LSG restrict GT to 180 despite Sudharsan, Gill fifties

Shubman Gill and B Sai Sudharsan struck up a 120-run opening stand for Gujarat Titans (GT), but their middle order couldn't quite launch from that platform. After Gill and Sai Sudharsan holed out in the 13th and 14th overs, Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) conceded 45 off the last five overs, keeping GT to 180 for 6. GT managed only 60 runs off their last eight overs.

After GT were asked to bat first on a black-soil surface, Gill and Sai Sudharsan added 54 in the powerplay. Sai Sudharsan had kicked off the innings with a slapped four off the first ball from Shardul Thakur and then when Akash Deep overpitched one in the second over, he stretched out and drove the ball past the bowler for four more. At the other end, Gill often shimmied out of the crease to manufacture scoring opportunities.

When LSG tried to burgle an over from Aiden Markram, Gill and Sai Sudharsan spoiled their plan by taking the part-time offspinner for 15 in the eighth over. Mystery spinner Digvesh Rathi, though, showed better control and fronted up to bowl in the powerplay as well as in the death. He could've cut Sai Sudharsan's innings short on 46 had Abdul Samad held onto a catch at short cover.

Sudharsan went onto bring up his fourth half-century in six innings in IPL, soon after Gill had raised his own fifty. LSG separated GT's opening pair in the 13th over, when Gill swatted a slower cutter from Avesh Khan to long-on for 60 off 38 balls. In the next over, Bishnoi got both Sai Sudharsan and Washington Sundar in the same over to slow GT down.

Bishnoi and Rathi had combined figures of 8-0-66-3. Thakur then closed out the innings well with his variations on a pitch that was slowing down, something that Sai Sudharsan alluded to at the innings break. Sai Sudharsan also said that some balls were keeping low, which will bring GT's three-man spin attack into the fray during their defence.