LSG beat MI to boost their playoff chances, Tim David’s heroics in vain

LSG almost lost the contest after Naveen bowled a no-ball and conceded four extra runs. Tim David made them pay, but defending just 11 in the final over, Mohsin Khan delivered big time for LSG. He bowled a terrific over to deny both David and Cam Green as LSG won by five runs. That’s a huge result for them in this race for the playoff spots. LSG now has 15 points and is tied with CSK. MI remains at 14.
MI’s openers got them off to a rollicking start in the run chase, but didn’t the LSG bowlers pull things back in emphatic style? Rohit and Kishan added 90 runs for the opening wicket, but once Rohit departed, the momentum got back in LSG’s favour. Kishan notched up a scintillating fifty; however, once he was dismissed, LSG grabbed back the momentum even further. SKY and Wadhera failed to get going, and although Tim David hit a few lusty blows, Lucknow’s death bowling was impressive enough to strangle them eventually.
It was quite clearly one of the best pitches to bat on at this particular venue, and it was none other than Marcus Stoinis who made the difference. Stoinis failed to get going at this venue earlier in the tournament, but there’s always the first time. Tonight was his night, and didn’t he play like a warrior to take LSG to 15 points? With this win, he has helped the Giants inch closer to sealing a spot in the playoffs.
MI started the game on a strong note, as Jason Behrendorff provided the visitors with an ideal start by picking up two wickets in two balls in the third over. He dismissed the out-of-form batter, Deepak Hooda, on 5/7. Prerak Mankad became his second victim as the young batter tried to place the ball in the offside region, but there was a faint outside edge. Mankad walked back towards the dugout with a golden duck in his account, with the catch taken by Ishan Kishan.
Stoinis took up the role of a finisher to accelerate the pace of the innings. Chris Jordan took the ball in his hands to bowl the 18th over. Stoinis took his chance against Jordan and struck two sixes and three fours to score 24 runs in a single over. He kept up the momentum and struck two consecutive sixes to score 15 runs in the 19th over. Stoinis didn’t take his foot off the accelerator as he sent the ball flying into the stands on the final ball of the inning to take LSG’s score to 177/3 in 20 overs.
Kishan, who registered a brisk half-century, also succumbed to Ravi Bishnoi as LSG sensed an opening in the contest. His dismissal was followed by the big wicket of an in-form Suryakumar Yadav, who lost his off stump after trying a cheeky ramp shot. The LSG bowlers applied pressure on the two new batters, leading to the demise of Nehal Wadhera after a sluggish innings.
With the visitors losing wickets in a flurry, the onus was on Tim David to rescue his side from the perilous situation. However, LSG’s Impact sub Yash Thakur bowled a superb 18th over to tilt the match in his side’s favour. But a dramatic penultimate over from Naveen-ul-Haq saw Tim David wrestle back the momentum with two massive sixes. But there was another twist in the tale, as Mohsin Khan successfully defended 11 runs in the last over to pull off a stunning victory for the hosts in their last home game.