As anticipated, Delhi Capitals’ lack of preparedness stood exposed. A settled Lucknow Super Giants made light of the presence of Capitals’ opener David Warner and pace spearhead Anrich Nortje and eked out a six-wicket victory with two deliveries to spare.
For the record, a third win in four games saw the debutant side join Kolkata Knight Riders at six points. Capitals stayed at two after a second defeat in three outings.
Match-winning knock
On the D.Y. Patil Stadium pitch that assisted bounce before the onset of heavy dew made it difficult for the bowlers, Super Giants’ spinners did the job and left the stage for Quinton de Kock. The left-hander made Capitals’ 149 for three look within reach, with a match-winning 52-ball 80.
Nortje, one of Capitals’ retentions before the mega auction, suffered at the hands of de Kock. Facing Nortje’s first IPL over in India, de Kock hit the fellow South African for a hat-trick of boundaries and a six to collect 19 runs. The opener went on to score his 18th IPL half-century.
Nortje, back in the 14th over for his second spell, started with a beamer to de Kock that ended up as a six over third man despite the batter’s evasive action. Another over-the-waist no-ball, this time to Deepak Hooda, saw Prithvi Shaw take the catch but once the umpires were convinced about the height of the delivery, Nortje could not continue and was taken off after the second delivery of his third over. Though K.L. Rahul fell for an almost run-a-ball 24 after a 73-run opening stand and Evin Lewis (5) followed soon after, there was no respite for Capitals.
The domination of de Kock continued until he miscued a heave, but Krunal Pandya’s six off Mustafizur Rahman kept the team ahead. With five runs required off the last over, Hooda fell to Shardul Thakur but Ayush Badoni hit a four and a six to take Super Giants past the finish line.
Earlier, asked to bat, Capitals scored briskly at the start mainly due to Shaw’s 34-ball 61 dotted with two sixes and nine fours. In fact, he contributed 47 of the 52 scored in the PowerPlay before reaching his half-century off just 30 balls. Soon after, Shaw, a struggling Warner (four off 12 balls) and Rovman Powell (three off 10) departed in the space of three overs and seven runs.
Such was the pressure that Sarfaraz Khan — the third change in the team after Warner and Nortje — and Rishabh Pant struggled more than they flourished. With just 19 coming off the last 18 deliveries, the momentum tilted in favour of Super Giants and stayed there.
SCOREBOARD
DELHI CAPITALS Prithvi Shaw c de Kock b Gowtham 61 (34b, 9x4, 2x6), David Warner c Badoni b Bishnoi 4 (12b), Rovman Powell b Bishnoi 3 (10b), Rishabh Pant (not out) 39 (36b, 3x4, 2x6), Sarfaraz Khan (not out) 36 (28b, 3x4); Extras (lb-2, w-4): 6; Total (for three wkts. in 20 overs): 149.
FALL OF WICKETS 1-67 (Shaw, 7.3 overs), 2-69 (Warner, 8.3), 3-74 (Powell, 10.3).
SUPER GIANTS BOWLING Holder 4-0-30-0, Gowtham 4-1-23-1, Avesh 3-0-32-0, Bishnoi 4-0-22-2, Tye 3-0-28-0, Krunal 2-0-12-0.
LUCKNOW SUPER GIANTS K.L. Rahul c Shaw b Kuldeep 24 (25b, 1x4, 1x6), Quinton de Kock c Sarfaraz b Kuldeep 80 (52b, 9x4, 2x6), Evin Lewis c Kuldeep b Lalit 5 (13b), Deepak Hooda c Axar b Shardul 11 (13b); Krunal Pandya (not out) 19 (14b, 1x6), Ayush Badoni (not out) 10 (3b, 1x4, 1x6); Extras (lb-2, w-2, nb-2): 6; Total (for four wkts. in 19.4 overs): 155.
FALL OF WICKETS 1-73 (Rahul, 9.4), 2-86 (Lewis, 12.3), 3-122 (de Kock, 15.6), 4-145 (Hooda, 19.1).
CAPITALS BOWLING Mustafizur 4-0-26-0, Lalit 4-0-21-1, Shardul 3.4-0-29-1, Nortje 2.2-0-35-0, Axar 2-0-11-0, Kuldeep 3.4-0-31-2.
Toss: LSG; MoM: de Kock.
LSG won by six wickets with four balls to spare.
