LSG vs MI Highlights: Five-star Akash writes for Lucknow’s defeat, Mumbai take on Gujarat in Qualifier 2 | cricket news
Chasing 183, Lucknow lost their last 8 wickets for just 32 runs as they crashed out of the competition for the second time in a row with an Eliminator defeat.
The 29-year-old Madhwal was at his absolute best, claiming sensational figures of 5 for 5 in a dream as he also recorded the best bowling figures for an uncapped player in the history of the tournament.
Mumbai Indians scored 182 for 8 in 20 overs and looked 15 runs short considering Lucknow’s explosive batting prowess, but Madhwal’s incredible figures of 3.3-0-5-5 and some brilliant ground fielding led by the captain Rohit Sharma Under the guidance of Gautam Gambhir, the team was reduced to 101 runs in 16.3 overs.
Three run-outs resulted in an evening to forget for the Sanjiv Goenka-owned franchise.
MI will now take on Titans in the second qualifier Chennai Super Kingsopposition for the big final on Sunday.
If the first half of the evening belonged to a fiery Naveen-ul-Haq, whose 4 for 37 made everyone wary about MI’s final score, then Madhwal reiterated the faith his captain had shown.
as it happened
Final ball dangerous Nicholas Pooran (0) was bowled from round the wicket. He delivered it just short of the crease and shaped it inwardly before going away with a touch extra bounce and forcing Ishan Kishan to edge behind the stumps.
It literally broke the back of LSG and either side of that wicket, Madhawal took four more wickets to add to his reputation of being a tennis ball cricketer by the age of 23.
Captain Rohit, who faced criticism for his fitness, threw himself around and the relay throw was a brilliant effort to run out Krishnappa Gowtham.
Earlier, flamboyant Afghanistan pacer Naveen-ul-Haq picked up four wickets as Lucknow Super Giants restricted Mumbai Indians to 182 for 8 in 20 overs.
Naveen, who has been in the news ever since his angry exchange with Virat Kohli during a league game against RCB, was continuously hooted by the Chepauk crowd, but he managed to beat Mumbai Indians skipper Rohit (10 balls) did well enough to dismiss batting mainstays Suryakumar Yadav (33 off 20 balls), last match hero Cameron Green (41 off 23 balls) and the ever-dangerous Tilak Verma (26 off 22 balls) .
Naveen getting Surya and Green in one over could prove to be the deciding factor as Mumbai were 15 short of the minimum par-score. MI also needed impact player Nehal Wadhera in place of Surya, whose 12-ball 23 took them past 180.
Wadhera hit a six and two fours in the last over of Yash Thakur (3/34) to increase Mumbai’s score.
The impressive Moshin Khan (1-24) conceded only 6 runs in the final over, before Wadhera accelerated the pace in Thakur’s next over in the final over of the innings.
Skipper Rohit (11, 10 balls, 1×4, 1×6), who started slowly, fell in an attempt to build momentum, jumping to hit Naveen to find Ayush Badoni in the fourth over.
In the next over, Yash Thakur had Ishan Kishan (15, 12 balls, 3×4) caught by the wicketkeeper.
Suryakumar and Green gave some momentum to the innings by sharing a 66-run partnership for the third wicket in six overs.
Green, who scored a century in the last league match against SRH, hit six fours and a six, while Yadav hit two maximums and as many fours in his 20-ball innings.
(With inputs from PTI)
Watch IPL: Mumbai beat Lucknow in Eliminator, will face Gujarat in Qualifier 2
