Lucknow Super Giants’ hopes were hanging by a thread and by the time the night ended, it was curtains down as Sunrisers Hyderabad easily chased down 205.
The fight for the one remaining play-off spot is now between and as put an end to ’s slim hopes by pulling the plug on Monday. After making an impressive comeback with the ball in the first half of the match, the Sunrisers batsmen completed the job by reaching the target of 206 with six wickets and 10 balls to spare.
There was no Travis Head for company due to a Covid infection, but that didn’t stop from giving Hyderabad the required start in their chase of 206. Atharva Taide got a look-in, and perished for 13 in the second over before Abhishek took the job in his own hands.
A boundary off Akash Deep in the third over got him going as barring the fifth over delivered by Digvesh Rathi, Lucknow appeared totally short on answers, not for the first time with the ball this season. Abhishek then took on Kiwi pacer Will O’Rourke as 29 came off the third and fourth overs before Rathi applied the breaks by conceding only 6 in the fifth.
Off the next, Avesh conceded 14 before bore the brunt of Abhishek’s bat. In a season where the leg-spinner has struggled with his line and length, Abhishek wasted no time in launching an assault as he hit him for four consecutive sixes which took him past fifty. The over went for 26 runs and by the time Rathi returned for his second, Abhishek was back in the dugout, having made a 20-ball 59.
Abhishek Sharma’s free-flowing 59(20) set the pace for ‘s chase 🙌🧡
🎥🔽 WATCH his fantastic knock | |
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With that sort of a start, Abhishek had ensured Hyderabad were ahead of Lucknow throughout the chase and with enough overs to come, Ishan Kishan and Heinrich Klaasen minimised the risks while ensuring the asking rate never got beyond their reach.
After resisting for a while, Ishan ended up giving away his wicket, going for a reverse-sweep off Rathi – the lone bright spot in Lucknow’s attack – to give them a bit of a hope. However, next man Kamindu Mendis not only calmed Hyderabad’s nerves, but also gave the best possible company for Klaasen, who was in his groove. The Sri Lankan hit three successive fours of Rathi and the required run rate, which was over 10 at the start of the innings, came down below seven by the 14th over.
Power. Precision. Partnership 🤝
🎥 Heinrich Klaasen & Kamindu Mendis aced the chase with a flurry of boundaries 👊
Scorecard ▶ | |
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Though Klaasen (out for 47) and Mendis (32 retired hurt) departed in the space of three deliveries in the 18th over, Hyderabad ensured there wasn’t room for any drama.
It was a tale of two halves when were asked to bat first. Given the net run rate (NRR) situation, there wasn’t much of a choice left for them in deciding their approach.
Before other results could go in their favour, for them to stand a chance of qualifying, they had to improve their NRR and batting first made it only more challenging.
And on a night when they lost their way and drifted off in the middle overs, they had to thank three of their overseas players for putting up a total of 205/7 as the rest of the batting unit came a cropper, appearing to squander their good work.
Rampaging smashes fifth 50 of the season 🙌
🎥🔽 WATCH his power-packed effort | |
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Aiden Markram and Mitchell Marsh, in many ways, reflect Lucknow’s season so far. It has been a tournament where they have struggled for consistency, appearing in good nick in one game and out of sorts in the next. On Monday, they breathed fire at the top, putting together 115 runs for the first wicket in the easiest of fashions as Hyderabad’s sloppy fielding also played a helping hand. As has been the case, it was Marsh who got going from first ball, taking on Australia captain Pat Cummins for a boundary and six in the first over to kickstart the assault.
Once Markram got his first boundary in the third over, there was no stopping Lucknow as Hyderabad’s attack bowled to their strengths. It allowed them space to pull and cut, which both these batsmen – proficient in horizontal bat shots – feasted on as Lucknow once again got a good start in the Powerplay, making 69.
Aiden Markram’s effortless 61(38) sets the platform for 👏
🎥🔽 WATCH his terrific knock | |
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Even though they didn’t shift gears significantly, runs flowed in the middle overs before Marsh’s dismissal in the 11th over changed the course of Lucknow’s innings.
, coming in at No 3, endured another low score as his form continued to go the wrong way, Eshan Malinga being rewarded for some exceptional bowling.
Nicholas Pooran’s arrival in the 12th over should have taken Lucknow beyond Hyderabad’s reach. Instead, with the pitch beginning to show signs of slowing, Hyderabad would begin their comeback. After repeated attempts, would nail his slow yorker that saw the back of Markram for 61 as Lucknow’s required grandstand finish never came, even though Pooran fought valiantly.
On a night when they struggled for inspiration, Malinga provided Sunrisers with plenty of it as Pooran was made to wait till his 25th ball for his first six, that too in the final over. From 108/0 in 10 overs, 205/7 in 20 appeared to be an unsatisfactory total.
Brief scores: Lucknow Super Giants 205/7 in 20 overs (Marsh 65, Markram 61, Pooran 45; Eshan Malinga 2/28) lost to 206/4 in 18.2 overs (Abhishek Sharma 59, Klaasen 47; Rathi 2/37) by 6 wickets
