Former Australia captain Aaron Finch was left baffled by Axar Patel's decision to bat first against the Chennai Super Kings, despite the Delhi Capitals not having won a single game defending a total this season. The decision came back to haunt the captain and the management as Chennai chased down 156 in 17.3 overs with eight wickets in hand on Tuesday at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.
Delhi Capitals' captain Axar Patel during the IPL 2026 match against Chennai Super Kings, in New Delhi, Tuesday, May 5 (PTI)
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Speaking to ESPNcricinfo, Finch tore into Axar for the “head-scratching” call, saying it “made no sense” at all, especially with so much information available to teams in the age of data and analytics.
“Absolutely, it was a big mess up. You can’t sugarcoat it. When you have all the information with you—that they haven’t won batting first—it makes no sense. We keep scratching our heads with some of the decisions DC make,” he said, reflecting on the toss call after the game.
Finch also pointed out that repeated tactical blunders have been a concern for Delhi throughout the season, with the team slipping from a top-four spot early on to seventh after their 10th game.
“See, I can understand gut-feel calls made on the field, I can also understand poor execution—winning and losing are all part of the game. But when you are making black-and-white decisions wrong time and time again, that’s a concern,” he added.
Why did Axar opt to bat first?
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“See, I can understand gut-feel calls made on the field, I can also understand poor execution—winning and losing are all part of the game. But when you are making black-and-white decisions wrong time and time again, that’s a concern,” he added.
Why did Axar opt to bat first?
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Speaking at the toss, the Delhi captain explained that he expected the pitch to slow down in the second innings and hence wanted to bat first to give his bowlers an advantage.
“We will bat first. I think the surface looks good, and we feel it’s a very good pitch. Maybe in the second innings it might slow down a bit, so I’d like to give that advantage to our bowlers,” he had said.
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However, Delhi were reduced to 69 for five inside 11 overs. Impact sub Sameer Rizvi and Tristan Stubbs then stitched a crucial 65-run stand to help DC post a competitive total. But 155 was never going to threaten Chennai, with Sanju Samson carving out a well-measured 87 not out and adding an unbeaten 93-run stand with Kartik Sharma, who scored 41 off 31.
Delhi will next face the Kolkata Knight Riders on May 8.
Aratrick Mondal is a senior sports journalist based in New Delhi. In his eight years as a sports writer, Aratrick has worked at leading media organisations, including The Times of India, Times Now, Zee, India TV and currently works at a senior position at Hindustan Times Digital. He writes on cricket, football, pickleball and tennis, among other sports. He has extensively covered India's evolving cricket landscape, the country's new-found love for private leagues such as Indian Pickleball League (IPBL), Ultimate Kho Kho League (UKK), Rugby Premier League (RPL) and several tennis leagues. He has closely covered emerging sports such as pickleball. His coverage of major franchise events lends an atmospheric flavor to his ground reports. His recent story on how SA20 (the domestic cricket league of South Africa) had opened up its grounds to create a carnival-like fan experience garnered major international attention, including appreciation from major cricketers. Tennis holds a special place in his heart. Aratrick has built a strong niche in analytical tennis stories—ranging from Grand Slam narratives and player profiles to tactical breakdowns and ranking trends. His long-form features often decode grand slams, career highs and lows of tennis greats and the upward trajectory of emerging stars. He also closely follows India's tennis landscape, having covered the Davis Cup, Bengaluru Open and Tata Open, among others. His reporting is backed by strong data capabilities, with hands-on experience using tools like Python, Tableau, and Excel to produce visually rich, insight-led stories. This data-first approach enhances accuracy, transparency, and trust. In leadership roles, he has managed editorial shifts, overseen homepage strategy, optimised SEO workflows, and mentored peers to deliver consistent, high-traffic journalism. He recently won the HT DigiStar award for the third quarter of financial year 2025-26. Aratrick is trusted for his balanced reportage, sound sourcing, and ability to translate complex sporting events into engaging narratives that speak to a wide audience. He believes sports is for everyone, not just for the enthusiasts and has a unique ability to bring people together - just like the sumptuous meals you'll often find him cooking on a weekend evening.
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Home/Cricket/‘Can’t sugarcoat it’: Finch tears into Axar Patel after ‘big mess up’; flags DC’s repeated ‘black-and-white’ blunders
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