and have confidence in my ability which means that if I don’t deliver on one day, I will the next,” the pacer said.
“I want to have an impact on the series, absolutely, but it doesn’t matter if it’s the first, third or fifth Test match. I have a history of pretty good performances later in Ashes series and I have a real trust in what the hierarchy are doing, so I will play whenever needed, confident I will do the job required,” he added.
The 36-year old noted that debutant fast bowler Josh Tongue, who took five wickets on debut in the second innings, looked really dangerous with the ball and was appreciative of another pacer coming through the ranks ahead of the Ashes.
“From the pavilion end, you can get dragged back into the stumps and it’s very difficult to hold your line outside off-stump to run the ball back in. Bowling from the nursery end, you have to really fire the ball in at middle stump for it to carry through towards the keeper,” he said.
“But he settled in really well, didn’t bowl any balls that softly went down the leg side � which is so easy to do � and he showed great temperament and character. You can get over-emotional and overawed by international cricket, but he hit the pitch really hard from his first over, looked really dangerous throughout and got the rewards on the second day for his efforts in the first innings,” he added.
Australia haven’t won an Ashes series in England since 2001 and will be aiming to do so in 2023 after the last series in 2019 ended in a draw.
After Edgbaston hosts the first Ashes Test from June 16-20, the rest of the games will take place at Lord’s (June 28-July 2), Headingley (July 6-10), Old Trafford (July 19-23) and The Oval (July 27-31).
“You always need one X factor as a Test bowler, whether that’s height, pace, extreme accuracy or movement and he’s got a couple of those things, so he’s another promising addition to our armoury of bowlers,” said Broad.
“In some bowling units, it’s all about who takes the wickets but there is a genuine pack mentality amongst us, we are all in it together and ultimately we need 100 Australian wickets in the five Tests ahead. With such a tight schedule, they are not going to be taken by just four bowlers,” he concluded.
The 23-year-old told reporters she began feeling ill after her second-round match. She hoped to be able to play but struggled to sustain 10 minutes of work on the court….reports Asian Lite News
World No.4 Elena Rybakina on Saturday withdrew from the French Open due to an upper respiratory illness.
The reigning Wimbledon champion announced her withdrawal before she was due to take the court for her third-round match against Spain’s Sara Sorribes Tormo.
The 23-year-old told reporters she began feeling ill after her second-round match. She hoped to be able to play but struggled to sustain 10 minutes of work on the court.
“I saw the doctor and they said that actually, it’s all a virus here in Paris. I guess with my allergy, my immune system just went down and I picked up something. As I said, I was not sleeping well for two days. I had a fever and headache. I think you can hear [my voice] also,” Rybakina was quoted as saying by WTA.
“So, yeah, it’s difficult to perform and obviously to run and even breathe. So I think that was the only right decision I could make,” she added.
A champion of two WTA 1000 events this year, including most recently on the clay in Rome two weeks ago, Rybakina was bidding to build on her momentum in Paris, where she was a quarterfinalist in 2021.
She did not lose a set through her first two rounds of the tournament, defeating Brenda Fruhvirtova and Linda Noskova. Her 6-3, 6-3 win over Noskova was her eighth win in a row.
“Of course, I’m really upset about not being able to play, but I guess that’s life. There are a lot of ups and downs. Today I just wanted to give 100 percent, and obviously, I’m far from being 100 percent,” Rybakina said further.
“Yeah, I was actually coming positive here, but as I said, you never know how you’re gonna feel. Was unlucky for me. Yeah, I just try to recover and do my best to be prepared for the grass season already,” she added.
Rybakina’s next tournaments during the grass season are scheduled to be Berlin, Eastbourne, and her title defense at Wimbledon.
With Rybakina’s withdrawal, Sorribes Tormo advances via walkover and is into her first Round of 16 at a Slam. She will await the winner of 14th-seed Beatriz Haddad Maia or 23rd-seed Ekaterina Alexandrova.
