Hardik Pandya did well to bring on the best bowlers at the right time: Graeme Smith

Gujarat Titans (GT)  have made it two wins in two in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022, the recent victory coming against Delhi Capitals (DC), who they beat by 14 runs on Saturday (April 2) in Pune. It was Shubman Gill who started off well with the bat, smashing 84 off just 46 and with the ball, Lockie Ferguson finished with 4 for 28.

Former South Africa captain Graeme Smith reckons Hardik Pandya's captaincy in the game was spot on as he brought on the right bowlers at the right time.

"When you're defending a total, you're going to be judged slightly more. What Hardik did well tonight is he got his best bowlers into the game at the right moment," Smith said on Cricket.com.

"[Rahul] Tewatia bowling the last over was valuable as he had closed out the game down. He used himself, Ferguson, [Mohammed] Shami and Rashid Khan at the key moments and the game was done by then. He read the situation, used the key guys at the right time and he was smart. He was ahead of the game and that's what he needed to do."

Speaking of Gill, Smith reckons that the youngster has an all-round game but needs to be consistent. 

"When you look at Shubman Gill, you see an all-round game. He's a young man, he has got to come together He has got to figure out how to become more and more consistent over time," Smith, the most successful captain in Test history, reckons.

"He has all the strokes, he's in control of his game and is beautiful to watch. Tonight he stepped up and he did justice to the hype around Shubman Gill. When you look at his skill, look at his style, it looks like he has got more options than Prithvi Shaw and tonight he showed that."

While Smith does not see any problems with Hardik batting at four, he is however concerned about who will rescue GT, if they were to lose 2-3 quick wickets upfront.

"Hardik is looking fit, he's looking healthy and he has had a number of injuries lately. He bowled well tonight. Leading his team he is taking it head-on," Smith said.

"He is a quality player, especially in T20s, he has a lot to offer. The fact that he wants to bat at four is not a big thing. The challenge with GT is that if they lose three wickets in the first 7-8 overs, who can recover the game for them? 

"If they get off to a good start with Gill, Wade and Shankar then there are power-hitters to come, they can just take it on. If they lose some early wickets, that's going to be a challenge: who can hold the innings, who can get them to a total."

Lockie Ferguson has been in and out of the side, not just in franchise cricket but also with New Zealand due to injuries. He proved his worth with a four-wicket haul in Pune but Smith rckons if he does manage to stay fit throughout the tournament, GT could be dangerous.

"He spent a lot of time on the sidelines. Whenever he is playing, he makes a decent impact for franchise and for New Zealand. He's got pace, he gives it a 100%," Smith opined.

"His biggest job and challenge is to stay fit. So, if he can stay for the full IPL and not pick up any niggles, this bowling attack, they showed it tonight. 170-odd, it's going to be tight, but they stepped up because the key bowlers performed well. Rashid Khan, Lockie Ferguson, Shami and the likes did well and closed the game."

Smith feels DC's season will depend on how their returning international players like Anrich Nortje, David Warner and Mitchell Marsh do.

"A lot of question marks. The bonus for them is that Rishabh Pant got a decent 40-odd, the Fizz [Mustafizur Rahman] bowled okay. I like what I see from the West Indian (Rovman Powell). He has got a lot of ability and power in the middle-order," Smith said,

"What they want is getting some of their internationals like Mitchell Marsh, Anrich Nortje - they need some firepower from their internationals. That's going to be the challenge going forward."

GT will look to make it three in three when they take on Punjab at the Brabourne Stadium on Friday (April 8), while DC will come up against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at the DY Patil Staium on Thursday (April 7).