NEW DELHI: Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar defended Delhi Capitals batter David Miller for his refusal to take a single in the IPL thriller against Gujarat Titans that cost his side the match, saying the South African's intent cannot be faulted.
Needing two off two to reach 211, Miller refused a single off Prasidh Krishna on the penultimate ball. He missed the final delivery but ran for a single. However, Kuldeep Yadav, from the other end, was unable to beat Jos Buttler's direct throw after the two batters had crossed over.
"David Miller was backing himself, he had been striking the ball well and believed he could finish it. You can't fault that intent. In the end, it also came down to execution, Prasidh Krishna bowled a superb slower bouncer at the right height, which made it difficult. These are very fine margins in pressure situations," Gavaskar told 'JioHotstar'.
The cricketer-turned-commentator added that game awareness is crucial in high-pressure moments, something that former India head coach Ravi Shastri highlighted during the tied Test against Australia in 1986.
During that match in Chennai, with India chasing 348, Shastri showed great composure with an unbeaten 48 and crucially took a single at the right moment as India tied the game at 347 before final batter Maninder Singh was dismissed for a duck.
"This is where game awareness becomes crucial. It reminds me of what Ravi Shastri did in that tied Test against Australia in 1986, taking a single at the right moment to level the scores.
"In this case (GT vs DC), in hindsight, a single might have been the better option (for Miller), especially after Kuldeep Yadav managed one earlier," added Gavaskar.
Former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen said Rashid Khan played a pivotal role in the nerve-wracking win for GT, with the Afghanistan all-rounder picking up three wickets while conceding just 17 runs in his four overs. This was GT's first win of the season.
However, he was critical of the rest of the Gujarat Titans bowling attack.
"Rashid Khan was outstanding. It's always good to see him back close to his best because by his own standards, he would expect more from himself.
"Having said that, I don't think Gujarat Titans' bowling as a whole was at its best, and they didn't close the game out particularly well. But that's the nature of the game, you'll have more tough days than good ones," added Pietersen.