Aaron Finch admitted he was left “baffled” after Axar Patel chose to bat first against the Chennai Super Kings, a call that only looked stranger given the Delhi Capitals had not managed a single successful defence of a total while batting first during the season. The gamble backfired on Tuesday at the Arun Jaitley Stadium as Chennai chased 156 in 17.3 overs, finishing with eight wickets to spare.
Finch slams Axar’s toss call
Speaking after the match, Finch took aim at what he described as a “head-scratching” decision. With teams having access to extensive data and analytics, he felt the choice to bat first offered no real logic—especially when trends were clear. Finch said it was difficult to dress the decision up as anything other than a major error.
He added that Delhi’s season has been marked by recurring tactical lapses, and that this sort of repeated misreading only adds to the frustration. In his view, gut-feel calls made on the field can happen, and even poor execution is part of T20 cricket—but making the same kind of “black-and-white” strategic choice incorrectly time and again is where the concern lies.
Finch also pointed to Delhi’s overall decline in form. After beginning the campaign with a chance to stay in the top four, they slid down the table following their 10th match and had settled into seventh by the time this contest ended.
Why Axar wanted to bat first
At the toss, Axar explained the thinking behind Delhi’s decision. He believed the pitch would become slower as the second innings progressed, and therefore wanted to set a target while conditions were still more favourable. His stated plan was to put his bowlers in the best possible position by bowling second on a surface that might hold up for batting later.
Delhi’s innings and the chase
- Delhi’s start did not go to plan, as they slipped to 69 for five within the first 11 overs.
- Impact substitute Sameer Rizvi and Tristan Stubbs then combined to rebuild, stitching together a 65-run partnership that helped Delhi reach a more respectable total.
- Even with that recovery, Delhi’s 155 was not enough to trouble Chennai’s chase.
- Sanju Samson played with control, finishing on 87 not out and steering Chennai home.
- Samson also shared an unbeaten 93-run stand with Kartik Sharma, who contributed 41 off 31 as Chennai completed the chase in 17.3 overs.
Delhi will play their next match against the Kolkata Knight Riders on May 8.
