Action tweak spurs Krunal Pandya the bowler in LSG home high

It seems that home advantage has a major role in the ongoing edition of the Indian Premium League. It is evident especially in the case of MS Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and KL Rahul’s Lucknow Super Giants (LSG).

Dhoni rotated his bowlers well on a slow turner at Chepauk to score a thrilling 12-run victory against LSG in a high-scoring game whereas LSG used a spinners brigade led by 32-year-old Krunal Pandya to script a five-wicket win over Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in a low-scoring game in Lucknow on Friday.

In their first home game played on a red-soil pitch affording bounce, LSG thumped Delhi Capitals by 50 runs with fast bowler Mark Wood capturing 5/14. The decision to play Friday’s game on a black-soil pitch that helped spin wasn’t sudden as LSG, after the loss in Chennai, prepared by training on a similar surface at the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium.

The home advantage was clear as SRH batters struggled against the LSG spinners, who shared six wickets for 57 runs in 12 overs to restrict their rivals to 121/8. It was the same pitch where the Hardik Pandya-led India struggled to chase down 100 in a T20 international against New Zealand in January.

LSG’s decision to bowl first turned out to be a perfect ploy. Rahul brought on left-arm spinner Krunal Pandya in the very third over and Baroda’s bowler did the trick, removing Mayank Agarwal immediately. His next two wickets should have satisfied him more. He dismissed Anmolpreet Singh with a quick one that skidded through and trapped him leg before and bowled SRH’s South African skipper Aiden Markram the next ball.

Rahul Tripathi, who chipped in with SRH’s highest score (34 - 41b, 4x4), too was surprised by the slowness off the pitch as he was caught by Amit Mishra off Yash Thakur. Spinners Amit Mishra (2/23) and fellow leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi (1/16) too kept SRH batters under check. The total proved too low for SRH bowlers to put the opposition under pressure as LSG won by five wickets.

Pandya attributed his success to a changed bowling action, staying more upright on his delivery stride with a higher arm release. “In the last four-five months, I took a break from playing. I just wanted to work on my skills, especially bowling,” Krunal said at the post-match presentation.

“I was just playing the white-ball format, and what happened in the last two-three years was I just went wider and wider with my release. So, I wanted to work on my action and get tall so that I can get that turn and get that arm ball going as well,” he said.

“Having more right-handers to bowl at (SRH’s top five were right-handed batters), I knew I would be bowling four overs today and was prepared. Overall, this year I am in a good headspace, I have much more clarity about how I want to go about my game, with bat or ball.

LSG reached the 122-run target in 16 overs with left-handed Pandya scoring 34 (23b) at No 4.

Of his 72 innings for his previous team, Mumbai Indians, he batted only 27 times in the top five. “I am trying to recollect how I played my first four-five years of IPL where I was batting at No 4 consistently for MI. In the last three years, for MI, my role was completely changed, I was batting at No 7. I am trying to find my rhythm, that consistency in how I would play at that number. Having clarity helps you to go out and execute your skills.”