IPL: Spinner Noor Ahmad takes 3/37 to help GT beat MI by 55 runs

AHMEDABAD: Riding on a brilliant show from Afghanistan spinners Rashid Khan (2/27) and Noor Ahmad (3/37) paved the way for a 55-run win for defending champion Gujarat Titans over Mumbai Indians in the IPL here on Tuesday. The win helped Gujarat move up to second in the table with 10 points from seven games, while Mumbai remains at seventh with six points from seven games.

Set to chase a huge 208, Mumbai was tottering at 59 for five in the 11th over with both Rashid and his compatriot Noor picking up crucial wickets in Mumbai’s top-order. Mumbai couldn’t recover from those early setbacks and was restricted to 152 for nine.

Earlier, Gujarat’s lower middle-order used the long handle to good effect and powered their team to a formidable 207 for six. David Miller blazed away to a 22-ball 46, Rahul Tewatia smashed an unbeaten 20 in just five balls, while Abhinav Manohar needed only 21 deliveries to make 42 during a vital partnership of 71 runs for the fifth wicket with the South African. This was after Shubman Gill made a neat 34-ball 56.

Arjun Tendulkar began on a promising note and conceded four runs in the opening over after his skipper Rohit Sharma opted to bowl first on winning the toss.

Gill got the first boundary of the match as the opener played one behind square off a Jason Behrendorff delivery that was slightly short.

MI didn’t have to wait long for its first breakthrough as Wriddhiman Saha missed an attempted pull shot to edge one to the keeper off Tendulkar in the first ball of the third over.

Having taken his partner Gill’s advice, Saha reviewed, but the on-field umpire’s decision was retained by UltraEdge.

It was a nice comeback by Tendulkar junior, four days after being smacked for 48 runs in three overs by Punjab Kings. Growing in confidence, the 23-year-old left-arm seamer gave away just five runs.

With the help of a few fours and a six, Gill gave the GT innings the momentum it needed after a quiet first five overs.

Gill collected 17 runs off Cameron Green’s first as GT reached 50 for one at the end of the six powerplay overs.

However, defending champion GT suffered a major blow when Piyush Chawla (2/34) snared skipper Hardik Pandya caught in the deep by Suryakumar Yadav after the batter had made 13 off 14 balls.

GT was in for another shock as Gill, having played some fine shots on way to his brisk half-century, was sent back by Kumar Kartikeya to leave the team 91 for three at the start of the 12th over. Gill hit seven fours and a six.

Vijay Shankar was dismissed for 16-ball 19 before Manohar and Miller accelerated with their big hitting.

Brief scores: Gujarat Titans 207/6 in 20 overs (S Gill 56, D Miller 46, A Manohar 42) bt Mumbai Indians 152/9 in 20 overs (N Wadhera 40, N Ahmad 3/37)