<p>When Delhi face Gujarat in the day-night Vijay Hazare Trophy final here at the Chinnaswamy Stadium on Monday, it will be a battle between two of the most consistent teams in the tournament. <br /><br /></p>.<p>Riding high on the back of an exceptional all-round performance from Axar Patel, Gujarat have exhibited great fighting spirit under crunch situations to reach their second final of the competition. They will be aiming for their maiden title, after settling for the runner-up honours in the 2010-11 edition, where they suffered a huge 159-run defeat against Jharkhand. <br /><br />The dominant bowling unit of Delhi has powered them to convincing victories on a consistent basis and their bowlers will once again hold the edge against a young Gujarat batting line-up. <br /><br />For Gujarat, the fact that they have been pushed hard in the crucial games of the knockout stage should give them more confidence in handling pressure situations. In their quarterfinal against Vidarbha, chasing a lowly 196, Axar's men were stretched before they sealed a narrow two-wicket victory, with nine balls to spare. Once again in the semifinal against Tamil Nadu, Gujarat posted comeback acts -- both while batting and bowling -- to edge out their opponents. <br /><br />Delhi on the other hand have enjoyed easy outings and they haven't been tested much. They thumped Jharkhand by 99 runs despite having to defend a modest 225-run total. In their last four clash, they made the Himachal Pradesh bowlers toil hard for success and posted an easy six-wicket win. With no major threats posed so far, Delhi would hope that they don't succumb if pushed to the wall by their opponents in the all important final. <br /><br />With 19 wickets and 214 runs to his credit, Axar has been unstoppable and the 21-year-old has carried his side's hopes in a confident manner. Axar's fine touch will be the biggest challenge for Delhi and the Gautam Gambhir's men will be aware of the all-rounder's match-winning abilities. Apart from Axar, captain Parthiv Patel has been good at the top while youngsters Priyank Panchal, Chirag Gandhi and Manprit Juneja have shown great character, holding the innings together whenever it had mattered the most.<br /><br />The likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Patel and Rush Kalaria form a young yet effective bowling unit up front while Axar will be hoping for assistance from off-spinner Rujul Bhatt. Bumrah, has been the second most successful bowler for Gujarat, behind Axar, with 16 scalps and will have to play a vital role during the death overs. <br /><br />Despite not being completely convincing, Delhi's batting, with seniors Gautam Gambhir and Shikhar Dhawan in the ranks, will still be a reason to worry for Gujarat. Unmukt Chand's spectacular run would be the biggest threat for Gujarat and they would love to see the back of the youngster as early as possible. <br /><br />Having crashed out of the Ranji Trophy knockouts by narrow margins, a victory in the final will be the best way to make amends for both the teams. <br /></p>
<p>When Delhi face Gujarat in the day-night Vijay Hazare Trophy final here at the Chinnaswamy Stadium on Monday, it will be a battle between two of the most consistent teams in the tournament. <br /><br /></p>.<p>Riding high on the back of an exceptional all-round performance from Axar Patel, Gujarat have exhibited great fighting spirit under crunch situations to reach their second final of the competition. They will be aiming for their maiden title, after settling for the runner-up honours in the 2010-11 edition, where they suffered a huge 159-run defeat against Jharkhand. <br /><br />The dominant bowling unit of Delhi has powered them to convincing victories on a consistent basis and their bowlers will once again hold the edge against a young Gujarat batting line-up. <br /><br />For Gujarat, the fact that they have been pushed hard in the crucial games of the knockout stage should give them more confidence in handling pressure situations. In their quarterfinal against Vidarbha, chasing a lowly 196, Axar's men were stretched before they sealed a narrow two-wicket victory, with nine balls to spare. Once again in the semifinal against Tamil Nadu, Gujarat posted comeback acts -- both while batting and bowling -- to edge out their opponents. <br /><br />Delhi on the other hand have enjoyed easy outings and they haven't been tested much. They thumped Jharkhand by 99 runs despite having to defend a modest 225-run total. In their last four clash, they made the Himachal Pradesh bowlers toil hard for success and posted an easy six-wicket win. With no major threats posed so far, Delhi would hope that they don't succumb if pushed to the wall by their opponents in the all important final. <br /><br />With 19 wickets and 214 runs to his credit, Axar has been unstoppable and the 21-year-old has carried his side's hopes in a confident manner. Axar's fine touch will be the biggest challenge for Delhi and the Gautam Gambhir's men will be aware of the all-rounder's match-winning abilities. Apart from Axar, captain Parthiv Patel has been good at the top while youngsters Priyank Panchal, Chirag Gandhi and Manprit Juneja have shown great character, holding the innings together whenever it had mattered the most.<br /><br />The likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Patel and Rush Kalaria form a young yet effective bowling unit up front while Axar will be hoping for assistance from off-spinner Rujul Bhatt. Bumrah, has been the second most successful bowler for Gujarat, behind Axar, with 16 scalps and will have to play a vital role during the death overs. <br /><br />Despite not being completely convincing, Delhi's batting, with seniors Gautam Gambhir and Shikhar Dhawan in the ranks, will still be a reason to worry for Gujarat. Unmukt Chand's spectacular run would be the biggest threat for Gujarat and they would love to see the back of the youngster as early as possible. <br /><br />Having crashed out of the Ranji Trophy knockouts by narrow margins, a victory in the final will be the best way to make amends for both the teams. <br /></p>
