Lucknow: Jake Fraser-McGurk was happy to perform on his Indian Premier League (IPL) debut after the Australian batter slammed a half-century off 31 deliveries that helped Delhi Capitals (DC) beat Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) by six wickets at the Ekana Cricket Stadium here on Friday night.
Fraser-McGurk came in at No. 3 and sent the second delivery he faced off Yash Thakur’s bowling for a six over deep mid-wicket. The fifth over the innings bowled by Arshad Khan cost 15 runs, courtesy of a boundary by Prithvi Shaw and a maximum and a boundary by McGurk.
Fraser-McGurk made 55 from 35 balls after getting dropped by Ravi Bishnoi on 24.
“Spent five, six games on the sidelines itching to get out there, stoked! Was just more about trying not to swing too hard and lose shape. That's what I've done over the last 12 months. I loved the one over cover, pretty happy with that. Don't usually hit many over the offside. Batting out of the powerplay is something I am continuing to learn, it'll come with experience. I'm so happy to be here, different world in terms of cricket. Never seen anything like it, to be able to savour eight weeks, hopefully, more, is amazing,” said McGurk in the post-match presentation.
Krunal Pandya, bowling the 13th over of the innings, was taken to the cleaners by McGurk, who smashed a hat-trick of sixes to reach his half-century. McGurk became the third-youngest overseas batter after Sam Curran of England and Rahmanullah Gurbaz of Afghanistan to score an IPL half-century.
Fraser-McGurk holds the record for the fastest century in a one-day match. He slammed a 29-ball hundred for South Australia in losing cause against Tasmania last year.
