Cricket During the 18th over, Delhi Capitals’ captain Axar Patel decided that Mitchell Starc would bowl the final over, no matter how many runs were left to defend.
Starc began his over with a slower ball and a short ball. Then, he switched sides and bowled his famous inswinging yorker. Cricket ball hit Nitish Rana’s foot and got him out LBW on the very first ball. Thanks to the saliva on the ball, it reversed back into the batter and trapped him right in front, even though he tried to move across. RR still needed only 28 runs from 14 balls, so it looked like they were in a strong position. But Axar told Starc, “Let’s keep it simple.”
DC had just given away too many runs in the previous two overs, but Starc’s yorker gave them hope again. Axar trusted him to finish the job.
“At that moment, I could only think of Starc,” Axar said after the match. “He bowled 12 yorkers and maybe missed just one. That’s why he’s a legend. He stayed calm and focused under pressure, even when we kept changing field positions.”
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Cricketer Mitchell Starc Puts On A Death Bowling Show
Cricketer Starc delivered a masterclass in death bowling. His yorkers were so precise that even the opposition, experts, and teammates couldn’t help but applaud. Everyone on the Rajasthan Royals bench knew what was coming – even Shimron Hetmyer. Yet, Cricketer Starc still managed to trouble them. One of his yorkers nearly bowled Hetmyer, but an inside edge luckily went for four.
Before Cricketer Starc’s over, Mohit Sharma had conceded 14 runs in the 19th over. That left just 8 runs for RR to win from the last over – an easy target, especially with a wet ball and dew. But Starc’s brilliant yorkers took the game to a Super Over.
RR’s batters could only get singles and twos off Starc’s first few balls. Hetmyer tried to hit one for a boundary but only managed two runs. Then Axar and Starc had a quick chat and changed the field again. Starc bowled another great yorker, and Stubbs in the deep stopped it for a single. RR needed 3 runs from the last 2 balls.
Fielding Tactics Pay Off as Match Goes to Super Over
They changed the field again, bringing more fielders to the off side and placing three on the leg side. Starc bowled another yorker to Jurel, who could only score one and was run out trying to take a second. The scores were tied, and the game went to a Super Over.
Cricketer Axar praised Starc, saying, “Getting reverse swing is one thing, but using it under pressure is another. I just reminded him to stick to his plan and trust himself. And he always said, ‘Don’t worry, skip, I’ll do it.’”
Starc didn’t start well in the match. Cricketer Yashasvi Jaiswal hit him hard in the PowerPlay – something that’s been happening a lot for DC this season. But Starc is still their most reliable bowler in the death overs. Half of his 10 wickets this season came in the final overs, even with an old ball.
Here’s how Starc has performed in different parts of the game this IPL:
| Phase | Matches | Innings | Balls | Economy | Wickets | Average | Strike-rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overs 1-6 | 6 | 6 | 78 | 11.84 | 4 | 38.5 | 19.5 |
| Overs 7-15 | 3 | 3 | 18 | 4.66 | 1 | 14 | 18 |
| Overs 16-20 | 5 | 5 | 34 | 8.82 | 5 | 10 | 6.8 |
After the match, Starc said, “It’s all about trusting your execution. If it works, great. If not, at least you tried your plan. Sometimes you just need a bit of luck.”
Even though Starc has bowled better final overs before, this one could be remembered as the turning point of DC’s season. His execution of five near-perfect yorkers will be talked about for a long time. The 18th over, where he got Rana out, was just as important.
Even Nitish Rana admitted, “The pitch was difficult for new batters, the ball was turning and stopping. Starc’s reverse swing, helped by saliva on the ball, made a huge difference. We haven’t used saliva in years, so we never practiced for it. But Starc managed to bowl 11 yorkers out of 12 at 145 kmph with reverse swing – all credit goes to him.”