French Open: Ruud beats Zhizhen to seal his spot in fourth round. ( credit: Roland Garros)
The 24-year-old Ruud arrived in Paris having had a modest season to date. …reports Asian Lite News
Norwegian tennis player Casper Ruud continued to make smooth progress at the French Open as he dispatched Chinese player Zhang Zhizhen 4-6, 6-4, 6-1, 6-4 in the third round, here on Saturday.
The fourth seed Ruud, who is the highest seed remaining in the bottom half of the draw, emphatically pounced on short balls throughout the two-hour, 38-minute third-round clash.
He stepped forward effectively to dictate with his heavy forehand, using a mixture of spins in the lively conditions on Court Suzanne-Lenglen to earn his 14th clay-court win of the season.
“It was tough. It was a bit frustrating in the beginning. I didn’t hit as well as I would have hoped,” said Ruud, who improved as the match went on.
“I didn’t really find any hole in his game, but luckily at 5-4 in the second set, he played some sloppy shots and I got the break. That gave me confidence and I started playing better and better in the third and fourth [sets]. The French crowd was helping me a lot,” he added.
Ruud lost in the final against Rafael Nadal 12 months ago. Aiming to go one step further this year, he will next face Geneva champion, Nicolas Jarry.
“Every match is stressful, physically and mentally. This year is the first year I am coming trying to defend a big result, having made the final last year. I am feeling a little bit more about it and feeling a little bit extra pressure,” Ruud said.
The 24-year-old Ruud arrived in Paris having had a modest season to date. He failed to win consecutive tour-level matches at 10 of the 12 events he played but did lift the trophy in Estoril before he advanced to the semi-finals in Rome.
The 10-time tour-level titlist has looked close to his best in the French capital, though, where his victory against Zhang lifted him two spots to 13th in the ATP Live Race To Turin. Ruud, who holds a 15-4 record at Roland Garros, is chasing a third consecutive appearance at the ATP Finals.
The Australian team management is also keeping a wary eye on The Oval ground where they have a poor record…reports Asian Lite News
Members of Australia’s men’s cricket team have started their preparations for the upcoming World Test Championships (WTF) final and the Ashes series against England at their United Kingdom-based training centre in South London.
As the Australians step up their preparations for their first challenge of facing India in the WTC final at The Oval from June 7, Pat Cummins’ side will be going all-out in the chase of their maiden World Test Championship title.
However, the team management is also keeping a wary eye on The Oval ground where they have a poor record at The Oval where they will start their summer campaign. They would have liked to have started their campaign at the Lord’s rather than The Oval.
“But given the evidence tendered by more than 140 years of Test cricket in the United Kingdom, they might have fancied their chances of taking the title even more if the showpiece was staged at Lord’s rather than The Oval,” cricket.com.au reported on Thursday.
From 39 matches at Lord’s since 1884, Australia have 17 wins for a success rate of 43.59 per cent. By contrast, Australia’s record at The Oval – where the rivalry that became the Ashes was spawned in 1880 – is markedly worse, with just seven wins from 38 starts (18.42 per cent).
When the World Test Championship was first planned in 2010, the final of the four-year competition was planned to be held at the Lord’s. As the event could eventually start only after a gap of a decade, Lord’s has not hosted the WTC final due to commercial realities.
But the global Covid-19 pandemic scuppered that plan, with the final instead held at Southampton’s Rose Bowl where on-site accommodation ensured competing teams New Zealand and India could maintain a level of bio-security isolation, the report said.
When venues for the 2023 final were discussed last year, it emerged that financial considerations – in particular, the ICC’s stipulation for a ‘clean’ stadium free from existing membership requirements and adorned in its own sponsors’ livery – meant Lord’s faced potential commercial conflicts. And so the event was awarded to The Oval, the report said.
So, while hosts England will take on Ireland in a one-off Test at Lord’s starting on Thursday, their Ashes rivals will face the challenge posed by India at The Oval and prepare for that with a first full training session of their UK sojourn on county club Kent’s quaintly bucolic out-ground at Beckenham, 20km from central London.
Meanwhile, the remaining players of the Indian squad, who were involved in the IPL Playoffs, have reached London and will also be starting their preparations for the WTC Final.
