While much of the cricket fraternity expressed sympathy for David Miller after Delhi Capitals’ heartbreaking one-run defeat, former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin stands baffled and stunned by the decision of the South African batter in the final moments of the chase.
Delhi appeared to be in control towards the end, with Miller striking crucial boundaries and bringing the equation down rapidly. However, the match turned in the final over bowled by Prasidh Krishna. On the second-last ball, Miller chose not to take a single, opting to retain the strike,a decision that ultimately increased the pressure.
With two runs needed off the final delivery, Miller failed to connect with a slower ball and attempted a desperate run. Jos Buttler’s sharp work resulted in a run-out at the striker’s end, leaving Kuldeep Yadav short and sealing a dramatic one-run victory for Gujarat Titans.
Ravichandran Ashwin opened in a video of his Youtube channel, “I am thinking what could have happened to Kuldeep and David Miller. If I was Kuldeep, I would have pushed him to the other end. I can’t understand. I can’t fathom it. It is just beyond me. It is bonkers,” Ashwin said.
“Because if you want 4 runs or 6 runs, it was right. You need 2 runs. And what are the odds? You can take 1 run. Kuldeep will at least get into the bat. Or if he doesn’t, you can run away. Even if Kuldeep gets bowled, in a 210 game, if you reach the Super Over, you have done well. I am not able to wrap my head around it,” Ashwin further said.
While Ashwin admitted that anyone can make a mistake, he is unable to find logic in the idea behind Miller’s decision to turn down the opportunity of a score-levelling single.
“Mistakes can happen with anyone. Everybody can make a mistake. No doubt about it. I am sure David Miller is feeling absolutely gutted at this point of time. But I am not able to wrap my head around the thinking. What was the thinking? I don’t know, man. Delhi has such a strong team. We talked about it. But still, I told you that Delhi might find a way to kick themselves out of the tournament. If you lose like this, you are doing two things,” Ashwin said.
Former Delhi Capitals player Ashwin feels Miller’s call hurt his team’s confidence while giving Gujarat Titans a significant psychological edge moving forward.
“One, you have shaken the confidence of your team. And second, if a team like Gujarat Titans lost today, they will come back from the tournament thinking how they will reach from here. They will think. there will be a catch-22. But you let them come back from the tournament. But you gave them a lifeline while you’re still stuck at 4 points,” he concluded.
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