Jake Fraser-McGurk's smashing fifty upfront and Tristan Stubbs' late onslaught helped Delhi Capitals beat Mumbai Indians by ten runs on Sunday. With the win, Capitals moved to fifth place in the points table.
Chasing 258, Mumbai did not have the easiest of starts. Though Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan picked up some early boundaries, the counterattack did not last long. First, Rohit fell trying to take on Khaleel Ahmed. Ishan fell shortly after to Mukesh for a 14-ball 20. Meanwhile, Suryakumar Yadav kept the chase going with consecutive boundaries off Mukesh. He also hit six and a four off Khaleel, but got out in the same over as MI finished the powerplay with 65/3.
Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel kept it tight for a couple of overs, but in the former's second, Hardik Pandya went berserk. He smashed the wrist spinner for three four and a six while Tilak Varma took on Axar with consecutive boundaries.
Coming in as an impact sub, Rasikh Salam delivered a boundary-less over, but that did not help much as Hardik smashed Mukesh over deep midwicket. Salam dismissed Hardik, but Tilak and Tim David kept the chase going.
Varma hit two fours and as many sixes off Kuldeep, racing to a 25-ball fifty. David, meanwhile, went after Mukesh who gave away 23 runs in the 18th over. Despite the two sixes in the 19th over, Salam kept his nerves and delivered a ten-run victory. He finished with 3/34 in his four overs.
Earlier, opting to bowl first, Mumbai were in for a ride, courtesy Fraser-McGurk. The 22-year-old started hitting from the word go and he did not spare anyone. Not even Jasprit Bumrah. First over from Like Wood began with two boundaries and a six and then he hit one more in the same over as the pacer went for 19 runs.
Jake, however, was just getting started. He welcomed Bumrah with a six down the ground. The pacer missed the Yorker by a small margin and he was drilled for another four. Wood, Bumrah, Nuwan Thushara, Piyush Chawla it doesn't matter who the bowler was. If it was in his arc, Jake sent them packing. Thushara was creamed through covers, short fine and down the ground all in the same over.
When Hardik Pandya brought himself on, he too was at the receiving end of the onslaught. Jake slapped him over covers before launching him downtown. He finished the over with another four and six taking DC to 89/0. Jake himself was batting on 78 from just 24 balls. It seemed like one of those days where he could do no wrong whatsoever. Despite Bumrah's quiet sixth over, there was no respite for the bowlers as Jake looked set for a big hundred while breaking records along the way. However, he didn't time the pull against Chawla and fell for 84 from 27 balls. Mohammad Nabi sent back Abhishek Porel, but Shai Hope kept the momentum going. The West Indian smashed 41 off just 17 balls for his part before getting out, leaving the finishing job to Rishabh Pant and Tristan Stubbs.
The South African duly did the job, scooping Wood for three fours and six before pulling for two more. 26 runs came off the 18th over, keeping DC on course to cross the 250-run mark. Bumrah removed Pant, who had hit 29 off 18 balls, but Stubbs' unbeaten 25-ball 48 took Capitals to 257/4 in 20 overs.