IPL 2020 | Anrich Nortje's over to Buttler is the best cricket I have seen this entire IPL, reckons Joy Bhattacharjya

It was a duel that took the breath away as Anrich Nortje, slowly building his reputation as one of the finest T20 bowlers around, bowled an over of absolute audacity with a kind of pace that was not a norm in the past. Four balls went above 150kph-mark which Buttler responded duly but the last one, a 155 kph stunner, took his stumps for a walk. Veteran cricket analyst Joy Bhattacharjya was absolutely blown away by the pace and stated that it was the best cricket he has seen in his career.

“148, 152, 152, 146 and Buttler flicked that twice over fine leg for four. And then Nortje comes back with that 155 ball and cleans out his stumps. That over from Nortje is the best cricket I have seen this entire IPL. This was breath-taking cricket,” Bhattacharjya said on Cricbuzz Live.

“It was exactly like Jungle. You go there to see tigers. You don’t go to Delhi Zoo to watch tigers. You go to Kanha or you go to Corbett, you see them and you know what it is all about. I am so delighted that total pace and control had such a role to play. It was superb cricket to watch. It was amazing.”

Harsha Bhogle was on the same page in the analysis and adding to Bhattacharjya’s idea, the commentator said the quality of bowling on display makes the Indian Premier league the best competition in the entire world.

“You must be scared against fast bowling. You must be a good batsman to score against. We saw that today. This is international class. That’s why this is the best tournament in world cricket. If you are an Uthappa, your best years are behind you but your muscle memory is trying to find a way through. But you are up against the best bowlers in the world. Ashwin, Rabada, Nortje, you are up against them and that’s what makes this tournament best in the entire world. The game had small moments that made this one a terrific match.”