“Change in the team combination costed them,” – Brad Hogg on the DC
Former Australian player Brad Hogg came out in the open talking about how DC panicked at the last stage that costed them hugely. He strongly believed that reason for the loss was the change of the combination. The change in the combination at the last stage was prompted by the panic that was brewing in DC due to the pressure of the qualifier.
In the match against the RCB, DC had a huge target of 165 runs to defend. Delhi capitals however failed to defend the target against in the last over the fiasco. This failure was probably the reason that prompted the DC to make much-needed changes in the combination, thereby including an extra bowler at the cost of the batter.
After the changes in the combination, Delhi capitals included the six bowlers as well as five batters in the line-up. Adding insult to the injury, they promoted Axar Patel to the 4th position with an aim to allow the batters to play longer. However, their decision backfired and CSK easily got past DC bowlers.
Hogg stated on Twitter that it was a big decision on DC’s part to make changes in the line-up.
“Delhi Capitals going in with 6 front line bowlers rather than the extra specialist batter was a big change-up for the finals. Signs of panic,” Hogg wrote on Twitter
Brad Hogg also went on to say that the real mini-battle between Shreyas Iyer and Josh hazzlewood took place was the decisive point of the whole match. Since Delhi capital had a quite a good beginning with the first wicket coming after the score of the 32 runs in the first three over. Then came Iyer replacing the Shikhar Dhawan who was sent back by the Hazlewood in the fourth over.
Hazlewood tightened its grip on the Shreyas Iyer not allowing him to score at a good pace. Iyer only could not manage to score a single run on the six delivers by the Hazelwood. It was only on the seventh delivery that he ended up hitting towards the cover-point for a single run.
On top of it, it was powerplay where teams are supposed to be aggressive, however owing to the great bowling by the Hazlewood, he kept them under control, bowling dot after dot and it became a turning point of the game which decided the fate of the game.
He stated that had Shreyas managed well, things might have been otherwise.
“Iyer v Hazlewood was the turning point in the match. & balls no run in a PP is crucial in the UAE,” Hogg tweeted.
However, all is not lost for Delhi, they still have a chance to get the much-coveted title of the season if they manage to edge past a winner of the elementor in the qualifier and perform to their best in the final. However, they can not afford to commit the same mistake they did in the qualifier-2.
