PBKS vs LSG: Lucknow dish out batting masterclass in massive win over Punjab

Lucknow Super Giants staged quite the comeback after suffering a narrow loss against defending champions Gujarat Titans, thrashing Punjab Kings by 56 runs in Mohali on Friday to jump to the second spot on the IPL 2023 points table.

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What made Lucknow’s commanding victory over Punjab even sweeter was the fact that it was the same department which let them down against Gujarat on home turf that played a key role in the lop-sided win over Punjab away. After staging a spectacular choke against the title holders last week, it was the batting department that came to the fore on Friday and bossed their opponents in style, taking the game away even before their innings was yet to arrive at its conclusion.

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LSG vs PBKS: Punjab Kings hope for strong batting performance against rampaging Lucknow Super Giants

Skipper KL Rahul struggled to get going despite getting dropped early in his innings, and his struggle to 12 off 9 deliveries that ended with a catch to Shahrukh Khan off Kagiso Rabada’s bowling could’ve tilted the game in favour of the Kings and allowed them to seize the initiative early.

Despite Rahul’s struggles however, Lucknow managed to smash 72 runs in the powerplay, all thanks to the explosive Kyle Mayers, whose 20-ball half-century not only made up for Rahul’s struggles, it set the tone for what was to follow in the remainder of the day. And justified as to why he continues to get picked over Quinton de Kock as the captain’s opening partner.

While Mayers didn’t convert the terrific start into an even bigger score, departing off the penultimate ball of the sixth over and becoming Rabada’s second wicket of the powerplay, it hardly deterred LSG’s charge towards the massive total that they would eventually post, as the Lucknow batters once again clicked as a unit.

Both Marcus Stoinis and Nicholas Pooran had played a key role in Lucknow’s miraculous victory over Royal Challengers Bangalore at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium earlier this month, and two were at it again on Friday at the IS Bindra PCA Stadium, smashing 72 off 40 and 45 off 19 deliveries respectively to power Lucknow past the 250-mark — which had been achieved just one in the history of the IPL before this game.

Read | ‘Happy to do whatever my team needs’ says Stoinis after LSG defeat PBKS

Stoinis, who had been dismissed for a golden duck by Mohit Sharma in Lucknow’s epic collapse at the Ekana last Saturday, bounced back by top-scoring for his side. The Australian all-rounder has had his share of issues converting starts this season. But when he does, he usually ends up producing game-changing knocks.

Same could be said of Pooran, who struck at a rate of 236.84, eclipsing fellow West Indian Mayers (225), and would’ve counted himself unlucky to fall just five short of what would’ve been his second half-century of the season, becoming Arshdeep’s only wicket of the day. Had he batted till the final ball, Lucknow could have had a real shot at breaking RCB’s record for the highest IPL total (263/5) that they came so close to.

Last, but not the least, part of the reason why Stoinis was able to carry on from where Mayers left off was because of the manner in which Ayush Badoni, who was sent in at No 3 for a change, stitched a vital 89-run stand for the third wicket with a 24-ball 43 — smashing three fours and as many sixes with a strike rate almost touching 180.

Taide shines in a gloomy day for PBKS

Such was Lucknow’s dominance with the bat on the day that they managed to breach the 200-run mark with four overs yet to be bowled — a score that would deflate most teams in the world. And while the Punjab batters are quite capable of posting tall scores themselves, and a target in excess of 250 is by no means impossible (something that the South African team can attest to), it still would’ve required a Herculean effort on their part to collect their fifth win in eight games.

Unfortunately for the home team, skipper Dhawan was dismissed in the very first over for 1 on his comeback from injury. Fellow opener Atharva Taide rose to the occasion, plundering 19 runs off Marcus Stoinis in the third over and bringing up his first half-century in his maiden IPL season in 26 deliveries.

In Photos: Lucknow Super Giants outplay Punjab Kings in Mohali

The 23-year-old, however, didn’t find much support from the other end barring a cameo from Sikandar Raza (36 off 22), and would eventually be dismissed by Ravi Bishnoi for a 36-ball 66.

The middle-order trio of Liam Livingstone (23), Sam Curran (21) and Jitesh Sharma (24) got off to promising starts to ensure Punjab went past the 200-mark for a second-game running, it was nowhere enough to get them close to Lucknow’s total, let alone go past the finish line.

Mention must also be made of a couple of standout bowling performances in what was otherwise a day that firmly belonged to the batters. Lucknow pacer Yash Thakur was the pick of the bowlers with his haul of 4/37, including the wickets of Raza and Sharma.

Even more impressive, however, was the manner in which leg-spinner Rahul Chahar bowled his quote with an economy less than eight-an-over. In an innings in which the second-most economical bowler was Curran at 12.66, Chahar’s bowling deserves special praise, even if he ended up without a single wicket to his name.

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