In one of most thrilling finishes of VIVO IPL 2016 so far, the Gujarat Lions had to fight to the very end in their match against the Delhi Daredevils to extend their winning streak. The narrow win would remain in the memories of the players and the spectators for time to come. After a brilliant start to their innings with the openers Brendon McCullum and Dwayne Smith taking the Gujarat Lions to the fastest team hundred of the season it seemed the visitors were set to bat the Delhi Daredevils out of the game. But then came Imran Tahir and Chris Morris, who restricted Suresh Raina’s team to 172 for six and set the match up. Praveen Kumar and Dhawal Kulkarni then swung the fortunes back in the Lions’ favour by holding DD to 22 for three at the end of the powerplay. The first spells by the pacers had once again pushed the home team on the backfoot until Morris and JP Duminy again made a match of it. Given the margin of victory - a soltary run - the first six overs were as crucial as the last two overs for GL to have emerged as the triumphant side. Speaking to iplt20.com after the nervewracking finish, Kulkarni, who had claimed three for 12 in his first spell, said, “In every game bowling with the new ball is very crucial. If you pick up wickets in the first six overs it becomes easier in the middle and the death overs as well,” while reflecting on the game. “We just wanted to stick to our basics. The batsmen who had batted earlier (and) had experience of the wicket told us stick to our basics (and) not (do) too much and that’s what we did with the new ball.” Kulkarni first claimed Sanju Samson in a wicket-maiden in his first over to leave DD on two for one. “The new ball always does a bit. After the first two overs it doesn’t do much so you have to back yourself and that’s what I did. I just backed my outswing and got the wicket,” he said while speaking about that particular over. “I knew his strength because we had played together for Rajasthan Royals and we have been playing for India ‘A’ as well. I just wanted to back myself and not think about the batter; just back my strength which is the outswing and little movement off the deck and that’s what I did,” he elaborated while discussing the early breakthrough. Kulkarni then claimed Quinton de Kock with a slower one and followed up with the wicket of Karun Nair a ball later. “We have got a good coach and experienced players who play T20 a lot. So I get to learn while practicing with them (and) we keep executing it in the nets. That is what you have to do as a bowler. You have to keep executing what you want to achieve,” he said while talking about the execution of the slower ones that got him the wicket of DD’s man-in-form. While he had made the dents upfront, Morris threatened to take the game away from GL and had the odds stacked in DD’s favour until Praveen and Dwayne Bravo tided GL over. Appreciating the opposition batsman’s batting effort, Kulkarni credited his fellow bowlers for the win. “The match could have gone either way. But Dwayne (Bravo) bowled really well (with 14 runs required from six balls); (but) the second last over that Praveen Kumar bowled really held them back (Praveen conceded only four runs in the 19th over). There were nerves in the middle but we ended on the winning side.” “In the last over the execution was the key thing which Dwayne (Bravo) did really well,” he added. Speaking about the riveting finish, he said, “(I felt) Relieved!” “It was a tough game. We just won by one run it could have gone either way but we ended on the winning side so it gives us immense happiness. To win five games and be on the top of the table it really feels good and I just want to say that we want to keep doing the same thing and keep winning,” Kulkarni concluded.