Super Giants spinners extracted the maximum from the slow and low pitch to strangulate the Sunrisers Hyderabad batters and restricted them to a modest 121 for eight at the Ekana Cricket stadium here on Friday.
Left-arm spinner Krunal Pandya (three for 18) was the standout performer for Super Giants while Amit Mishra (two for 23) and Ravi Bishnoi (one for 18) played the ideal support cast, the trio conceding just 59 runs in 12 overs.
It was the late flourish from Abdul Samad (21 n.o., 10b, 1×4, 2×6) — he tonked Jaydev Unadkat for two sixes in the final over — that gave the Sunrisers total some respectability.
In reply, K.L. Rahul’s men scored at a brisk pace despite losing their in-form opener Kyle Mayers cheaply. The skipper scored 35 (31b, 4×4) while Krunal justified his promotion to No. 4 with a 23-ball 34 (4×4, 1×6) as the two added 55 for the third wicket.
Though Super Giants lost Rahul and debutant Romario Shepherd off successive deliveries to Adil Rashid, Marcus Stoinis and Nicholas Pooran took the team home with four overs to spare.
Earlier, opting to bat, Aiden Markram’s men struggled on a wicket where the ball skidded through and didn’t encourage strokeplay.
Opener Mayank Agarwal was an early victim when he chipped Krunal straight to Marcus Stoinis at extra-cover off a delivery which stopped on him.
Krunal varied the pace and kept the batters on a tight leash in the PowerPlay though Anmolpreet Singh broke the shackles by hitting him for consecutive boundaries in the fifth over.
Rahul Tripathi, after a nervous start, scooped Unadkat over fine-leg for a boundary but only 43 came in the first six overs. In between, Anmolpreet successfully reviewed a lbw decision after missing a slower ball from Yash Thakur. However, Krunal dealt a twin blow in his third over to push Sunrisers deeper into the abyss.
Anmolpreet’s luck with the DRS ran out as he was trapped in front. Aiden Markram was bowled for a golden duck by a beauty.
Sunrisers slipped further when Ravi Bishnoi lured Harry Brook (3) out of his crease and wicketkeeper Pooran did the rest. Rahul Tripathi and Washington Sundar couldn’t force the pace as the spinners choked the flow of runs in the middle overs.
Sunrisers made two changes to their line-up with Markram, who took over as captain, replacing Glenn Philip and opener Anmolpreet coming in for Abhishek Sharma.
Super Giants included veteran leg-spinner Amit Mishra in place of K. Gowtham while Shepherd, who came in for Avesh Khan, made his debut. Mark Wood made way for Unadkat.
SCOREBOARD
SUNRISERS HYDERABAD
Anmolpreet Singh lbw b Krunal 31 (26b, 3×4, 1×6), Mayank Agarwal c Stoinis b Krunal 8 (7b, 1×4), Rahul Tripathi c Mishra b Yash Thakur 34 (41b, 4×4), Aiden Markram b Krunal 0 (1b), Harry Brook st. Pooran b Bishnoi 3 (4b), Washington Sundar c Hooda b Mishra 16 (28b), Abdul Samad (not out) 21 (10b, 1×4, 2×6), Adil Rashid c Hooda b Mishra 4 (3b, 1×4), Umran Malik run out 0 (0b), Bhuvneshwar Kumar (not out) 0 (0b); Extras (b-1, lb-1, w-2): 4; Total (for eight wkts. in 20 overs): 121.
FALL OF WICKETS
1-21 (Mayank, 2.5 overs), 2-50 (Anmolpreet, 7.5), 3-50 (Markram, 7.6), 4-55 (Brook, 8.6), 5-94 (Tripathi, 17.2), 6-104 (Washington, 18.3), 7-108 (Rashid, 18.6), 8-109 (Umran, 19.1).
SUPER GIANTS BOWLING
Mayers 1-0-5-0, Unadkat 3-0-26-0, Krunal 4-0-18-3, Yash Thakur 3-0-23-1, Bishnoi 4-0-16-1, Hooda 1-0-8-0, Mishra 4-0-23-2.
LUCKNOW SUPER GIANTS
Kyle Mayers c Mayank b Farooqi 13 (14b, 2×4), K.L. Rahul lbw b Rashid 35 (31b, 4×4), Deepak Hooda c & b Bhuvneshwar 7 (8b, 1×6), Krunal Pandya c Anmolpreet b Umran 34 (23b, 4×4, 1×6), Marcus Stoinis (not out) 10 (13b, 2×4), Romario Shepherd lbw b Rashid 0 (1b), Nicholas Pooran (not out) 11 (6b, 1×4, 1×6); Extras (b-2, w-15): 17; Total (for five wkts. in 16 overs): 127.
FALL OF WICKETS
1-35 (Mayers, 4.3), 2-45 (Hooda, 5.6), 3-100 (Krunal, 12.2), 4-114 (Rahul, 14.1), 5-114 (Shepherd, 14.2).
SUNRISERS BOWLING
Bhuvneshwar 2-0-19-1, Washington 1-0-11-0, Farooqi (Impact Player in place of Tripathi) 3-0-13-1, Markram 2-0-14-0, Rashid 3-0-23-2, Natarajan 3-0-23-0, Umran 2-0-22-1.
Toss: SRH; PoM: Krunal.
LSG won by five wickets with four overs to spare.
