AHMEDABAD: The results might not be going in their favour but the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) openers have ensured swift, solid starts at the top of the order. This season, openers Aiden Markram and Mitchell Marsh have shared five half-century alliances and one 100-run partnership.
On Thursday against the Gujarat Titans here, Markram (36 off 24b; 3x4, 2x6) and Marsh (117 off 64b; 10x4, 8x6) again provided the fireworks, and along with Nicholas Pooran (56 off 27b; 4x4, 5x6), powered the visitors to a formidable 235/2.
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!In reply, GT could only manage 202/9, with the in-form top order failing to carry the game deep. Eventually it fell to Shahrukh Khan (57 off 29; 5x4, 3x6) and Sherfane Rutherford to make a match of it, but GT eventually fell short by 33 runs, folding for 202/9. The star of the show with the ball for LSG was Will O' Rourke (3/27), who got rid of Sai Sudharsan upfront and then Rutherford and Tewatia. Avesh Khan and Ayush Badoni too got among the wickets. LSG have now defeated GT both times this season.
Who's that IPL player?O'Rourke had Sudharsan caught by Markram at mid-off while Avesh (2/51) got Gill caught brilliantly by Abdul Samad at long-off. Jos Buttler (33 off 18b, 3x4, 2x6) threatened for a while to break loose but was deceived by left-arm pacer Akash Singh's slow inswinger and was bowled. The untested Titans middle-order of Rutherford (38 off 22b; 1x4, 3x6) and Shahrukh showed promise, with the duo adding 86 runs for the fourth wicket.
With 54 runs needed off 24 balls, the Titans smelt a chance. But, once O' Rourke had Rutherford caught at deep midwicket by substitute fielder Ravi Bishnoi, the rest of the Titans' innings just petered out.
Earlier, Marsh and Markram got off the blocks quickly as LSG reached 22 after two overs. Three sedate overs followed before Markram took the toll off Kagiso Rabada by smashing him for two sixes over the leg-side boundary as the visitors raced to 53 in the Powerplay.
The introduction of GT's best pacer, Prasidh Krishna and left-arm spinner R Sai Kishore did little to stem the scoring rate. Marsh got into the act, hitting the left-arm spinner for two maximums and smashing the pacer over square leg for six. Markram's one such attempted lofted shot off Sai Kishore, however, saw him lose his wicket, caught at long off by M Shahrukh Khan.
Subsequently, leggie Rashid Khan was smashed for 25 in an over as Marsh deposited the short balls on offer to the leg-side boundary. Siraj engaged in a verbal duel with Pooran but ended up leaking 20 off the 16th over. Marsh reached his first IPL century with a single to point in the 17th over. Even the off-colour Rishabh Pant (16 off 6b; 2x6) chipped in with a useful contribution.
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