17 May,2023 08:23 AM IST | Lucknow | Santosh Suri
Lucknow Super Giants batter Marcus Stoinis during his unbeaten 89-run knock versus Mumbai Indians in Lucknow yesterday. Pic/PTI
It was a brave decision by Mumbai Indians captain Rohit Sharma to chase a total at the Ekana Stadium, whose pitch has been under scrutiny right through the IPL season. Barring the opening match in which hosts Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) notched up 193 against Delhi Capitals, getting runs has been a big problem.
Most games have seen scores in the range of 130 and even that has become a handful for the team batting second.
ALSO READ
Is BCCI's head coach application call a mere formality or genuine opportunity?
Ganguly calls Pant 'instinctive captain', assures he will 'get better with time'
IPL 2024: Sixes galore! IPL's 17th edition breaks all-time sixes record
'If you are not in form, you can't...': Pravin Amre on Prithvi Shaw's exclusion
RR eye top-two finish, Rayudu feels Samson & Co. 'have fate in their own hands'
Luckily the pitch was much better on Tuesday and the home team did well to post 177-3 thanks largely to a brilliant Marcus Stoinis innings of 89 off just 47 balls with four boundaries and eight sixes. This was the second-highest total at the venue this season.
Lucknow made a disastrous start when their makeshift opener Deepak Hooda and last game hero Prerak Mankad departed early; Jason Behrendorff accounting for both in successive deliveries.
Also Read: IPL 2023 Playoffs: What's at stake for the remaining teams? All you need to know
Quinton de Kock batted well till he was foxed by the wily Piyush Chawla off his first delivery. At 35-3, Lucknow were in big trouble. Luckily, stand-in skipper Krunal Pandya and Stoinis revived the innings with an 82-run stand before Krunal pulled a hamstring and retired one run short of a half-century.
Stoinis went on to complete his half-century and then took the Mumbai bowling to the cleaners.
