On This Day in 2022: Daniel Sams Holds His Nerve to Defend 9 Runs Against Tewatia and Miller

However, on 6 May 2022, in a match between Mumbai Indians and Gujarat Titans, the outcome was different as Gujarat had two strong finishers, David Miller and Rahul Tewatia, at the crease and needed only 9 runs to win. Still, Daniel Sams bowled a brilliant final over, held his nerve, and helped Mumbai pull off a thrilling win.

MI vs GT: 6th May 2022

The game between the Mumbai Indians and the Gujarat Titans was always going to be a blockbuster match, and the 51st match of the IPL 2022, held at the Brabourne Stadium on May 6, did not disappoint as it turned into a nail-biting thriller with Mumbai Indians (MI) emerging victorious by just 5 runs in a high-stakes encounter against a strong Gujarat Titans (GT) side.

Opting to bat first after Gujarat won the toss and chose to field, Mumbai Indians got off to a brisk start, thanks to the aggressive opening pair of Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan. The duo took full advantage of the powerplay, bringing up 63 runs in the first six overs without losing a wicket. Rohit looked in fine touch, racing to 42 off 30 balls by the end of the powerplay, while Kishan supported steadily.

The partnership yielded 74 runs in 7.3 overs before Rohit Sharma was trapped lbw by Rashid Khan for a fluent 43 off 28 balls, studded with 5 fours and 2 sixes at a strike rate of 153.57. The next few overs saw a slight slowdown. Suryakumar Yadav was dismissed for 13 off 11 balls, caught by Rashid off Pradeep Sangwan, and Ishan Kishan followed soon after for 45 off 29 balls (5 fours, 1 six) caught by Rashid again off Alzarri Joseph. MI’s middle-order stumbled slightly after a great platform, and by the 12th over, they had lost three key wickets.

Tilak Varma played a brief cameo of 21 off 16 before being run out by Hardik Pandya, while Kieron Pollard struggled to find timing, scoring only 4 runs off 14 balls before being bowled by Rashid Khan. Mumbai were 119/4 at the end of the 14th over and needed a finisher to step up and Tim David delivered just that. Coming in under pressure, David turned the innings around with a blistering unbeaten 44 off just 21 balls, hitting 2 fours and 4 sixes at a jaw-dropping strike rate of 209.52.

His knock propelled MI to a respectable total, especially when the team was tottering at 119/4. David found some support from the tail but essentially carried the death overs on his shoulders, guiding Mumbai to 177/6 by the end of 20 overs. Gujarat’s bowlers were decent but lacked the killer blow during the death. Rashid Khan was the standout, picking 2 wickets for 24 runs in his 4 overs. Sangwan and Ferguson also chipped in with a wicket each, but Shami and Joseph were expensive, conceding 42 and 41 respectively without much control.

Chasing a target of 178, Gujarat Titans got off to a flying start, with Wriddhiman Saha and Shubman Gill crafting an excellent opening stand. The pair played aggressive cricket, especially against Jasprit Bumrah and Riley Meredith, and added 106 runs for the first wicket in just 12.1 overs. Gill was the first to fall, scoring a well-paced 52 off 36 balls (6 fours, 2 sixes) before being dismissed by Murugan Ashwin. His departure came just after the 100-run mark, and Saha followed shortly thereafter, falling for 55 off 40 balls (6 fours, 2 sixes), also to Ashwin, with the scoreboard reading 111/2. Both openers set a strong foundation, but the rest of the batting lineup failed to capitalize on it.

Captain Hardik Pandya kept the momentum going with a brisk 24 off 14 balls, before being run out in a critical moment by a sharp throw from Ishan Kishan. From 138/3 in the 16th over, Gujarat began to stumble. Youngster Sai Sudharsan, after looking promising, got out in an unusual manner as hit wicket off Pollard for 14 off 11 balls. The match reached a tense climax when Gujarat needed 20 runs off the last two overs with established finisher David Miller at the crease.

What Happened in the Last Two Overs?

For the Mumbai Indians, the situation looked a bit tough as they were defending just 20 runs in the final two overs, with Gujarat Titans having two powerful finishers, David Miller and Rahul Tewatia, at the crease. Jasprit Bumrah bowled the penultimate over, and it began with Gujarat needing 20 off 12 balls. Miller flicked a low full toss for two on the first ball and followed that with a dot after missing a clever off-cutter.

A couple of singles came from the next two deliveries. Then, Miller seemingly shifted momentum by smashing a slower length ball 93 meters over deep midwicket for six, reducing the equation to 9 off 7. Bumrah ended the over with a single, keeping Miller on strike for the final six balls. The over yielded 11 runs, setting up a tense finish with Gujarat needing 9 runs from the final over.

Daniel Sams was trusted with the last over, and what followed was high-pressure cricket at its best. He began with a slower ball that Miller could only cut for a single. Tewatia then missed a wide full delivery which was a key dot ball. The next ball brought drama: Tewatia pulled to deep midwicket and attempted a risky second run, but a sharp throw from Tilak Varma to Ishan Kishan found him short of the crease, ending his stay. With 7 needed off 3, Rashid Khan managed a streaky single off a top edge. Now, 6 were needed off 2 balls.

Sams held his nerve brilliantly, delivering two well-disguised slower wide deliveries that Miller missed both times.

David Miller finished unbeaten on 19 off 14 balls, while Rahul Tewatia’s brief 3 off 4 and Rashid Khan’s 1 not out couldn’t tip the scales. GT ended at 172/5, 5 runs short of the target. Ashwin was the pick of the MI bowlers with 2/29 in 4 overs, while Pollard and Sams chipped in with one wicket each. Although Bumrah was expensive (0/48), MI’s bowlers held their nerve when it mattered most.

The thrilling clash saw MI snatch a victory that seemed unlikely when GT were cruising at 106/0. The standout performances came from Tim David, whose explosive innings earned him Player of the Match, and Murugan Ashwin’s timely breakthroughs. The win gave Mumbai some consolation in a tough season, while Gujarat, despite the loss, remained at the top of the table with 10 wins from 14 matches.