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Tom Moody, a former Australian cricketer and renowned coach, raised eyebrows after the Rajasthan Royals‘ (RR) narrow three-wicket defeat to the Gujarat Titans (GT) in the ongoing IPL 2024. Moody, known for his sharp cricketing mind, questioned the team’s bowling strategy, particularly their underutilization of pace spearhead Trent Boult.
Boult’s Efficiency Goes Unused
The experienced Boult started the match on a promising note, bowling a tight spell that conceded only eight runs in his two overs. However, to Moody’s surprise, Boult wasn’t brought back into the attack during the crucial death overs.
“With Boult there, he bowled two overs for six or eight runs up front, which he tends to be very good with the new ball,” Moody pointed out on the ESPNcricinfo Time Out show. “He has certainly been used at death for plenty of times before… He is used to absorbing that pressure and taking on the challenges.”
Spin Gamble Backfires
Instead of Boult’s experience in high-pressure situations, RR opted to rely on their spin duo of Yuzvendra Chahal and Ravichandran Ashwin during the death overs. This decision proved costly as both spinners struggled to contain the GT batsmen. Ashwin, known for his variations, conceded a staggering 40 runs in his four overs, with an economy rate of 10.00.Â
The final two overs of his spell were particularly damaging, leaking 30 runs and allowing GT to regain control of the chase. Chahal, while managing to pick up two wickets, also conceded 43 runs in his four overs.
“He [Boult] has walked off the park with two overs left, which does not make sense whatsoever,” Moody stated, emphasizing the missed opportunity. “It is nothing against Ashwin; he is a very fine bowler. But both Ashwin and Chahal went for 83 runs in 8 overs combined.”
A Costly Gamble
Moody’s criticism highlights the importance of using bowlers according to their strengths. While both Ashwin and Chahal are world-class spinners, their skill sets might not have been the best fit for the high-pressure death overs in this particular match. Boult’s experience and ability to handle pressure could have potentially yielded better results for RR.
The close defeat leaves RR with questions to answer regarding their bowling strategy. Tom Moody’s comments have sparked discussions among fans and analysts alike, raising the question of whether Rajasthan Royals made the right call by leaving their most potent death-over bowling option underutilized.
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