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Following the win over Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), Delhi Capitals (DC) pacer Mitchell Starc hailed skipper Axar Patel for his calmness and transformation into a "dominant all-rounder" in international cricket.
The newest chapter of Axar's career as DC captain got off to a memorable start as his team braved a poor start during a 210-run chase, with Ashutosh Sharma and Vipraj Nigam pulling off knocks that they all would remember for a long time, guiding the team to a one-wicket win over LSG. Speaking about the game after the match on 'Match Center Live' at JioHotstar, Starc said about Axar, "He has been pretty calm. This is the first time I've shared a dressing room with him. Having seen him from the other side of the field, it is impressive how he has developed into such a dominant all-rounder in international cricket today. Even the intent he showed with the bat tonight played a crucial role in getting us on our way. He has been fantastic." Starc also pointed out that the team faces no shortage of leadership options and a "wealth of knowledge", with senior stars like Faf Du Plessis, Tristan Stubbs, etc. "Of course, we also have Faf Du Plessis, who has captained extensively in both international and franchise cricket. I think we have a great mix of senior players--experienced leaders like Faf and Tristan Stubbs, who has been with this team for a while. There is a wealth of knowledge within the group. And with Axar, his cool, calm, and collected approach to the game is evident. Hopefully, that rubs off on the rest of the team. Chases like tonight--where we dig deep and get over the line--will only strengthen us moving forward," he added. Coming to the match, DC won the toss and opted to bowl first. While DC got Aiden Markram for cheap (15 in 13 balls), Mitchell Marsh and Nicholas Pooran made sure DC regretted their decision to put LSG to bat, bullying their bowlers with towering sixes and elegant boundaries. Both had an 87-run stand for the second wicket, with Marsh gone for 72 in 36 balls, with six fours and six sixes. Pooran stuck around for a bit, before he was undone by Mitchell Starc (3/42). By that time, he had done enough damage by scoring 75 in just 30 balls, with six fours and seven sixes. DC bowlers made a comeback in the back-end of the innings, reducing LSG to 209/8 in their 20 overs, getting skipper Rishabh Pant (0), Pooran, Ayush Badoni (4) and Shardul Thakur (0) quickly. Miller was left unbeaten at 27* in 19 balls, with a four and two sixes. Kuldeep Yadav (2/20) also got crucial wickets for DC, while Vipraj and Mukesh Kumar got one each. During the run-chase, DC lost half their side for 65, despite Faf (29 in 18 balls, with three fours and two sixes) and skipper Axar Patel (22 in 11 balls, with three fours and a six) attempting a rebuild after DC was reduced to 7/3. Ashutosh then had a 48-run stand with Tristan Stubbs (34 in 22 balls, with a four and three sixes) and Vipraj (39 in 15 balls, with five fours and two sixes). After that, the batter pulled off the chase almost single-handedly with a wicket and three balls left. Shardul, Manimaran Siddharth, Digvesh Rathi and Ravi Bishnoi got two wickets each. Ashutosh was given the 'Player of the Match' award. (ANI)
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