Lucknow: Riding on Akash Singh’s fantastic three-fer, Mitchell Marsh’s brutal 90 off 38 balls, and Nicholas Pooran’s late fireworks, Lucknow Super Giants managed to thrash Chennai Super Kings by seven wickets at the BRSABV Ekana Cricket Stadium Friday.
CSK had posted 187/5, thanks to Kartik Sharma’s career-best score of 71 in T20s and an unbeaten 32 from Shivam Dube, after Akash’s spell took out the top order on a fiery red soil pitch. But Marsh and Josh Inglis set the tone right from the start via a massive 135-run opening stand.
Marsh was scintillating in hitting nine fours and seven sixes at an astonishing strike rate of 236.84, before an unfortunate run out stopped him ten runs short of reaching a fantastic century.
After he, Inglis and Abdul Samad fell in quick succession, Pooran produced some emphatic hits to smash 32 off just 17 balls. He slammed one four and four maximums to help LSG reach with 20 balls to spare and dent CSK’s playoffs hopes in a thumping fashion.
Marsh ran after CSK’s bowlers from the get-go – hitting three boundaries as Mukesh Choudhary’s opening over went for 15 runs. Inglis too joined in by getting a boundary off Anshul Kamboj and Spencer Johnson. The real carnage began when Marsh smashed Kamboj for four consecutive sixes and a four, as 28 runs came off the fifth over. By the end of the powerplay, LSG were cruising at 86/0.
Marsh reached his fifty in just 21 balls by pulling Johnson for four and continued to dominate by hammering him and Noor Ahmad for towering sixes. Inglis played second fiddle by adding 36 off 32 balls before falling to Mukesh. On the very next ball, Marsh’s dismissal came in unfortunate fashion – run out for 90 after a straight drive from Pooran deflected onto the stumps post a brush off Mukesh’s hand at the non-striker’s end.
By then, Marsh’s brutal knock had already broken CSK’s spirit, though Johnson castled Samad later. Pooran, who had been quiet initially, exploded at the death. After Mukul Choudhary chipped in with handy boundaries, Pooran tore into Kamboj in the 17th over – smashing finish the game in style, as LSG sealed back-to-back home wins.
Kamboj endured a nightmare, conceding 63 runs in 2.4 overs, as CSK’s bowlers looked bereft of ideas once Marsh teed off, and by the time Pooran applied the finishing touches, CSK and their loyal supporters were left shell-shocked. What had seemed a defendable, competitive total at the halfway stage was dismantled with ruthless efficiency by Marsh-powered LSG.
Previously, Kartik overcame a sluggish start to hit 71 off 42 balls laced with six fours and five sixes at a strike-rate of 169/05. It was a dazzling knock where Kartik took on every LSG pacer after the top-order fell to Akash.
Dube then brought out the big shots to hit an unbeaten 32 off 16 balls, laced with three fours and two sixes, while Prashant Veer also made 13 not out off 10 deliveries and ensured CSK posted a competitive total by getting 60 runs off the last five overs.
Opting to bat first, CSK were off to a brisk start as Samson cracked three boundaries in the opening over off Mohammed Shami. Ruturaj Gaikwad too found the ropes against Akash, but the left-arm seamer struck back quickly. He hurried Gaikwad on the pull and had him caught at mid-on, while Samson couldn’t keep a flick out and holed out in the deep.
Urvil Patel’s stay was brief, as Akash had him pulling to deep mid-wicket to leave CSK in trouble. At 52/3, Dewald Brevis joined Kartik and the pair stitched together a vital 70-run stand off 44 balls. Brevis announced himself with a six off Akash and added 25 off 16 balls before Shami’s short ball had him caught at fine leg.
Kartik, meanwhile, grew in confidence with every boundary coming off his bat and his risks paying off. He reached his second fifty of the season off 35 balls with a towering six off Shami and continued to punish Shahbaz Ahmed and Prince Yadav with a flurry of boundaries. Shahbaz eventually ended his stay, but not before Kartik had given CSK the platform they needed.
Shivam and Prashant initially struggled against Mayank Yadav’s pace, but found their rhythm in the last two overs. Veer chipped in with an inventive scoop off Shami giving him four, while Dube unleashed his by smashing Prince Yadav for two sixes and two fours on the last four balls of the innings and script a brilliant finish of CSK’s roller coaster innings, which was upstaged by Marsh’s breath-taking knock.
Brief Scores: Chennai Super Kings 187/5 in 20 overs (Kartik Sharma 71, Shivam Dube 32 not out; Akash Singh 3-26, Mohammed Shami 1-41) lost to Lucknow Super Giants 188/3 in 16.4 overs (Mitchell Marsh 90, Josh Inglis 36; Mukesh Choudhary 1-24, Spencer Johnson 1-39) by seven wickets
Orissa POST – Odisha’s No.1 English Daily
