Gujarat Titans messed up on a golden opportunity to seal a top two spot in the league table as Lucknow Super Giants earned a consolation 33-run victory riding on Mitchell Marsh’s maiden hundred in the Indian Premier League on Thursday. Batting first, Marsh’s brilliant 117 off 64 balls took LSG to 235 for 2 after stipulated 20 overs. The total was commanding and LSG did well enough to keep the home team at bay, restricting them to 202 for 9 in 20 overs. New Zealander Will O’Rourke, who has come in as Mayank Yadav’s replacement, was the pick of the bowlers for LSG with figures of 3 for 27.
GT remained top with 18 points from 13 matches, while the already eliminated LSG moved to sixth from seventh. They have 12 points from 13 matches.
Shahrukh Khan (57 off 29 balls) did give LSG a scare with some lusty blows but that was never going to be enough in the end despite a riveting 86-run stand with Sherfane Rutherford for the fourth wicket in just 6.4 overs.
GT, who have already qualified for the playoffs, could have taken a giant leap towards top two finish by ensuring 20 points. They will now try to win the last match and give themselves the best chance to finish in top two of the league table with both Pujab Kings and RCB also having a fair shot at the pole position. The chase of 236 started in earnest with B Sai Sudharsan (21 off 16 balls) and skipper Shubman Gill (35 off 20 balls) starting the innings with some crisp boundaries.
However, the league’s current top run accumulator, Sudharsan couldn’t convert the start and Gill despite his short arm pulls was also snapped brilliantly by Abdul Samad.
It was Jos Buttler (33 off 18 balls) who hit a couple of sixes but left-arm fast bowler Akash Singh, who split the webbing of his right hand, took pace off a floating delivery that breached the Englishman’s defence.
At this point that Shahrukh and Rutherford (38) joined forces and the target that looked improbable till then suddenly started looking gettable.
The LSG bowlers, especially India Test specialist Akash Deep and his state team colleague Shahbaz Ahmed leaked runs. LSG’s ground fielding also was not up to the mark.
Shahrukh, who has a reputation in domestic cricket for Tamil Nadu, over the years haven’t been able to transform his potential into significant knocks.
However on the day, he held his shape and punished pacers and spinners alike but the target was too much in the end. In the first innings, it was Marsh’s maiden IPL century which came a trifle late but became the cornerstone of LSG’s imposing score.
Marsh, who has already scored five half centuries this season, was slow off the blocks but then muscled the Titans bowlers with great gusto as he hit 10 fours and as many as eight maximums in his 64-ball-117.
As it has been a familiar story this season, LSG looked a different batting unit with their top three batters in Marsh, Aiden Markram (36 off 24 balls) and the mercurial Nicholas Pooran (56 not out off 27 balls) belting the Titans bowling unit clad in lavender jerseys.
Pooran’s fifth half century of the season came in just 23 balls.
Marsh and Markram added 91 for the opening stand in the front 10 and with Pooran, the ‘Bison’ added another 121 runs for the second wicket in just 8.3 overs to beef up their team total.
In all LSG batters hit 17 sixes, which is their highest in an IPL match.
The best part about Marsh’s hits was using his long levers to hit both straight and square off the wicket. After completing his hundred, the disdain with which he dispatched a hard length delivery from Purple Cap holder Prasidh Krishna into the deep mid-wicket stands was an absolute treat.
If that was not enough, Marsh’s eighth six came off the very next delivery as he made room shuffling slightly towards leg-stump and lofted Prasidh down the ground.
Marsh’s century came off 56 balls and he was exceptionally severe on left-arm spinner R Sai KIshore, who has otherwise, been parsimonious in this tournament. PTI KHS SSC SSC
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