LUCKNOW: Before the IPL season began, Lucknow Super Giants chief coach Justin Langer was overwhelmed by number of star batters in the side and had said it could be a problem of plenty to pick the playing XI. However, six matches on, the batting has looked undercooked, and the team is lying ninth in the points table after just two wins.
Much more than a lack of batting form, a lack of clarity seems to be weighing down LSG. The top order is unsettled, which has put extra pressure on the middle-order with skipper Rishabh Pant’s own
lack of rhythm—he lies fifth among LSG batters with 147 runs at an average of 29.40 and strike rate of 136.11—has not helped. Only twice has he crossed 20, and the impact of his contribution showed in his only fifty (68*) to beat Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Pant dropped the experiment as opener after one failed attempt, dropping to No.3 after scoring seven runs in nine balls in the loss to Delhi Capitals first up. Mitch Marsh (155 runs, avg 25.83) and Aiden Markram (162 runs, avg 27.00) are now used to provide the innings early momentum.
The second problem is that LSG have not consistently converted starts into match-defining totals. In the loss to DC, Marsh made 35 and Abdul Samad top-scored with 36, the innings folding for 141 in 18.4 overs. Since then, few have pushed on and put up a dominant total.
In T20 cricket that often makes the difference between a par score and a competitive total.
Pant, as skipper, carries the responsibility of setting the tempo as well as control the middle overs. It can be a difficult when the team is already under pressure. That dual burden can be carried only if the batters around him are settled.
Another reason for the poor show is that batting roles are still being refined. Nicholas Pooran (51 runs, avg 8.50) moved from the top to a middle-order finishing job. That means if the top order fails, the middle order is exposed early. Pooran, Samad (72 runs, avg 14.40) and Badoni (148 runs, avg 24.66) are then forced into rescue mode rather than play their natural attacking game.
“It’s probably just a case of maybe struggling for a bit of rhythm. It’s quite strange, we laugh about it, in the sense that one or two guys can struggle, which is part of the game, but when it’s the full batting line-up, the odds of that happening will be quite slim. There were better signs in our previous game against Punjab and the confidence that we as a unit can take from that,” Markram said on Tuesday ahead of the home game against Rajasthan Royals.
He said LSG now need to quickly turn their fortunes around if they are to stay hopeful of a playoff spot. “Ultimately, we are in a position where we need to win a lot of games, and hopefully now when it matters, the batting unit can deliver,” he said. “From a tactical point of view, we will have to assess that wicket now… ultimately what we think will be best on the day.”
“Hopefully we can put on a good show tomorrow and get a win for the team’s sake. We’ve got two games here back-to-back and if we can have two good games, hopefully we’ll be back in the competition where we want to be. We really want to play well at home. One, because we want to make home a real fortress and two, for our fans that are here and watching.”