Pravin Amre lauds Jake Fraser-McGurk's instant impact

Jake Fraser-McGurk (55 off 35) was handed his Indian Premier League (IPL) debut on Friday (April 12), and he did not disappoint as Delhi Capitals (DC) chased down 168 agianst Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) with utmost ease. He put on a match-winning 77-run stand with Rishabh Pant (41 off 24), eventually seeing DC motor to a comfortable victory in Lucknow.

DC assistant coach Pravin Amre praised Fraser-McGurk for his knock and the instant impact he had on his debut.

"It was a tremendous innings from Jake," said Amre at the post-match press conference. 

"He was batting very well in the nets and we could see that he had the x-factor, he had that ability to strike the sixes. If you see his innings, he got five sixes and his first two scoring shots were sixes. That's what we want in this format. We were doing well in the last two games but were not crossing the line. That's why we wanted someone to have an impact on the game and I think he delivered."

Amre was also delighted that the 22-year-old grabbed his opportunity with both hands. "Jake is a top-order batter. We have Warner there, and Shai Hope batted well for us in the first match but became injured after that," Amre said. 

"We knew he would get an opportunity, and he got that today and grabbed it with both hands. For any good talent, it is important to show that in the middle and, there is a lot of difference between doing well in the nets and performing in the match. And I'm very happy that the kind of batting that is required for this format, he showed just that."

Amre was also impressed with the way Kuldeep Yadav (3/20) bowled, especially after LSG had gotten off to a flying start in the powerplay. He highlighted Kuldeep's dismissal of Nicholas Pooran as the turning point in the game.

"The way Kuldeep bowled today and delivered a dream ball to Nicholas Pooran...he is a match-winning batter, and getting him out was crucial to restrict them to 160 [167]," Amre said.

"Yes, [Ayush] Badoni scored a 31-ball fifty, but that impact from 160 to 190, that margin was reduced, and we controlled the game. I also think Axar [Patel's] role was important, and we were able to have a good period in the middle overs. They had a good powerplay, and after that, we controlled the game. Credit goes to our spin department."

With this six-wicket victory, DC now have four points from six games in the season. They will hope to add a third victory when they take on Gujarat Titans (GT) on April 17 (Wednesday) at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad.