Indian Premier League: Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar backed David Miller’s decision to refuse a single in the dying moments of Delhi Capitals’ dramatic one-run defeat, stating that the South African’s confidence to finish the game himself could not be criticised.
The high-octane clash between DC and Gujarat Titans at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Wednesday went down to the final delivery, with Miller’s split-second call on the penultimate ball becoming the defining moment of the contest.
With two runs needed off the last two deliveries, Miller pushed the ball into the deep but opted against taking a single that would have handed a strike to Kuldeep Yadav. The choice ultimately proved decisive as the final ball resulted in a run-out, sealing a narrow win for Gujarat.
Gavaskar, reflecting on the moment, admitted that an alternative approach might have been wiser, though he emphasised the context of Miller’s form and intent.
“Yes, he was backing himself to hit the winning runs, but having seen the way Kuldeep Yadav nudged that ball for a single off the first ball, maybe he should have given Kuldeep the strike. He should have given the strike,” Gavaskar said on Star Sports after the match.
He, however, was quick to underline that hindsight makes such judgments easier. “This is all being wise after the event, but the fact remains that the way he had been hitting the previous over and that over as well, he believed that he could do it, simple as that. So you can't fault him for that. He had the confidence that he could do it, but it didn't come off because the ball that Prasid Krishna bowled was an absolutely superb delivery,” Gavaskar added.
Miller, who had returned to the middle after a brief injury scare, almost turned the game on its head with a blistering 41 off 20 balls. His late assault began after the dismissal of KL Rahul, when Delhi found themselves needing 45 runs from the final three overs.
He, however, was quick to underline that hindsight makes such judgments easier. “This is all being wise after the event, but the fact remains that the way he had been hitting the previous over and that over as well, he believed that he could do it, simple as that. So you can't fault him for that. He had the confidence that he could do it, but it didn't come off because the ball that Prasid Krishna bowled was an absolutely superb delivery,” Gavaskar added.
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However, the tense finish saw Prasidh deliver a well-disguised final ball that Miller failed to connect with, and Kuldeep was run out while attempting a desperate second run, bringing the thrilling encounter to a dramatic close.