Needing 19 runs in the last over for a win is a mammoth task — even in the Indian Premier league (IPl). And Delhi Daredevils got ever so close to achieving that courtesy Albie Morkel's 73-run knock against Chennai Super Kings in their IPl-8 opener on Thursday. However despite Morkel's heroics and valiant effort, Delhi fell just one run short.
Asked to relive the thought process before and during the final over, Morkel reflected that it was a touch and go moment. "When you need 19 runs off the last over, you know you need to hit three sixes. We started well with a four off the first ball and had a two and a six. But it wasn't to be. The last ball, I knew I hit it well but it was a bit flat. From the get go, I knew it would need a metre or so. It was disappointing but I felt we were in command of the game," he said.
He gave CSK the credit for their fielding and restricting them further. However he rued the lack of big partnerships for DD that took the game away from them. "lots of positives to take but yeah the biggest negative would be there were no big partnerships. We discussed how in each inning we need at least one big partnership and a few decent ones but we never got that going. So that's the only negative we can take," said the South African all-rounder who became the most capped T20 player during the game with 268 matches getting past Kieron Pollard.