The Delhi Capitals (DC) achieved their second victory of the season by defeating the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on April 12 in Lucknow. DC successfully chased a target of 168, reaching it in just 18.1 overs and winning the match by six wickets. During this match, Australian youngster Jake Fraser-McGurk made his debut in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and played a pivotal role in the victory with a match-winning knock.
Following the match, former Australian cricketer Tom Moody praised the young batter's performance and suggested that the DC management should consider positioning him as an opener.
Jake Fraser-McGurk shines on debut
In the first innings, DC's bowlers managed to contain LSG to 167, setting the stage for a hopeful chase in their bid for a second win of the season. However, David Warner was dismissed early, at just 3.3 overs. Then, debutant Jake Fraser-McGurk took the crease and impressively scored 55 runs off just 35 balls, including five sixes and two fours. Captain Rishabh Pant also contributed significantly with 41 runs from 24 balls.
Speaking on Star Sports, Moody recommended that DC should promote Jake Fraser-McGurk to the opening position, impressed by his robust shot-making. He also mentioned that this strategic adjustment could potentially help the team qualify for the finals. Currently, Prithvi Shaw and David Warner form the franchise's opening pair, which has been successful.
"What we saw from Fraser-McGurk tonight. You want him to face every single ball in the power play because he's got no off button and he'll go and go hard. Uh, there's yes, there's a lot of experience there, but there's a huge amount of upside to what he can offer and Delhi is in a position where they need to just win games of cricket, so they need to risk their game to accumulate wins," Moody said on Star Sports.
Moody further emphasised that DC needs to adopt an aggressive approach to their gameplay if they aim to qualify for the playoffs from their current position. As of now, DC has played six matches, winning only two.
"They can't play conservatively and expect to play finals from where there are, you know, played six games, only won two. So they need to play a really aggressive brand of cricket, and their mindset needs to be aggressive. Therefore, their selection and the way they structure their side needs to also back that philosophy. So, for me, Fraser McGurk needs to be batting at the top of the order," the former Aussie cricketer added.
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