Sevilla overpower Roma in penalties to lift seventh Europa League title.(photo:@SevillaFC)
Despite being Europa League record winners, Sevilla struggled to penetrate Roma’s staunch defense….reports Asian Lite News
Top Spanish club Sevilla made a remarkable comeback to clinch the Europa League title, with goalkeeper Bono thwarting two attempts to ensure a 4-1 victory in the penalty shootout at the Puskas Arena in Budapest on Thursday.
The opening period proved challenging for both sides, marked by numerous fouls that disrupted the rhythm of the match.
The first genuine scoring opportunity came 12 minutes into the match when Roma’s Leonardo Spinazzola tested Sevilla’s goalkeeper with a shot from the edge of the penalty area, reports Xinhua.
Despite being Europa League record winners, Sevilla struggled to penetrate Roma’s staunch defense.
Roma eventually broke the deadlock when Gianluca Mancini’s through ball, following a counterattack, allowed Paulo Dybala to strike past Bono into the far post corner, 35 minutes into the game.
Sevilla rebounded well and nearly levelled the score before the break, but Fernando’s header from Ivan Rakitic’s corner kick sailed just over the target.
Rakitic, the veteran midfielder, remained a central figure, rattling the woodwork with a 20-meter hammer in the closing stages of the first half.
The momentum shifted after the restart, as Sevilla’s Alex Telles squandered another promising attempt from a favourable position.
Sevilla’s persistence paid off when Mancini inadvertently deflected a dangerous cross from Jesus Navas Gonzalez into his own goal, equalizing the score 10 minutes into the second half.
Roma nearly reclaimed the lead in the 67th minute, but Bono deftly defused Tammy Abraham’s close-range shot.
A potential penalty for Sevilla was revoked by referee Anthony Taylor after a review 10 minutes later.
The final minutes saw both teams trading attacks, as Bono denied Andrea Belotti from close range following a free kick. Conversely, Suso and Fernando couldn’t bypass Rui Patricio in quick succession at the other end of the pitch.
After a goalless extra time, the match was decided by penalty kicks. Sevilla converted all attempts, while Mancini and Roger Ibanez were denied by Bono.
“We must enjoy this moment. This is Sevilla’s seventh title. It’s an incredible feeling. We have shown the world once again what Sevilla can do. This is our Europa League,” said Croatia international Rakitic.
Coming from T20 where the bat speed is very fast to test cricket where the bat speeds have to be a lot more controlled, that is something they’ll need to do, says Gavaskar
Batting great Sunil Gavaskar feels that the Indian batters will have to work on their bat speed control in order to make that transition from the fast-paced T20 format to the Test cricket as they are going to face Australia in the upcoming World Test Championship final from June 7 at The Oval.
Gavaskar emphasised the need for batters to play as late as possible in English conditions, allowing for swing and avoiding the mistake of reaching out for the ball.
IND v NZ: Sharma and Dravid are quite similar temperament wise, says Gavaskar.
“I think they are going to look at their bat speed. Coming from T20 where the bat speed is very fast to test cricket where the bat speeds have to be a lot more controlled, that is something they’ll need to do. They’ll need to play in England as late as possible to allow for the swing to do its bit, not to reach out for the ball which often a lot of people make the mistake of having played on good pitches,” said Gavaskar on Star Sports’ ‘Follow the Blues’.
“Wherever you play on good pitches, you tend to play through the line, not necessarily half volleys, but in England those deliveries can move just that little bit. So, I think those are the things that as a batter you need to watch out for. As a bowling unit also you’ll need to bowl a much fuller length for your new ball, for the bowlers to be able to get the movement in the air as well as after pitching,” he added.
Former India captain also highlighted the challenges Team India would face playing in English conditions, including the overcast weather and swing in the air, aspects unfamiliar to Indian, West Indian, and Sri Lankan players.
