Led by superb bowling spells from Krunal Pandya and Yash Thakur, Lucknow Super Giants continued their winning run on Sunday (Apr 7), beating Gujarat Giants by 33 runs while defending a modest target of 164.
Titans’ openers Shubman Gill and Sai Sudarhsan started off briskly and put up a 54-run partnership within the powerplay phase. However, at no time the duo threatened to take the game away from LSG, which proved to be their undoing
Gill was the first one to depart as he attempted to up the ante against Yash Thakur who cleaned him up. The Titans skipper displayed uncharacteristic haste and opened himself up completely on a couple of occasions in the over before Thakur hit the timber.
As soon as Gill went down, it seemed like the wheels started to come off the Titans locomotive. Kane Williamson, playing only his second match of the season, perished as a leading edge off his bat was spectacularly pouched by a flying Ravi Bishnoi in his own follow-through.
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Afterwards, it was Pandya who tightened the noose and accounted for the dismissals of Sudharsan, Sharath BR and Darshan Nalkande in quick succession. Eventually, the former Mumbai Indians star finished with three for seven in his four overs while Thakur picked up his maiden five-fer to compensate for Mayank Yadav getting some stick, early on in the innings.
Rahul Tewatia did strike a few lusty blows at the back end but it was too little, too late by then. The defeat would have stung as it came days after Punjab Kings beat Titans at their home while chasing a steep 200-run target.
Momentum-less batting from LSG
Although LSG bowled with a rhythm defending the target, the first half from them was far from perfect. From the get-go, the team lacked the urgency to score at a quick clip.
Skipper KL Rahul once again fell prey to his old habit of consuming far too many deliveries to get his eye in. His partner, Quinton de Kock went early, as did Devdutt Padikkal, whose string of low scores continued at Ekana.
After stitching a 73-run partnership with Marcus Stoinis, Rahul attempted to go after the bowlers but ended up losing his wicket.
Stoinis looked dangerous but after a couple of sixes against Nalkande, got out in the same over. The acceleration at the end never came as Rashid and Spencer Johnson were superb. Pooran did manage a 22-ball 32 but he struggled as he swung and did not connect as he would have liked to.
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