EXCLUSIVE
Follow UsFormer Australian pacer Dirk Nannes felt that Rajasthan Royals had dearly missed the services of Trent Boult as they were unable to challenge Gujarat Titans' top-order in Thursday's defeat at the DY Patil Stadium.
Despite sending back GT's openers Shubman Gill and Matthew Wade, RR bowlers had no answers to Hardik, Abhinav Manohar (43 off 28 balls) and David Miller (31 not out off 14 balls) who put up a total of 192/4 in 20 overs.
"Massively (missed Boult). They missed someone who is able to bowl seam up. If you look at someone like Kuldeep Sen, he bowls with an angled seam. There was no one who could genuinely bowl seam up. That's what Trent Boult brings to the team," Nannes said in Cricket.com's review of the match.
"Without someone who could swing the ball, what are you gonna do to challenge the top-order?"
RR brought in James Neesham for the match, who also shouldered the new-ball responsibility in the absence of Boult, which Nannes thought was not a smart move.
"I think they brought him in not necessarily to lengthen their batting, it could be just to hold an end. I don't think he is necessarily a bowler to give first over to. There was no one who could bowl the scrambled seam and he didn't do that."
Nannes felt RR don't need to make wholesome changes after suffering their second loss of the season.
"I don't think it's time to make a change. Today it was an injury that forced a change. They haven't done too much wrong. They were just at the wrong end of the result," he said.
Nannes was all praise for Hardik Pandya who led Gujarat from the front with a brillaint 87 not out and claimed 1-18 and ran out Sanju Samson to bag Player of the Match award.
"Came in with his side weren't looking fantastic at the top. He was outstanding right from the start. He anchored the innings and also exploded. More than anything, his strike rate of 167 is something we've all been calling for him....to return to that belligerent batting," Nannes said.
"Sometimes, captaincy affects a player. But today, it wasn't affecting or hindering him at all. He was exceptional across all three facets of the game."
Chasing 193, RR were off to a flier with Jos Buttler going ballistic with his 24-ball 54. But Lockie Ferguson's dismissal of the England opener triggered a collapse for RR, who never recovered from there onwards. Nannes praised Ferguson's bold decision to go for a low full-toss to catch Buttler off-guard.
"You can't go past the yorker from Lockie Ferguson (for the game's turning point). When the score was 54, Buttler was on 48. That's just incredible batting. That's Jos Buttler at his finest when he can bat like that. Mohammad Shami is a good bowler, but Buttler's subtle crease movement created big problems," he said.
"That ball (from Ferguson) was a low full-toss and you have to be very brave to bowl that. It's something Buttler wasn't expecting," Nannes explained.
The former Netherlands pacer felt they couldn't have recovered once captain Samson was dimissed.
"Samson's wicket started the demise. When you lose of wickets at the start, it's alright. But when you lose Samson, there's trouble brewing," Nannes said.
RR also made a strange choice of sending in Ravichandran Ashwin at No.3, which didn't succeed as he was dismissed for a run-a-ball eight.
"I can't work it up. If you want to attack, you have other options to send up the order. There is Hetmyer, who is absolutely destroying attacks at the moment and there are other batsmen to shuffle around," Nannes said.
Nannes felt that Gujarat Titans have a good bowling line-up which makes them a formidable unit besides an almost good batting line-up.
"Their bowling line-up is fantastic. There is so much of variety. Shami's swinging the ball, Lockie Ferguson's got the pace, Rashid Khan and Pandya as well. They always have someone to give the ball to. At the top of their order, Matthew Wade hasn't been shining and today he unfortunately got run-out. Perhaps, that's one question mark, but they are a great unit," he said.