“I think the English conditions are challenging because firstly we are used to playing with the sun on our backs. When you are playing in England, often you are playing in conditions where there is no sun, it’s a little overcast, the weather is a little bit cooler, so you sometimes wear a jumper. That’s something that you know, the Indian players, West Indian players and Sri Lankan players are not really used to so that can be just a little bit of a dampener, little sort of light but you just feel a little bit encumbered by that,” he said.
So, that is one thing and because in these conditions the ball tends to swing in the air not just after pitching which doesn’t happen in India and therefore the swing in the air is what sometimes can take you some time to get used to and which is a reason people generally when you are going overseas suggest that you should may be play two or three warm-up matches, which will give you a better idea of what to get when you are playing in a test match,” he added.
The 73-year old feels that Cheteshwar Pujara can give some valuable insights to the team having experienced the conditions at The Oval.
“The fact that he has been around will mean that he will have also seen how the pitch has been behaving at The Oval. He might not have played at The Oval, he might be in Sussex not too far away from London but he will have kept an eye on what is happening and his inputs will be invaluable as far as the batting unit is concerned or even as far as the captaincy is concerned,” said Gavaskar.
“He will have the captains here as far as the Oval pitch is concerned and don’t forget he has also captained the team, so he definitely will have worked out quite a few strategies seeing that Steve Smith, the Australian is his teammate at the moment,” he added.
Rayudu said his retirement could not have come a better night and in a better way…reports Asian Lite News
Former India international and Indian Premier League (IPL) legend Ambati Rayudu on Monday said his career would not have been possible without the support of his family, especially his father Sambasiva Rao, and listed representing India as the most cherished moments of his two-decade-long “wonderful journey” as a cricketer.
Rayudu, who had two days back announced that the final of IPL 2023 will be his last outing as a cricketer, played a crucial role as Chennai Super Kings overcame Gujarat Titans by five wickets via the DLS method in a rain-truncated rescheduled encounter to claim his sixth IPL title on Sunday night.
Rayudu said his retirement could not have come a better night and in a better way.
“It has been an emotional night that culminated in a special IPL win. On that high note, I would like to announce my retirement from all forms of Indian cricket. When I took up the cricket bat as a kid playing with the tennis ball at home, I didn’t imagine the wonderful journey that would follow for more than two decades,” Rayudu penned in a statement released on Monday.
The 37-year-old Guntur-born cricketer said he considers representing India his greatest honour.
“I consider it my greatest honour to have represented my country from the Under-19 to the highest level. I still remember the day I received my India cap for the first time in 2013 – it is a memory I will cherish forever,” he said.
Rayudu thanked the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the Andhra Cricket Association
(ACA), The Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA), Vidarbha Cricket Association (VCA) and the Baroda Cricket Association (BCA) for showing faith in his ability and providing him with the opportunity to express himself on the field.
On the occasion, Rayudu also thanked the two IPL teams that he played for — Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings. “I am proud to finish my career as a six-time IPL winner,” he said.
“Being a part of Mumbai Indians’ first-ever IPL win in 2013 as well as winning the IPL title with Chennai Super Kings in 2018, 2021 and of course, 2023 are memories that will stay with me forever.
“It has also been a great privilege to play with captain MS Dhoni both with CSK and Team India. We have had some great memories over the last two decades both on and off the field, which I will always cherish,” said Rayudu.
Rayudu also thanked his teammates, support staff, and all the coaches from his childhood for helping him come so far.
“Thanks to all my teammates, support staff, fans and all the coaches from my early days – this memorable journey of mine would not have been fulfilling without all of you. Thank you for being by my side through the ups and downs. Your encouragement meant a lot to me,” he said signing off his statement with a “See you on the other side” message.
Under Dhoni’s leadership, CSK clinched their fifth record-equalling fifty IPL title…reports Asian Lite News
Following Chennai Super Kings’ remarkable victory in the IPL 2023, the triumphant captain, MS Dhoni, has left open the possibility of participating in the next season.
Speculations regarding Dhoni’s potential retirement have been circulating since the commencement of 2023 IPL, hinting that this edition could mark his final appearance in the tournament.
Under Dhoni’s leadership, CSK clinched their fifth record-equalling fifty IPL title, here on Monday.
