IPL 2022: GT vs LSG Review – Gujarat stun Lucknow to pick up opening win
The two new teams Lucknow Super Giants and Gujarat Titans faced each other in Match 4 of IPL 2022, with the latter ending on a winning note. Four games in a row now have gone in favour of the side batting second and it definitely shows the impact of dew.
After losing the toss, Lucknow Super Giants faced a major setback with their skipper gone for a golden duck from a peach of a delivery from Mohammed Shami. Quinton de Kock, Evin Lewis and Manish Pandey were all dismissed soon as Lucknow were sent into 29 for 4 in just the fifth over. Shami’s extraordinary spell with the new ball meant that Deepak Hooda and Ayush Badoni had to take their time in the middle.
The duo stitched a crucial partnership for the fifth wicket and started to go after the bowlers after being set. Hooda in particular was quite aggressive, hitting six fours and two sixes in his 41-ball 55. Badoni also got to his half-century with some big shots towards the end as Lucknow reached a decent score of 158 in their 20 overs, with the help of a quickfire unbeaten knock from Krunal Pandya.
In reply, the Gujarat Titans did not have the best of starts losing two early wickets of Shubman Gill and Vijay Shankar. However, skipper Hardik Pandya and Matthew Wade got the innings going with a 57-run partnership but both the batters were dismissed in a quick time after that with new batters David Miller and Rahul Tewatia at the crease.
Miller looked quite good for a 21-ball 30 but it was up to Tewatia and Abhinav Sadarangani to take Gujarat home. The pair played splendidly towards the end as Gujarat Titans chased down the target with five wickets in hand and two balls left.
Top Performers of the Match
Rahul Tewatia
Rahul Tewatia struck an unbeaten 40 off just 22 balls to see his side home. Tewatia hit five fours and two sixes in his blistering innings and the way he played Bishnoi was a delight to watch as he used his 360-degree hitting skills.
Mohammed Shami
Mohammed Shami’s opening spell broke the back of the Lucknow Super Giants as he managed to pick up three quick wickets, which dented the scoring rate massively. The seamer finished with figures of 3/25 in four overs and started his IPL 2022 campaign in great fashion.
What next for the two teams?
the Lucknow Super Giants will head into the Brabourne Stadium to face the defending champions Chennai Super Kings in their next fixture on March 31, while the Gujarat Titans will take on the Delhi Capitals in their next fixture at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium on April 2.
