Rajasthan Royals defeated Lucknow Super Giants by 40 runs at the BRSABV Ekana Cricket Stadium on Wednesday, April 22.
On Wednesday, Rishabh Pant won the toss and decided to bowl first. The move paid off when Mohammed Shami and Mohsin Khan combined to dismiss Royals' top three strongmen in the first four overs.
Ryan Parag and Shimron Hetmyer got starts but were lost before they could make any significant contribution. Ravindra Jadeja dropped the anchor, while Donovan Ferreira provided him good support. However, when Ferreira was out on 20, Shubham Dubey was sent in as the impact player, and he scored an unbeaten 19 off 11 balls. Jadeja remained unbeaten on 43 off 29 balls as the visitors finished at 159/6 in 20 overs.
Lucknow needed early wickets and they got just that, with Ayush Badoni and Rishabh Pant getting out in the first and second overs respectively. However, the nightmare did not end there for Lucknow, who lost Aiden Markram for duck on six balls.
Nicholas Pooran and Mitchell Marsh tried to revive the innings, but the two free-flowing batsmen struggled to time the ball on the wicket. In the end Puran was out after scoring 22 runs in 25 balls. Himmat Singh came as an impact player and scored 15 runs on one ball. However, the most important wicket was taken by Nandre Berger in the 16th over, as he dismissed Marsh for 55 off 41 balls.
The lower order could not last long as the Super Giants were bundled out for 119 runs with two overs left to play. Archer was the best bowler that night and the others supported him well.
talking points
1. Ravindra Jadeja's all-round show floor, Lucknow.
Ravindra Jadeja Rajasthan were all out after being reduced to 62/4 in the ninth over. The 37-year-old understood the importance of his wicket and remained patient to take the innings forward. Players like Donovan Ferreira, Shimron Hetmyer and Shubham Dubey playing around him helped Rajasthan finish at a struggling score of 159/6. Jadeja remained unbeaten on 43 runs in 29 balls and scored 20 runs in the last over. With the ball, he got the wicket of Pooran and conceded just 29 runs in four overs.
2. Rajasthan's bowling is excellent
The Rajasthan Royals bowlers showed no signs of fear while defending a target which was not a huge target for Lucknow to chase. Jofra Archer and Nandre Berger once again created the atmosphere inside the power play and the spinners stopped the flow of runs in the middle overs. Brijesh Sharma was also impressive, taking two wickets in three overs. However, Archer grabbed the headlines with three wickets for 20 runs in four overs.
3. It's not happening for LSG's foreign stars
While Mitchell Marsh tried to bat as per the conditions, you can understand that he was not happy after not being able to bat in his aggressive style. Lucknow hoped that he would maximize the power play, but that did not happen. It is hard to blame Aiden Markram as Lucknow have often moved him around the batting order, which is never easy. Finally, Nicholas Pooran faced another difficult outing on Wednesday, as he could not time most of the balls he faced. It does not happen often that Puran is able to score only 22 runs after facing 25 balls.
LSG vs RR: Who said what?
Rishabh Pant, LSG Captain
I think it's difficult to explain. Like it's definitely our batting that is letting us down, but at the same time, we are disappointed as a team, as a group, but at the same time, you have to keep finding ways. You have to look for answers within, not outside, but that's the case so far. Look, definitely we could have taken some time while batting and also, you know, not making any excuses there, like, you know, including ourselves in that, like we could have taken it a little bit deeper because I think the bowlers did a great job, especially after the last game. As a batting group, we have to put our hand up and try to accomplish that task for the bowlers as well. You know, there's still a lot that we want to look at on the positive side. We all know it's disappointing for us as a team, but you know, we have to keep our heads high and look for answers inside and we certainly know that our bowling and batting have enough firepower and we can still turn it around. This is what I believe in.
Riyan Parag, RR captain
Very happy. First of all, I think we were really weak with the bat. The way the wicket was playing when Hetty and I were batting, I think we have to be better. I thought, to be honest, even in the conditions we had, we were close to 180 and that would have been a really good score because I knew it was going to be slow later, but yes, the bowlers… no, it's because of the wickets. At the start of the tournament, the message from the group was that we will be a team that assesses and adapts and I think in the last two games, the wickets we got, they adapted really well and they batted according to the wicket, not just the way they wanted to bat. It has nothing to do with the middle order not scoring or whatever. If they get a flat wicket they become aggressive. If they get another wicket like this, they can take some time and then we will move on from there. They complement each other. I am blessed. I mean at this stage of the game or how T20 cricket is evolving, for two bowlers to bowl 3-3 in the power play, I think that's commendable. In the first innings the wicket was helping the seamers a little bit more, but then in the second innings, we knew it would swing, but the length he bowled, the line he bowled and the way we felt it was impressive. Everyone cooperated a lot. I am also going through a phase. Just before the IPL, I went through some things and then even now I am going through some things and everyone understands that. Everyone respects it and I thank them for that. I feel the way I am batting and the innings are not far away, but as I have been saying, if I go tomorrow and play another game, the team will need it. It is not that I am not scoring runs and taking my time to score 40 or 30 runs. it's not going to happen. I go there, assess the situations. If they want me to score 200 runs with the first ball, I do that.
Best player of the match Ravindra Jadeja
Yeah, it feels good, you know, getting man of the match and helping the team win. So, yes, I feel great, but before I start, I would like to dedicate this award to the Education Minister of Gujarat because he told me just yesterday that you are going to do miracles tomorrow. So I would like to thank him. (On his batting) Yes, the wicket was not that easy because the ball was seaming and swinging. So I thought, I should play as long as possible. And that's what I was talking to Donovan and whoever was coming up to bat. So I was just talking to him that we will play for a long time because in T20 cricket, you never know. The last over, we capitalized as we wanted, like we got more than 20 runs in the last over. So this is the thinking behind it. (On going after Mayank Yadav in the final over) Yes, I think it is not so easy to bowl at that pace after coming from injury. But I was just supporting my strength and I was talking to my partner that let's support each other and play good cricket shots. Because as I said, the ball was seaming a lot on this wicket and there was also bounce. So it is not so easy that you can play any shot at any time. (On Pooran's celebration after his wicket) Yes, he is in my pocket (laughs). Nothing, just a thought came to my mind and I did it. (On changing his pace) No, because the ball was gripping a little. So I was just wondering whether I should bowl fast or slow on this wicket? So I thought, okay, I will bowl some slower balls. And then I realized that yes, if I bowl slower I can get a little grip on the wicket. So that's what I wanted to do. (Different plan for Marsh) because the midwicket side and long-in side were a little smaller than other teams. So I knew he could play that shot at some level. So I was just bowling and mixing it up with my pace, slow, wide and full balls too. Today it seemed that I would bowl slowly.
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