Giants outbowls Kings, consolidate position in top four of table

Express News Service

CHENNAI: With the pitch tailor-made for pacers, Punjab Kings’ bowlers did very well to restrict Lucknow Super Giants to a modest total. The likes of Sandeep Sharma, Arshdeep Singh and Kagiso Rabada, who picked up four wickets of the day, made merry, making life difficult for the Giants’ batters, including the in-form KL Rahul.

However, it was the Giants’ bowling attack, boasting a stronger line-up on paper, that outperformed the Kings’ bowlers. The latter, with probing line and length, had restricted Giants to 153/8, a total that seemed attainable after captain Mayank Agarwal had put them to bat.

But Punjab never got going, losing wickets at crucial periods. Moshin Khan was the pick of the bowlers with three wickets, giving away just 24 in his four overs. Mayank made a positive start but just when he was threatening to take the match away from Giants, he was dismissed by Dushmantha Chameera, who complimented Mohsin, and choked the life out of batters with as many as 17 dot balls in his four overs.

When Liam Livingstone was sent back, Kings were staring at a massive test. Jonny Bairstow, who was Kings’ last hope, did well to reach 32 but as wickets continued to tumble at the other end, Bairstow fell as well. With Bairstow gone, it was all but over for Kings. They eventually fell short by 20 runs. With the win, Giants are one step closer to cementing their status as a top-four team
Earlier, Punjab bowlers were in the zone. With pinpoint bowling, especially in the early overs, they never let the Giants’ batters off the hook. Even someone like Rahul, who has been scoring for fun this season, lasted just 11 balls before heading back to the pavilion.

With an even covering of grass at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, it was an ideal pitch for pacers. Arshdeep set the tone for what was to come. With good length balls, the young pacer had Rahul on the backfoot, catching him on his pads. Sandeep, who followed Arshdeep, kept up the stingy ways, with as many as four dot balls in the second.

But Rahul hit a classy four in the third over, off Kagiso Rabada, something that felt could break the shackles. However, two deliveries later, Rahul was walking.
Rabada, with a peach of a delivery, got rid of the in-form batter. The pacer had a nice shape in his delivery and had just about enough movement as Rahul nicked it to the keeper. Sandeep kept up the pressure in the next over as Giants went into re-building phase with Deepak Hooda joining Quinton de Kock in middle.

The onus was on De Kock to anchor the Giants’ ship. De Kock played in an assertive manner, dispatching Rabada for two sixes in the fifth over. He was even handed a lifeline, with Rabada dropping a tricky catch off Rishi Dhawan.

From thereon, the two kept the scoreboard ticking. In the ninth over, Livingstone was introduced for the first time and De Kock seized his chance to let loose, cracking a maximum on the off side in the very first delivery. Livingstone’s second over cost as many as 15 runs.

Just as the Giants were getting a move on, Sandeep, who hadn’t conceded a single boundary in his first three overs, returned to action. De Kock hit him for two fours but the pacer was finally rewarded with a wicket, the southpaw nicking behind to the keeper. Moments later, Giants were in a precarious position with both Hooda and Krunal Pandya dismissed in quick succession. Chameera and Mohsin hit a few out of the park, helping Giants cross the 150-run mark.

In the end, that proved to be more than enough.