Stoinis and bowling pack lift LSG to third spot
Mumbai could only muster 144, a total that wasn't anywhere close to enough
Mumbai could only muster 144, a total that wasn't anywhere close to enough
Scorer: @Thilak_Rama | Commentator: Shashwat Kumar
11:47pm That brings us to the end of our coverage for tonight. Hope you enjoyed it as much as we loved bringing it to you. We will be back again tomorrow, when the Chennai Super Kings host the Punjab Kings at Chepauk. Until then, this is goodbye from all of us. Goodnight and take care!
Marcus Stoinis, Player of the Match: (On a fan poll saying he resembles the Hulk more than Tim David) I have had the nickname for longer. He (David) is a bit more hairy, like Big Foot (laughs). Nice to bowl with the new ball. As someone who is not quick, I can try to shape the ball. Did not expect to bowl three in the powerplay but nice to bowl. I thought the wicket was okay. We knew it was going to be slow. We could have pushed the envelope and scored a bit faster. If those partnerships went for 8-10 more balls, we would have done it more easily. (On his dismissal) It was a drag-down, wasn't it? After doing the hard work and doing the hard stuff, it was just disappointing to get out and leave it to someone else. This is is my third year, fortunate enough to have been here since day one, from before the auction. Have built a few close bonds with people. We are playing good cricket, and everything is good.
KL Rahul, Lucknow Super Giants captain: (On having flashbacks of last year's game against GT) A little bit, but we still had batters in the middle, experienced batters in KP and Pooran. It was a bit dry, but still, if they had put up 160, it would have been a competitive game. A team coming here, it takes time to adjust to the wicket. Our bowlers put pressure on them, and made the job of the batters easier. Always happy when you get those two points. We still need to get a few things right and hoping that we start gaining momentum at the back end. (On Mayank Yadav) I have not really spoken to him. He had slight pain in his side and after the first ball, he said that there was a bit of pain. Thought there was no need to risk it, he is still a young lad. It is not just the pace. This game, he showed he has more skills than bowling 150-plus. The more he plays, the more he will learn when to bowl what. Right now, we have given him a free hand to just enjoy himself and bowl what he wants.
Hardik Pandya, Mumbai Indians captain: (On losing wickets hurting them during their batting powerplay) Definitely, losing early wickets in the powerplay is tough to recover from. Where we needed the most, we could not do well. (On batters being under more pressure batting first because of the high scores everywhere) Not really, you still have to see the ball and hit. The wicket was good. The ball was there to be hit and we just missed, that sort of season for us so far. I have always believed that whenever you take to the field, sometimes you will be down, sometimes you will be up, and you have to fight. It looks difficult but there are a lot of things you can learn from this game. (On Wadhera) He has been fantastic, the way he batted against Rajasthan and tonight. He did fantastic last year as well. It was because of the team combination that he could not play early. Looking at his talent, he will play for a lot of years for Mumbai and for India eventually.
Justin Langer: We were bitterly disappointed with our last game. So to fight against MI and win against them, that brings a smile. Thrilled with that (win). (On the bowling) It was outstanding. I thought we had all bases covered. The first time we have taken early wickets (apart from Bangalore) and it set us up nicely. (On Mayank Yadav's injury) Looks like he is sore in the same spot. His rehab has been perfect. He has bowled pain-free the last week or so and has looked in great condition. We will have a scan and find out tomorrow. (On Stoinis) He has been a real match-winner. He took a good catch earlier as well. He is showing a good presence at the top of the order, which we demanded after the first few games. Match-winners (like him) are key to progressing in such tournaments. I have been blown away by the IPL and how tight it is, almost like a World Cup. Loved how we fought back tonight and that is a sign of a good team.
11:23pm Well, this was a slow burn. For the longest while, it felt as if the Super Giants would cruise to victory, especially when Stoinis was batting. Once he fell, though, a bit of panic crept in. Turner could not get going, and Pooran lacked his usual six-hitting touch too. Badoni's run-out further complicated matters but thankfully for the hosts, Stoinis had done enough of the heavy lifting earlier to give them that cushion.
While LSG could have been more clinical with the run-chase, take nothing away from the Mumbai Indians' bowling attack. They did not have many runs to defend, yet, they fought with all they had. Bumrah was brilliant, like he is on most days. Hardik also chipped in and picked up two crucial wickets. Coetzee, however, was a touch expensive and the spinners were also not very effective, and that let MI down, given they had absolutely no margin for error with the score they had put up.
Uh-oh, the over-rate penalty has been imposed. MI can have only four fielders on the fence. 3 needed off 6. Nabi to bowl
Around the wicket now
There is no obvious reason but a collective dip in form has left the five-time champions on the brink of elimination
LSG captain KL Rahul says the move was more of a precaution, coach Justin Langer says the tearaway quick will have a scan nevertheless
Mumbai could only muster 144, a total that wasn't anywhere close to enough
MI will need their overseas fast bowlers to step up, and soon