In a final that was pushed to the reserve day owing to heavy rain, Chennai were set a revised target of 171 in 15 overs when the rain had stopped play a few balls into their innings after the Gujarat Titans had rode on a quickfire 96 by Sai Sudharsan and a half-century by Wriddhiman Saha to post 214/4 in 20 overs.
CSK looked in trouble as they needed 13 from the final over. Mohit Sharma bowled four superb deliveries, conceding just three runs before Ravindra Jadeja hammered a six and a four off the last two deliveries to seal a dramatic victory for CSK in the thriller.
After the win, when the CSK skipper came up for a chat at the post-match presentation, Harsha Bhogle did not waste any time and jumped right to the main question. “We meet again. We meet again like we so often do after these title wins. Should I ask you something or are you going to tell me something anyway?”
To which, Dhoni replied, “it’s better if you ask and then I reply.”
Bhogle said: “I asked you when you last won a trophy, about the legacy you leave behind in CSK. You said ‘I haven’t left it behind yet.”
Dhoni said, “Looking for an answer? Circumstantially if you see, this is the best time to announce my retirement. But the amount of love and affection I have been shown wherever I have been this year, the easy thing would be for me to say ‘Thank you very much’, but the tough thing for me is to work hard for another 9 months and come back and play at least 1 more season of IPL. A lot depends on the body, I have 6-7 months to decide. It will be more like a gift from my side, it’s not easy for me but that’s a gift.”
Dhoni openly acknowledged that tears welled up in his eyes upon hearing the crowd chant his name during the inaugural match of the 2023 Indian Premier League against the Titans at the same venue.
“You do get emotional simply because it’s the last part of my career, it started over here and the first game when I walked down everyone was chanting my name. My eyes were full of water and I just stood there in the dugout for a while. I realised I want to enjoy this.
“It was the same thing in Chennai, it was my last game over there but it will be good to come back and play whatever I can. I think they love me for what I am, they love that I am so grounded, I don’t try to portray something I’m not. Just keep it simple.”
The CSK skipper has achieved a significant milestone by becoming the first cricketer to participate in 250 IPL matches. Additionally, he has captained the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in an impressive 10 IPL finals, emerging victorious in five of those. It’s worth noting that in 2017, while representing the Rising Pune Supergiants, Dhoni also competed in the IPL final.
With this thrilling win, the MS Dhoni-led CSK has now equalled Mumbai Indians’ record for most (five) IPL titles…reports Asian Lite News
Star all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja smashed a six and four in the last two balls and along with vital contributions from other batters helped Chennai Super Kings beat Gujarat Titans by five wickets (via DLS method) in the rain-affected rescheduled final of the 2023 season to clinch a record-equalling fifth Indian Premier League title at the Narendra Modi Stadium, here on Monday night.
With this thrilling win, the MS Dhoni-led CSK has now equalled Mumbai Indians’ record for most (five) IPL titles. The 41-year-old Dhoni also became the joint-most successful captain (titles in 2010, 2011, 2018, 2021, 2023) in tournament history along with Rohit Sharma (2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2022).
A sensational quick-fire fifty from Sai Sudharsan (96 off 41) along with Wriddhiman Saha’s vital half-century (54 off 39) powered Gujarat Titans to 214/4 in 20 overs.
Sudharsan looked flawless throughout his innings and played some breathtaking shots against an indisciplined bowling line-up. Apart from Sudharsan and Saha, the likes of Shubman Gill (39 off 20) and Hardik Pandya (21 off 12) also made vital contributions with the bat.
Chasing a mammoth target, CSK scored four runs in the first three balls of the innings with openers Ruturaj Gaikwad and Devon Conway at the crease before rain intervened and stopped the play. When the play resumed at 12:10 am after a long delay due to a wet outfield, the revised target for CSK was to chase 171 runs in 15 overs.
Both Conway and Gaikwad came with an attacking mindset and gave CSK a flying start. They played some beautiful shots and hammered Md Shami, Hardik Pandya and even Rashid Khan and took CSK to 52/0 in the revised four-over Power-play.
