Australian players know exactly how to silence a full-capacity crowd. Travis Head did it in Ahmedabad during the 2023 ODI World Cup, and Marcus Stoinis repeated the feat against the defending champions Chennai Super Kings in Chennai. He smashed an unbeaten 63-ball 124 runs to steer his team to a six-wicket win in a run-chase of 211. Stoinis’ innings overshadowed Ruturaj Gaikwad’s majestic hundred, which allowed CSK to cross the 200-run mark, but it ultimately proved insufficient. This victory has now elevated LSG to the fourth position, while CSK has dropped to fifth.
Ton-up Gaikwad sizzles
Ajinkya Rahane was dismissed early and Daryl Mitchell, positioned at number 3, once again struggled to leave a mark. However, the spotlight of the evening belonged to Gaikwad. His impeccable timing, precise placement, and sheer class were evident as he secured his second IPL century. A nervy starter, Gaikwad began his innings by leaving the first ball he faced, but following that, he didn’t spare any bowlers. The innings was not about power but timing. Gaikwad truly embodied the phrase ‘class personified’. In the powerplay, he scored boundaries square on the off-side. During the middle overs, his focus was on finding gaps and rotating the strike. When Shivam Dube joined in and smacked a few, Gaikwad showed his power game at the back end to see his team past 200.
Dashing Dube washes LSG’s plans
Shivam Dube is operating on another level altogether this IPL season. He appears to have great clarity of mind when it comes to selecting which ball to target. This clarity has helped him score runs at a brisk pace. The tall left-hander is typically known for his ability to handle spin bowling, but tonight was an exception. Krunal Pandya and Ravi Bishnoi combined to bowl four overs, and knowing Dube’s strength, KL chose not to use spinners against him. LSG opted to counter-attack Dube with pacers, but the southpaw was prepared to take on whatever was thrown at him. The bowlers attempted everything against Dube: bouncers, slower deliveries, hard lengths, and even yorkers, but nothing worked against the dynamic batter. With Ruturaj being a rock at one end, Dube’s innings provided much-needed impetus to CSK’s innings.
Heroic knock from Stoinis
Stoinis, who typically plays as a top-order batter for his BBL franchise, the Melbourne Stars, was promoted to bat at number 3. He had to take to the crease in the first over, with the team in disarray. Stoinis began his innings with a cut, pull, and a drive to kickstart his innings.
Known for his power game, Stoinis unleashed his full strength against CSK and achieved his personal best score in the IPL. This innings showcased Stoinis’ ability as a power-hitter, a reputation he has built over the years, capable of making a significant impact in a short span. On this occasion, he faced more than fifty percent of the team’s deliveries and truly made his mark. Undoubtedly, this was Stoinis’ finest T20 innings, considering the circumstances and the formidable opponent with an exceptional home record.
Sloppy CSK conceded free runs
CSK started off well with the ball in the powerplay with two wickets in the first six overs. Spinners came in and failed to make any sort of impact in the middle-overs. The dew came in and settled, making life hard for all bowlers, particularly spinners as they failed to grip the ball. More than anything, what hurt CSK was their execution with the ball. They gave away too many extras. Also in the field, they were sloppy, especially Deepak Chahar, who conceded boundaries in the 16th and 19th over. In total 17 extra runs were given by CSK while defending a target on a wet outfield. Those extra runs conceded made all the runs at the end.