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GT Vs LSG: Who Bowled Best? Vote!

By CHITRANGADA DATTA CHAUDHURI
April 08, 2024 06:47 IST

IMAGE: The bowlers stole the show in the Gujarat Titans-Lucknow Super game. Photographs: BCCI

The packed Ekana cricket stadium may not have witnessed massive sixes, but the home fans saw some brilliant bowling as Lucknow Super Giants picked up their first ever win over the Gujarat Titans.

All eyes were on the young Mayank Yadav who has taken the ongoing IPL season by storm with his searing pace.

But in their home match, Yadav walked off injured after leaking 13 runs in his first over. But LSG proved that they weren't over reliant on the youngster as their other bowlers rose to the occasion.

One may have thought it was Krunal Pandya who put up the best show against the Titans, but it was Yash Thakur who walked away with the best figures.

A look at the best spells in the Gujarat Titans-Lucknow Super Giants contest:

 

Yash Thakur 

Coming into the attack in the final over of the Powerplay, Yash Thakur handed LSG the first breakthrough.

With the GT openers of to a steady start, Thakur knocked back Shubman Gill's stumps as the GT skipper fell to Thakur's pace. A full, fast and straight one from Thakur, and Gill missed it as it crashed onto the stumps. It was his first wicket of the evening.

Coming back into the attack in the 15th over, Thakur all but sealed GT's hopes, picking up two wickets in the over. A short wide one and Vijay Shankar, ended up feathering it to K L Rahul behind the stumps.

A change of pace and Rashid Khan skipping down the track tried to muscle it over deep backward square leg. But not getting enough power on it and mistiming it, Rashid found substitute fielder Deepak Hooda at mid-off as he became Thakur's third victim of the evening.

Bowling the 19th over, Thakur picked up two more to bowl out the former champs for 130 and pick up a fifer.

Taking the pace off again, Thakur once again bowled a shortish length, which Rahul Tewatia tried hammering over deep backward square leg. But the lack of pace saw him find Nicholas Pooran as the dangerman depart. Tewatia's wicket saw Thakur register his best figures in the IPL.

But he wasn't done yet. A short one just outside off, and Noor Ahmad tried sending it out of the park, only to find Quinton de Kock at mid-on.

Thakur's maiden five-wicket haul also saw him bowl a double-wicket maiden over, the first one of the season.

Krunal Pandya

Thakur's fifer may have stolen his thunder, but one can't take away the impact Krunal Pandya's stellar spell had on LSG's win.

Coming into the attack after the end of the Powerplay, Krunal had an instant impact, conceding just two runs in his first over.

In his second over, he struck with his very first ball, to remove the set Sai Sudharsan.

The lack of pace saw the ball skew up off the top edge as Sudharsan found Ravi Bishnoi at deep midwicket.

The all rounder picked up his second one in the same over as he sent B R Sharath back to the dugout for just 2 off 5. A slow length ball just outside off, and Sharath got a top edge to find Ayush Badoni at deep square leg.

Krunal's third over was another economical one as he put pressure on the GT scoreboard, conceding just four runs. Bowling out in the 13th over, Krunal struck on the very first ball, to pick up his third wicket of the evening. A short one outside leg and Darshan Nalkande was picked up by Thakur at short fine leg.

Krunal turned in sizzling figures of 3/11 from his four overs.

Umesh Yadav

He led the Titans bowling attack from the front with some brilliant bowling in the Powerplay.

He may have been clobbered for a second ball six by de Kock in the first over, but Umesh bounced back in the very same over.

He bowled a length ball on the off stump, de Kock got the top edge and it went straight to the fielder at third man, to hand GT the first breakthrough.

Coming in at No. 3, Devdutt Padikkal was the next to be sent back as Umesh bowled a peach of a ball that shaped away from the batter. Padikkal fished for the ball, stuck in his crease and was caught by the slip fielder.

With it, Umesh picked up his 22nd wicket in the Powerplay.

He was accurate and hit the right areas and proved effective. In the end he gave away just 22 off his 3 overs for two wickets.

Darshan Nalkande

Young Nalkande was simply superb on the day. In his opening over he gave just five runs and broke the flourishing partnership between K L Rahul and Marcus Stoinis.

Both batters were going strongly and had brought up their partnership off 38 balls.

Nalkande came into the attack and struck in his fourth delivery. He bowled a pitched up delivery, and Rahul ended up mistiming the big shot and was caught at long-on by Tewatia. Rahul was dismissed for 33 off 31 to end the 73-run stand.

GT Captain Shubman Gill persisted with Nalkande and Stoinis smoked the bowler for two sixes in the over to bring up his half-century. But the young bowler got his revenge with a full ball that Stoinis tried to go after but only to top edge it to a fielder to walk back for 58. He finished with 2 for 21 off his 2 overs.

LSG Vs GT: Who Bowled The Best Spell?

CHITRANGADA DATTA CHAUDHURI

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