Gujarat Titans badly needed a wicket and left-armer spinner Noor Ahmed gave them the crucial breakthrough by removing Gaikwad (26 off 16). Not only Gaikwad, but the young Afghan spinner also got rid of the dangerous-looking Conway to put CSK on the back foot.
Two new batters — Impact Substitute Shivam Dube and Ajinkya Rahane — were at the crease and had a massive task ahead of them. As has been the case with Rahane this season, he once again showed his class and played some exquisite strokes to give the much-needed impetus to CSK innings.
Though Dube was struggling to get his timing right, Rahane was in fine touch and took CSK to 112 for 2 in 10 overs. Just when it looked like CSK were cruising towards the target, veteran Mohit Sharma bowled with a great change of pace to pile up the pressure of dots and singles to eventually lure Rahane (27 off 13 balls)
The see-saw battle continued as Dube finished off Rashid’s over with two successive sixes, leaving the four-time champions to chase 38 runs off the last 18 balls. Thereafter, Ambati Rayudu, who was playing his last IPL game, went on to hit 6, 4, 6 against Mohit to dwarf the target, but he got out of the next ball.
Dhoni walked in to bat with 22 needed off 14 and he had the chance to pull off the perfect ending but it wasn’t to be as the CSK skipper hit the ball straight to cover for a first-ball duck. Shami then bowled a fine penultimate over to leave Mohit to defend 13 in six balls as Dube and Jadeja were not able to find boundaries.
Ahmedabad, May 30 (ANI): Chennai Super Kings’ skipper MS Dhoni lifts Ravindra Jadeja in celebration after winning the final match of Indian Premier League 2023 as CSK beat Gujarat Titans by 5 wickets, at Narendra Modi Stadium, in Ahmedabad on Tuesday. (ANI Photo/ Digital Restriction)
Mohit Sharma bowled excellent yorkers and gave just three runs in the first four balls. But Jadeja had other plans and he hit a six and four in the last two balls to give CSK a thrilling five-wicket win and record fifth title.
Earlier, asked to bat first, openers Gill and Saha were a bit cautious in their approach in the first two overs against Deepak Chahar and Tushar Deshpande and were helped by some sloppy fielding as well.
In the second over of the innings bowled by Deshpande, CSK skipper M.S. Dhoni placed Deepak Chahar at backward square and Gill hit the ball exactly there but the pacer couldn’t catch it, which changed the momentum in Gujarat’s favour.
From there on, both Chahar and Deshpande were taken on by Gill and Saha. Even spinner Maheesh Theeksana, who came to bowl the sixth over, was treated severely as Gujarat Titans raced to 62/0 at the end of the Power-play.
It was Ravindra Jadeja who gave CSK their first breakthrough by removing the dangerous Gill, courtesy of a typically quick and incredible glovework from Dhoni. Gill dragged his back leg out and with the speed at which Dhoni operates, there was just no time for the batter to even consider getting back into the crease.
After Gill’s wicket, things slowed down a bit for the Gujarat batters — Saha and Sai Sudharsan. The CSK spinners, Jadeja and Theeksana, were getting some assistance from the pitch as the Titans reached 86/1 at the halfway mark.
With 10 overs to go and nine wickets in hand, Sai and Saha decided to up the ante, scoring 23 in the next two overs off Jadeja and Matheesha Pathirana, giving some impetus to Titans’s innings. Saha, who came to open the innings and looked confident from the beginning, hit a Jadeja delivery between short third and backward point to score his fifty off 36 balls.
Things were going quite well for Gujarat and Dhoni brought Deepak Chahar into the attack. The pacer, who didn’t have a great night in the field, got Saha to top-edge a pull and Dhoni took a simple catch, leaving Gujarat at 131/2 after 14 overs.
Sai Sudharsan was a touch slow through the lull in the middle overs but then decided to tee off. The left-handed batter had skipper Hardik Pandya at the other end but he took the mantle of scoring runs at a high pace. Some poor bowling from Theekshana and Pathirana also helped his cause as Sudharsan raced away to fifty off 32 balls.
