*LSG VS MI REVIEW*
*MOHSIN PULLS OFF SOMETHING SPECIAL AS MI CRUISED TILL THE 19TH:*
Ishan and Rohit were quick to get off the blocks and stamped their authority early on. They accumulated 58 without loss in the first over, looking on course. There was relief for Lucknow only when Rohit fell to Bishnoi in the 10th over. Kishan fell soonafter after playing a solid hand in the chase, he ended up scoring a powerpacked 59. Things were glum after the monstrous opening duo were back in the hut as SKY recorded a rare failure and Wadhera struggled to time well, slowly moving along. However, a turn of events happened when David joined the crease. He was threatening to take the chase deep, as Wadhera and Vinod fell around him, he stayed firm. LSG were rotating their bowlers extremely well and Krunal did a fantastic job as a captain. Ravi Bishnoi was the star of the bowlers as he gave runs under 7 an over, while picking two wickets in the process. Yash Thakur, though expensive, got the big scalp of SKY who could have been the difference on this surface. With 30 required off the final two, the pressure was on MI but a 19 run smashing to Naveen ensured the tide tilted towards Rohit and co.
Come the final over, to be bowled by left armer Mohsin, who had struggled earlier with his first two overs in the game, with Green and David, two powerful bashers at the crease, it was going to be an uphill task. But the young man delivered. He mixed his lengths superbly and did not let the two Aussies get away. He forced them to try something out of the box and they failed, handing LSG a close 5 run win. In the context of the playoff, this victory is confidence boosting and a great source of joy for the LSG group. Now they have won back to back games and stand a decent chance to finish in the top 2 as well.
*THE AUSSIE HULK SHOWS WHAT HE IS MADE OF:*
Opening the innings, when your openers collectively score 21 off 22, there happens to be heavy analysis of the pitch at hand. Further more, when Mankad departs for a duck, the criticism increases. But then came the partnership between Stoinis and Krunal, the men who stole the show. The former was at his brutal best, sending deliveries out of the park and taking a toll on Jordan in particular, who he enjoys a magnificent record against. He was targeting the V, the straighter boundaries and notched up a 47 ball 89 at a strike rate of nearly 190. Krunal, the skipper, motored along and played the anchor’s role to perfection failing just a single short of what would have been a very mature fifty. LSG ended up on 177, a total that was a tad above par at the Ekana.