IPL 2019 | Did not finish well with the bat, says Steve Smith

After being put to bat by Delhi Capitals, Rajasthan Royals had lost Sanju Samson for a run-out, without the young lad playing a single ball. But that did not stop them from getting a fine start as Ajinkya Rahane took the bowlers to the cleaners on a flat surface. Post a 130-run partnership between centurion Rahane and Steve Smith, who also scored a fifty, the Royals were staring at a total in excess of 200 as they had eight wickets and seven overs in hand. 

The wicket at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium seemed to be a paradise for batsmen on the eve of the match and it lived up to the expectations as it turned out to be a high scoring affair with little assistance for bowlers. To make things worse for the Paddy Upton-coached side, the dew had set in the second half. Referring to the same, Smith justified his decision of handing over the ball to leg-spinner Shreyas Gopal in the fourth over itself.

“The wicket played well throughout, one of the best in the tournament. The wicket stayed the same throughout the 40 overs. You can try and get wickets with your best bowlers or keep them for the death overs. Delhi did that well with Rabada but for us Archer has bowled well for us throughout the tournament,” he added.

The Shreyas Iyer-led side were off to a fine start with 67 runs in the first seven overs itself. Shikhar Dhawan had blasted 54 off 27 balls, thus providing a perfect platform for Rishabh Pant to finish off things. The 21-year-old blasted six boundaries and four maximums on his way to an unbeaten 78 off 36 balls and was awarded the Man of the Match. The skipper did not fail to credit the duo for their fiery knocks.