Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) trapped Mumbai Indians (MI) in a death-overs squeeze to secure a 12-run triumph from a seemingly lost position at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow on Friday.

The 204-run target was not out of sight for MI when Hardik Pandya dispatched a full toss from Avesh Khan over the long-off fence on the first ball of the final over. But Avesh picking the block hole at will meant the visitor could only add three more off the remaining five deliveries and succumbed to its seventh-straight defeat on the road in the Indian Premier League.

HIGHLIGHTS | Lucknow Super Giants pips Mumbai Indians in close finish

The 22-run defence off the final over was not the only contribution from Avesh. The LSG pacer nabbed Suryakumar Yadav (67, 43b, 9×4, 1×6) in the 16th over which eventually turned the plot in his side’s favour.

Suryakumar was playing an essay befitting the occasion of his 100th appearance for the franchise. But his night was soured when his attempted ramp from outside off went awry and led to his wicket. MI could not get 52 runs from the 21 deliveries from thereon.

MI attempted a late twist by retiring out Tilak Varma after his 23-ball 25 and sending in Mitchell Santner. The contest, however, had already slipped out of its hands.

MI’s pursuit was banking on the 69-run third-wicket association between Suryakumar and Naman Dhir. But Digvesh Rathi toppled the partnership and eventually the pursuit when his slider breached the latter’s gate and crashed into the stumps.

In the first innings, LSG needed contrasting half-centuries from its opening salvo to register its highest total at the Ekana.

Aiden Markram (53, 38b, 2×4, 4×6) anchored the innings and played the perfect foil to Mitchell Marsh’s (60, 31b, 9×4, 2×6) PowerPlay burst to get LSG to 203 for eight.

That his golden duck against Punjab Kings was a minor blip was evident from his full-bladed straight drive against Trent Boult that got him off the mark. The favourable match-up in Santner could not contain the onslaught with Marsh unfurling a sweep and a cut to pick the fence off successive deliveries.

MI attempted a late twist of the plot by retiring out Tilak Varma after his 23-ball 25 and sending in Mitchell Santner. The contest, however, had already slipped out of its hands. 
| Photo Credit:
Sandeep Saxena/The Hindu

Ashwani Kumar’s hit-the-deck approach gave away just four runs in the fourth over. But Marsh riposted with a 23-run assault in Ashwani’s next over which commenced with a pick-up down the ground and culminated with a drive through mid off. Marsh also cruised to a 27-ball fifty in process.

The Australian’s early attack could accommodate just six deliveries for Markram during the PowerPlay. He made up for it by launching a slog sweep over deep midwicket against Vignesh Puthur in the seventh over.

The left-arm unorthodox spinner’s deception, though, tricked Marsh, who played a googly straight back to Puthur.

Hardik quashed Ekana’s hopes of witnessing another Nicholas Pooran blitz when his slower bouncer took his top-edge to short third man. It was a pace-off delivery that added to Rishabh Pant’s misery too, inducing a leading edge to long off.

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Ayush Badoni promised a final flourish when he picked three boundaries on the bounce off Santner. But he perished and edged to the keeper off Ashwani while reprising a ramp shot from outside the off stump that got him a boundary off the previous delivery.

LSG looked like ending below-par when Hardik got Markram to hole out to long off in the 18th over. The MI captain even completed his maiden five-wicket haul in the 20th over, but David Miller’s pull over long on and hook through fine leg made sure Hardik’s team was facing a mountain too steep to climb.