Lucknow hand Mumbai third defeat in IPL

LUCKNOW, India (AP):

Lucknow Super Giants notched their first home win after beating the Mumbai Indians by 12 runs in the Indian Premier League (IPL) yesterday.

Fast bowlers Shardul Thakur and Avesh Khan kept their nerves in the last two overs against Hardik Pandya to restrict Mumbai to 191-5 in reply to Lucknow’s 203-8.

Thakur gave away only seven runs in the penultimate over and Khan conceded just nine runs in the final over despite Pandya smashing a first-ball six over extra cover.

Mumbai seemed to be in control of the chase as Suryakumar Yadav made 67 off 43 balls in his 100th IPL game for the Indians. But Khan dismissed Yadav off a mistimed ramp shot in the 17th over that brought Lucknow back into the game.

“Mentally tough game,” Lucknow captain Rishabh Pant said. “They did not lose a lot of wickets and kept on going but we kept our calm and finished the game.”

Lucknow have two wins and two losses. Five-time champions Mumbai have lost three of their four games.

Mumbai suffered a setback when Rohit Sharma was ruled out of the game after injuring his knee in practice. Marsh capitalised on an early dropped chance and dominated a 69-run power play with Markram taking a back seat in the absence of Sharma.

Marsh made 60 off 31 in a 76-run partnership with Markram.

Marsh was dismissed by left-arm wrist spinner Vignesh Puthur, who took a smart diving return catch off a leading edge from the Australian, who hit his third half-century in four games.

LEAN PATCH

Pandya then dismissed Nicholas Pooran and Pant cheaply with two slower short balls. Pant, who was bought for an IPL-record US$3.2 million by Lucknow, is going through a lean patch after his third single-digit score in four games.

Markram briefly took on the attack but then played second fiddle to Ayub Badoni, who made a brisk 30 off 19 balls. However, Badoni departed before the death overs when he scooped a simple catch to wicketkeeper Ryan Rickelton off Ashwani Kumar’s off-cutter.

Markram completed his half-century off 34 balls but fell for 53 off 38 to Pandya, who bowled two overs late in the innings and chipped in with three wickets to complete a five-wicket haul.

Miller’s two boundaries in the final over got Lucknow past 200, which proved just enough for the home team in the end.

Yadav and Naman Dhir scored well over 10 per over after openers Will Jacks and Ryan Rickelton were out inside the first three overs of their run chase.

Dhir hit three sixes and four boundaries in his 46 off 24 balls before he was clean-bowled by Digvesh Rathi’s quick leg-break in the ninth over.

Yadav and impact player Tilak Varma added 66 runs, but Lucknow came back when Yadav tried his favourite ramp shot behind the wicket but didn’t time it well enough.