South African import Tristan Stubbs not throwing in the towel despite Delhi Capitals’ vulnerable batting

Stubbs, plying his craft lower down, is one of the few reliable batsmen at Delhi Capitals. His innings were pivotal to wins against LSG and RCB.

Delhi Capitals batsman Tristan Stubbs is not too worried that their batting has not been up to scratch in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL). The Capitals have so far won three and lost three.

Tristan Stubbs wants to bat up the order. (PTI)

You would think they are not doing that bad, however, almost all of their wins haven’t been convincing. Believe it or not, they have chased in all their matches so far. Two things have stood out.

First, if a team scores a gettable total, like under 180, they feel confident about their chase. However, the moment it’s 200 or more, they throw in the towel real quick. Stubbs, though, defends the batting. According to him, despite hiccups, they have managed to get close to the target in all their defeats.

Basically, he is saying that the day they are at the top of their game, there will be no stopping them.

‘It has seemed worse because we have been chasing every game. The other day, we lost three wickets in an over [vs SRH], and we didn’t bat very well. We still made 190 something.

“Yes, we haven’t had the perfect innings, but on a bad day we have won three out of six. Even when we have lost, we have still scored 190.

“We know there are a couple of small moments here and there in the games. We are scoring these big scores. We are not too worried. Everyone is really positive, and everyone is batting well, so that is quite exciting,” he said.

Stubbs wants promotion in batting order

Stubbs, who has played crucial knocks for the Capitals in their wins against Lucknow Super Giants and Royal Challengers Bengaluru, hopes to be promoted up the order so that he can contribute in a bigger way.

So far, he has often batted at No.5 and No.6. Against Gujarat Titans, he batted even at No.7. “I have come in when we have lost early wickets, so it has been a bit challenging. I just try to read the situation and play accordingly. If there is an opportunity to bat higher up the order, I am happy to do that and try to make more of an impact,” he said.

“I will try and change gears and do what I think is right out there. In those two games [vs LSG and RCB], fortunately, the game never got away from us. It was always one partnership in both those games. I firmly believe in batting in partnerships, and that is what I try and do my best,” he added.

Late this afternoon at home, DC play table-toppers and the undefeated Punjab Kings, one of the red-hot favourites this season. When asked about the nature of the pitch at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, the burly South African said, “We will have to see what the conditions are like. It is a used wicket, so we will assess it and adapt accordingly.”

Which basically means, it may not be a high-scoring contest. Used wickets often tend to favour bowlers.