The bowlers returned to the Lucknow pitch. Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) managed only 126 runs, but Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) failed to meet even this modest target. The LSG team as a whole scored 108 runs. After defending a score of just 126 runs, RCB captain Faf Duplessis not only lauded his bowlers, but also referred to the team’s opening pair as a match-winning partnership on this pitch. He described the Lucknow pitch as “extremely difficult.”
‘It was a very different pitch than in Bengaluru,’ Duplessis remarked. The half-century partnership in the first six overs turned out to be the match-winning partnership in the last over. It was critical to bat first in this situation. They had four spinners, and it was really difficult to play against them. When playing in Chinnaswamy, the ball seems to go everywhere, but on this Lucknow pitch, I thought 135 would suffice. This was the score in my head, and we were heading in that direction. On this pitch, scoring runs is quite difficult. I warned my teammates that if we take two or three wickets early on, this target will become difficult for them.
Duplessis also commended his bowlers during this time. ‘I am overjoyed for Karna,’ he said. He is one of those people who works tirelessly yet receives little praise in return. A leg-spinner will also find it difficult to play in Chinnaswamy. He delivered an outstanding performance today in Lucknow. Karn Sharma claimed two wickets in this match while only batting for 20 runs in four overs. Faf also commented on Hazlewood’s comeback. ‘We were missing Hazlewood’s experience,’ he explained. Players like him provide the squad with calm, temperance, and balance.
Faf was also named ‘Player of the Match’ in this match. On this challenging day, he played a crucial inning of 44 runs while playing 40 balls.