After reaching his half-century, Sudharsan became even more aggressive and clobbered Deshpande for 20 runs in an over, with the help of one six and three fours. Gujarat were 173/2 in 17 overs and looked all set to get a big total on the board.
The next over bowled by Pathirana gave Gujarat just nine runs but Tushar Deshpande was taken to the cleaners by Pandya and Sai Sudharsan for 18 runs as nothing was going well for CSK bowlers against a formidable Titans batting line-up.
Pathirana came to bowl the last over and he was welcomed by sixes in the first two balls. However, the Sri Lankan pacer had the last laugh as he trapped Sudharsan in front of the wicket, ending the left-hander’s batting carnage and denying him the chance to score his maiden IPL century.
In the next three balls, Pathirana gave just two runs and also removed Rashid Khan as Gujarat Titans finished with 214/4 on the board.
Brief scores:
Gujarat Titans 214/4 in 20 overs (Sai Sudharsan 96, Wriddhiman Saha 54; Matheesha Pathirana 2-44) Chennai Super Kings 171/5 in 15 overs (revised target) (Devon Conway 47, Ajinkya Rahane 27, Shivam Dube 32 not out, Ravindra Jadeja 15 not out; Mohit Sharma 3-36, Noor Ahmad 2-17) by five wickets via DLS method.
It is the first time that an IPL final has moved into a reserve day…reports Asian Lite News
The final of the 2023 edition of Indian Premier League (IPL) between four-time winners Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and defending champions Gujarat Titans (GT) at the Narendra Modi Stadium has been moved to the reserve day, which is Monday, May 29, after persistent heavy rain forced washout of proceedings on Sunday.
It is the first time that an IPL final has moved into a reserve day.
“The #Final of the #TATAIPL 2023 has been moved to the reserve day on 29th May – 7:30 PM IST at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad. Physical tickets for today will be valid tomorrow. We request you to keep the tickets safe & intact,” announced the IPL via its Twitter account.
Things turned for the worse at around 6:30 pm on Sunday, after dark clouds suddenly collected quickly over the stadium when both teams were preparing for the toss in 30 minutes. It began to rain incessantly which was also accompanied by thunder and lightning, forcing the fans to move quickly backwards to seek shelter and protection from the downpour.
The rain had stopped around 8:55 pm, with the super soppers swinging into action immediately to dry the ground and pitch area and ensure full overs were possible, while the players began to warm up in anticipation of the start of the match, considering the cut-off time was 9:35 pm.
Before that could materialise, the rain came back with even greater intensity. The covers were put on again and fans scrambled back to take shelter yet again as ponds of water started to take shape around the covers.
“12:06 AM is the latest time we can start and the groundsmen have sort of given us an hour to mop up the ground. So if it’s still raining at 11 o’clock, we are in a lot of trouble,” said on-field umpire Rod Tucker to the broadcasters.
As Tucker feared, the relentless rain stayed late into the night, forcing the match to be moved to reserve day. With the IPL playing conditions allowing the final to have the provision for a reserve day, it is expected that weather permitting (with rain forecasted for Monday too), cricket fans in the stadium and around the world will get to witness a full game on Monday.
The two finalists — Chennai and Gujarat — had also featured on the opening day of the tournament, as the two-month-long league comes full circle on Sunday, with fans wearing Chennai’s yellow jersey thronging the stadium in large numbers.
Chennai, led by M.S. Dhoni, are the second-most successful team in IPL history, having won the title four times in 2010, 2011, 2018 and 2021, and are eyeing their fifth title. The final of IPL 2023 is also Dhoni’s 250th appearance in the tournament since being a part of it from the inaugural year in 2008 and will also be Ambati Rayudu’s last match as an IPL player after the right-handed batter announced on his Twitter account on Sunday.
On the other hand, Gujarat are the defending champions and seeking to win back-to-back IPL titles, becoming the third team to do so in the history of the competition. Interestingly, in nine out of 12 finals since 2011, when the playoffs system came into effect, the team that emerged victorious in Qualifier 1 has won the final too.
