Just days earlier than Australia identify their T20 World Cup squad, Jake Fraser-McGurk has made an irresistible demand for a spot together with his newest staggering demonstration of batting pyrotechnics within the IPL.
The 22-year-old Delhi Capitals opener pulverised the Mumbai Indians assault to the tune of 84 off simply 27 balls at Delhi’s house Arun Jaitley Stadium on Saturday, together with a half-century off 15 deliveries, the joint-fourth quickest in IPL annals.
It propelled Delhi, once more with out David Warner who’s nonetheless nursing an injured finger, to an enormous 4-257, with Mumbai then falling brief by 10 runs on 9-247, regardless of a late blast from Tim David, together with his 17-ball 37.
Watching Fraser-McGurk from the commentary field, former Australia captain Michael Clarke may solely enthuse: “The selectors have to be thinking about him now, with the team just a few days away from being selected. It’s hard to leave him out to be honest, the way he’s played so far.
“I think about situations can be fairly comparable within the Caribbean, slower wickets with that additional energy within the energy play wanted. He’s performed his possibilities no hurt and I’d like to see him in that squad of 15.”
It was breathtaking stuff from the start as the Box Hill blaster Fraser-McGurk cracked left-armer Luke Wood for four, four and six off his first three balls and then had the temerity to smash Jasprit Bumrah around the park for the world-beating pacer’s worst IPL over this season, going for 18.
Altogether, ‘JFM’ went on to hit 11 fours and six sixes in his dazzling knock, recording the highest of his three half-centuries compiled in just five matches since coach Ricky Pointing decided to gamble on putting him in a struggling team.
With Warner and Mitch Marsh injured, he’s stepped in for 247 runs at an extraordinary strike-rate of 237.50.
“He’s received 22 sixes and 220 of these 247 runs have been in boundaries – that is loopy, T20 batting at a brand new degree,” declared former Indian Test star Sanjay Manjrekar.
Fraser-McGurk, who had even looked on course to beat Chris Gayle’s IPL record of a 30-ball century until he holed out with one heave-ho too many, just took all the plaudits – not to mention the JFM face masks in the crowd – with a pinch of salt.
“That’s my position,” he shrugged, after smashing 78 off the six-over powerplay alone. “Go out and rating as many within the first six as I can and if I’m going on with it, I’m going on with it.
“Not at all,” he smiled when requested if he was a participant who would possibly nudge the odd single. “If I get ones or twos, then it’s probably the last ball of the over – or I mishit it.”
But T20 cricket could be fickle. In the day’s different match in Lucknow, Marcus Stoinis, recent from his good match-winning 124no in opposition to Chennai, was bowled for a four-ball duck by Sandeep Sharma as his Justin Langer-coached Super Giants have been overwhelmed by seven wickets by table-topping Rajasthan Royals.
After captain KL Rahul had led the best way for Lucknow with a 48-ball 76 of their 5-196, Rajasthan made mild work of a not-insubstantial chase, led by captain Sanju Samson’s 71no and Dhruv Jurel’s 54no in an unbeaten fourth-wicket partnership of 121.
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
