Pune: Leg-spinner Rashid Khan claimed 4/24, and Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore (2/7) and Yash Dayal (2/24) complemented his efforts as Gujarat Titans bundled out Lucknow Super Giants for 82 in 13.5 over to script a 62-run victory in a low-scoring encounter in IPL 2022 and clinched their berth in the playoffs in Pune on Tuesday.
Rashid Khan and the Gujarat bowlers got into the act after Shubman Gill (63 not out) struck a fighting half-century to help Gujarat Titans reach 144/4 in 20 overs, a score that turned out to be enough on a pitch on which the ball was gripping and coming off slow.
Gujarat bowlers sent down some good line and length and struck at regular intervals as Lucknow Super Giants never recovered from the blows as they slumped to a big defeat.
Rashid Khan claimed his first four-fer in IPL 2022 as he claimed the wickets of Deepak Hooda (27), Krunal Pandya (5), Ayush Badoni (8) and Jason Holder (1) in 3.5 overs.The leg-spinner from Afghanistan got into the act after pacers Mohammed Shami, who again got Lucknow skipper and his India teammate K. L Rahul (8) cheaply, and Yash Dayal sent back Quintan de Kock (11) and debutant Karan Sharma (4) to reduce Lucknow Super Giants to 33/3 in 6th over.
Rashid enticed Krunal Pandya and Ayush Badoni to step out of the crease and Wriddhiman Saha got the bails off in a flash to leave the batsmen stranded in no-man's land. He then bamboozled Jason Holder with a well-disguised leg-break and the West Indies batter just missed it and was rapped on his back leg.
In between, Marcus Stoinis was run-out going for a non-existent second run and Lucknow were down to 70/8. Deepak Hooda, who had held one end up till now, tried to give Rashid the charge in a desperate attempt but his sweep shot ballooned high for keeper Wriddhiman Saha to complete a well-judged catch.
Avesh Khan struck two successive sixes off Rashid Khan before he was given out caught behind on DRS after Saha convinced Hardik Pandya to go to the video umpire, who detected a faint edge.
Lucknow thus slumped to their lowest total of IPL 2022 and the first below-hundred score of the event as Gujarat Titans emerged deserved winners.
Earlier, Gill waged a lone battle as other Gujarat batters found the going tough against a disciplined LSG bowling attack after skipper Hardik Pandya won the toss and chose to bat first. Pandya wanted to test his batters' ability to set up a good total. Tested they were but while Gill passed that test in flying colours, others failed to rise to the occasion.Shubman Gill struck a fighting unbeaten 63 but clinical bowling, especially by pacers Mohsin Khan, Avesh Khan, and Krunal Pandya, helped Lucknow Super Giants restrict Gujarat Titans to a below-par 144/4 in their 20 overs.
In the crucial top-of-the-table clash, Gill, who completed his half-century in 42 deliveries, paced his innings well to remain unbeaten with 63 off 49 deliveries, hitting seven fours. He had two vital partnerships -- 52 with David Miller (26) for the fourth wicket and an unbeaten 41 runs for the fifth with Rahul Tewatia (22 not out) as Gujarat could not break the shackles against disciplined bowling by Lucknow Super Giants.
For Lucknow Super Giants Avesh Khan finished with 2/26 while Mohsin Khan (1/18 off four overs) and Krunal Pandya (0/24 off his quota) applied the brakes on the Gujarat innings.How good was the bowling could be guaged by the fact that Gujarat could manage only one six and just 15 boundaries in 20 overs.
Gill kept the Gujarat Titans innings together as he held one end up after the Lucknow Super Giants struck early blows.
Gujarat scored 35/2 in the Powerplay, their lowest total in the first six overs in IPL 2022 so far. They found the going tough as the Lucknow bowlers, especially their medium pacers, bowled a super line and length -- short of length and on the stumps.
With batting on the pitch a bit difficult as the ball was gripping and coming slow off the surface, Gujarat landed in trouble as they lost Wriddhiman Saha and Matthew Wade with 24 runs on the scorebaord. Young left-arm pacer Mohsin Khan bowled a brilliant spell of three overs as he troubled the batters with his line, length and the angles he created.Saha was out trying to boost the scoring rate, after hitting a four off Dushmantha Chameera, he was out for five, caught by Avesh Khan off Mohsin Khan, top-edging a leg cutter to mid-on.
Matthew Wade struck two successive boundaries off Chameera but was out in the next over to Avesh Khan for 10 and when skipper Hardik Pandya (11) slashed at a short, wide loosener on the first delivery by Avesh Khan after the first strategic break, only to edge it back to Quinton de Kock, Gujarat were in trouble, down to 51/3 in the 10th over.Gill struck Chamera for boundaries off succesive balls and in the 17th over he also reverse swept Krunal Pandya for a four and tonked Avesh Khan to the fence in the 10th over.
David Miller and Gill helped Gujarat recover with a 52-run partnership for the fourth wicket. They played cautiously, did not take many risks and dealt mostly in ones and twos. Miller's two boundaries, a four and a six came off Jason Holder -- the four off a short, wide one which was cut with soft hands to beat the sweeper and the six over extra-cover off a full and wide one that was driven flat over extra-cover.But Holder had the last laugh as he got Miller with a short, wide, slower one that the batter slashed down the throat of deep third man. Rahul Tewatia landed a few lusty blows towards the end of the innings, hitting four boundaries in his 16-ball 22 not out as Gujarat reached a below-par score that they may find difficult to defend.Brief scores: Gujarat Titans 144/4 in 20 overs (Shubman Gill 63 not out, David Miller 26, Rahul Tewatia 22 not out; Avesh Khan 2/26) beat Lucknow Super Giants 82 all out in 13.5 overs (Deepak Hooda 27; Rashid Khan 4/24, Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore 2/7)—IANS
