Marsh, Rathi help LSG get one over MI

Lucknow: Hosts Lucknow Super Giants on Friday extended their winning record against five-time champions Mumbai Indians by scripting a thrilling 12-run win before a packed stadium at the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium here.

LSG, who enjoy a 5-1 head-to-head record agains MI, held their nerve to register their first win on home turf after losing to PBKS by eight wickets in the first encounter on Tuesday.

The only disappointment for the side was yet another poor show by skipper Rishabh Pant, who could score just two runs, taking his season’s total to just 19 runs in four matches.

MI needed 29 runs in 12 balls with skipper Hardik Pandya and Mitchel Santner at the crease, but the two found pacer Avesh Khan to be a tough nut to crack as MI ended up on 191/5 while chasing 204 to win.

Surya Kumar Yadav (67, 43b, 8x4, 1x6) and Naman Dheer (46, 24b, 4x4, 3x6) tried their best to lift MI up, stitching together a 69-run stand for the third wicket after MI lost both the openers early in the chase.

By the end of the third over, MI were 2/25 with openers Will Jacks (5) and Ryan Rickelton (10) already back to the dugout after being caught by Ravi Bishnoi at deep backward square leg off Akash Deep and Shardul Thakur respectively.

But even then, Naman Dheer didn’t allow LSG bowlers to dominate. The Haryana lad hammered Akash Deep for 21 runs in his second over, clobbering two sixes and back-to-back boundaries before hitting a huge six of Avesh’s first over to take the score to 64/2 in six overs.

Dheer’s aggressive intent combined with Suryakumar’s usual beligerence helped MI recover a bit before mystery spinner Digvesh Rathi cleaned up the former with a quick one that skidded off the wicket.

Rathi’s spell of 4-0-21-1 was crucial for LSG as he was the one bowler who forced MI on the defensive. In the chase while every other home team bowler conceded runs at 10 RPO or more, Rathi’s ER was just 5.25.

Surya kept the pressure on LSG by slamming pacer Avesh with consecutive boundaries in the bowler’s second over. However, the MI batter’s innings ended when he was caught brilliantly by Abdul Samad, at deep backward square leg, off the same bowler.

Earlier, even while batting on a slow surface after Pandya chose to field first after winning the toss, the LSG openers. Mitchell Marsh, in particular, didn’t hesitate in freeing his arms, hitting back-to-back boundaries on consecutive deliveries of Deepak Chahar in the first over after Aiden Markram struck a boundary on the first ball of the same over.

Marsh ensured that there was no let-up in intensity, hitting his third half-century of the season in just 27 balls with the help of seven boundaries and two sixes as LSG raced to 69/0 in the Powerplay.

The big Australian chose to hit young pacer Ashwani Kumar especially hard — hitting 23 runs, including two boundaries and a six, in his first over.

However, young wrist spinner Vignesh Puthur put the brakes on Marsh’s innings, taking a return catch on his bowling after the batter scored 60, his second highest knock this season, in 31 balls with the help of nine boundaries and two sixes.

Even though LSG lost its star batter Nicolas Pooran (12, 6b, 1x4, 1x6) soon after the batter from West Indies failed to read a slower bouncer outside the off stump and offered a simple catch to Chahar at short fine leg while playing a pull shot off Pandya.

There was a loud roar when skipper Rishabh Pant made it to the ground but soon it turned into a pin-drop silent as the out-of-form batter lobbed a straight catch to substitute Bosh after scoring just two runs in six balls.

A 51-run fourth-wicket partnership between Markram and Ayush Badoni kept the scoreboard ticking at a fast pace before Delhi boy Badoni (30, 19b, 4x4) was caught behind the stumps off Ashwani Kumar.

But Markram continued to play his shots with power, striking his first half-century this season, scoring 53 (38b, 2x4, 4x6) before being caught by Raj Bawa off Pandya, who eventually finished with bowling figures of 4-0-36-5.