LSG vs DC What caught our Eye: Lucknow’s 160 run barrier breached, Khaleel Ahmed stays voracious for wickets and Kuldeep’s casual dazzle

Missing Mayank Yadav already

Prior to this game LSG had never lost a game when they made 160 or more batting first. They have been masters when it comes to defending totals, with spinners and paces taking pace off the ball and doing the trick for them at Ekana Stadium. But against DC, despite a late recovery with the bat, the score never seemed enough. That DC got there easily was a story in itself. Even though Ravi Bishnoi was as economical as ever, the inexperience of their pace pack to go with Krunal Pandya’s expensive outing made it all the more complicated. This inexperience in the pace department, particularly with Mayank Yadav missing means the X-factor has gone missing. How effortlessly Jake Fraser-McGurk and Rishabh Pant got on top of them when the game was in balance would make Lucknow go back to the drawing board. It is only their second loss, but it seems worrying for many reasons.

Ahmed’s nip-backers

Rishabh Pant was in a dilemma, whether to give Khaleel Ahmed a third successive over. With a bit of new-ball assisted movement and in fine rhythm, Ahmed implored Pant for a third over. The captain relented to his most successful bowler of the season, and was duly rewarded. He made the ball tuck back into Devdutt Padikkal, whose foot-work has been indecisive this season, a mirror to his travails. He made a half front-foot stride and moved backwards, bizarrely to a good length ball that skidded on. The ball shaped back in, but did not move as wickedly as he had thought. He played around it and was hit flush on the pads. Ahmed appealed vociferously, and the umpired relented. Padikkal did not bother reviewing, wisely. A similar nip-backer had nabbed Quinton de Kock, though the ball was fuller and hitting the leg-stump. Ahmed himself didn’t anticipate a wicket, even the appeal was more like a formality. With better reflexes he would have snared a third too, as he spilled a return catch off Marcus Stoinis, the first ball the Australian faced.

Short and breezy from De Kock

During his brief innings, Quinton de Kock used every part of his bat as he tried to get Lucknow Super Giants off to an express start. The first ball of the innings, by Khaleel Ahmed, was met with the outside half and went over the slips for a boundary. The last ball of the over made contact with the inside edge as the South African tried to flay it through the off-side, only to find the untenanted fine-leg area. The next two big shots the left-handed opener attempted came off spectacularly, over the off-side, once each off Khaleel and Ishant Sharma, when the pacers erred on the fuller side while offering a bit of width. But when de Kock went across the line, it backfired as a ball pitched up eluded the bat to make contact with the back leg. A vociferous appeal from Khaleel was answered in the affirmative after what seemed like an age, and the DRS challenge showed the ball tracking to shave the outside of leg stump. The wicket came as a relief for the beleaguered Delhi Capitals, who may have been fearing the worst after conceding scores of 272 and 234 in their previous two outings.

A thing of beauty

It took just three balls for Kuldeep Yadav to pick his first wicket on return; it took one more to produce a ball of dizzying magic. Marcus Stoinis, his first wicket, was fooled first in the air, and then by the drop, the batsman utterly misjudging the length. He was just warming up. The next ball drifted away from the back of his palms, luring Nicholas Pooran’s eyes away. Then the ball suddenly dropped on off-stump or thereabouts. Pooran had little clue, he just groped uncertainly at the ball, a confounded push rather. Drift and drop had already beaten him. Soon turn too would defeat him, as the ball spun back through his wide and welcoming gate, letting the ball stroll through the vast expanse to hit the stumps. Kuldeep’s celebrations were casual, as though he was in command of his destiny. And that of the batsmen too.

Strike rates and such

LSG posted a video on their social media handles after their win against GT, featuring their captain KL Rahul. “Congrats, Rahul bhai. I think you should become India’s next Defence Minister,” he was told. Rahul replied “Tu bhi majak udayega strike rate ka yaar? (Why are you also making fun of my strike rate?)” The original point was that LSG have been defending totals superbly in IPL (a 88% win record while batting first, and never lost a match where they have scored 160-plus batting first).
But the subtext was about Rahul’s complicated relationship with strike rates. His ‘strike rate is overrated’ comment is part of IPL folklore now and earlier this season too, he had said no team has figured out powerplay yet. On Friday against Delhi Capitals, Rahul batted in the powerplay like someone who once set the record for the fastest half century in IPL. Before this, Rahul’s scores in the powerplay have been 15* (15), 15 (9), 20* (14), 14* (13). But against DC, he appeared in a rhythm from the word go, racing to 30* (14) for a strike rate of 214.3. Certainly not to be underrated.

David not a Goliath anymore

From the time David Warner launched his arrival with Delhi Daredevils in the IPL, he has been the most feared opener. With explosive shots in his armoury, Warner has destroyed many a good attacks in the past. But since last season, he has seldom looked the player he used to be. Though he tallied 516 runs last season, his strike-rate of 131.63 was his second lowest since 2014. This season, when a lot is expected of him, Warner hasn’t been at his best, often appearing to be struggling with his rhythm. The manner in which he was dismissed, played on to the stumps while going for a scoop, illustrated his struggles this season.

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