Ball-by-ball: Magnificent Mohit bowls dream final over to stun Super Giants
LSG needed 12 from the last over with seven wickets in hand. They could score only four runs and lost four wickets in the six balls
ESPNcricinfo staff
22-Apr-2023
Mohit Sharma was nerveless in the death as Gujarat Titans closed out an improbable win • BCCI
IPL 2023 has been a tournament of tense finishes, and there was more late drama on Saturday on an excruciatingly slow Lucknow pitch. Gujarat Titans handed Mohit Sharma the ball with Lucknow Super Giants needing 12 off the last over, and the chase fell apart against a masterful display of end-overs bowling. Here's how it unfolded.
Mohit Sharma to bowl the last over. KL Rahul, 16 off the last 21, needs to find a boundary.
19.1: Sharma to Rahul, 2 runs
Mohit starts with a pace-on yorker, which Rahul manages to dig out, and it goes over Mohit's head. So slow is it hit that they come back for two. Badoni dives in to make the second possible
Mohit starts with a pace-on yorker, which Rahul manages to dig out, and it goes over Mohit's head. So slow is it hit that they come back for two. Badoni dives in to make the second possible
19.2: Sharma to Rahul, OUT
And he has got out after turning an easy equation into a tough one. Slower short ball, into the pitch, cutting in, Rahul pulls, gets a top edge, and is caught at deep square leg. Rahul looks distraught: 0 off the first 6, 30 off the next 12, 20 off the next 20, 18 off the next 23.
KL Rahul c Yadav b Sharma 68 (61b 8x4 0x6) SR: 111.47
And he has got out after turning an easy equation into a tough one. Slower short ball, into the pitch, cutting in, Rahul pulls, gets a top edge, and is caught at deep square leg. Rahul looks distraught: 0 off the first 6, 30 off the next 12, 20 off the next 20, 18 off the next 23.
KL Rahul c Yadav b Sharma 68 (61b 8x4 0x6) SR: 111.47
LSG looking for their first boundary since the 13th over. Here is Marcus Stoinis.
19.3: Sharma to Stoinis, OUT
Slower short ball. The lethal slower short ball when you are desperate for boundaries. He has to create all the power. Slaps it down the ground but imparts only enough to reach long-on. Mohit is on a hat-trick, and GT are the favourites now.
Marcus Stoinis c Miller b Sharma 0 (1b 0x4 0x6) SR: 0
Slower short ball. The lethal slower short ball when you are desperate for boundaries. He has to create all the power. Slaps it down the ground but imparts only enough to reach long-on. Mohit is on a hat-trick, and GT are the favourites now.
Marcus Stoinis c Miller b Sharma 0 (1b 0x4 0x6) SR: 0
Deepak Hooda to face the hat-trick ball.
19.4: Sharma to Hooda, 1 run, OUT
Good from Mohit. He is not greedy. He knows the batters are expecting the slower ball, which is the wicket-taking delivery. He goes for the yorker, Hooda digs it out, they go for the second, and Badoni is run out. The second is never on.
Ayush Badoni run out (Shankar/Sharma) 8 (6b 0x4 0x6) SR: 133.33
Good from Mohit. He is not greedy. He knows the batters are expecting the slower ball, which is the wicket-taking delivery. He goes for the yorker, Hooda digs it out, they go for the second, and Badoni is run out. The second is never on.
Ayush Badoni run out (Shankar/Sharma) 8 (6b 0x4 0x6) SR: 133.33
Now they need two boundaries. Two fours for a tie, a six and a four for a win. LSG will be stunned with what has happened. They needed 56 off the last 10. Prerak Mankad on the non-striker's where a Mankad might be in play.
19.5: Sharma to Hooda, 1 run, OUT
Mohit is not focusing on the non-striker. He nails another yorker, Hooda digs it out to deep midwicket, and goes back for the non-existent second to keep the chances of a tie alive. The throw from the deep is spot on. He is gone. GT win if they don't bowl a no-ball or a wide.
Deepak Hooda run out (Rashid Khan/†Saha) 2 (2b 0x4 0x6) SR: 100
Mohit is not focusing on the non-striker. He nails another yorker, Hooda digs it out to deep midwicket, and goes back for the non-existent second to keep the chances of a tie alive. The throw from the deep is spot on. He is gone. GT win if they don't bowl a no-ball or a wide.
Deepak Hooda run out (Rashid Khan/†Saha) 2 (2b 0x4 0x6) SR: 100
What a defence it has been from GT. The last boundary came in the 13th over. Bishnoi to face.
19.6: Sharma to Ravi Bishnoi, no run
Mohit beats him with a slower ball. That is a seven-run win after LSG needed just 56 off the last 10
Mohit beats him with a slower ball. That is a seven-run win after LSG needed just 56 off the last 10
Wow. Conditions are king. It all looked sealed and done. When the last boundary was hit, LSG needed 39 off 45 with nine wickets in hand. GT even dropped two catches. Still the defensive bowling on a slow pitch was superb. KL Rahul kept putting off the risks until the 19th over when he got pace on the ball. Wickets fell on the other end because the strategy seemed to be for others to go after the bowling. In the end, Mohit Sharma and Mohammed Shami bowled superbly in the last three. Forty-five balls without a boundary. Heartbreak, desperate heartbreak for KL Rahul. Ecstasy for GT.