The Chennai Super Kings spinners were in their element as they took on the Lucknow Super Giants on the notoriously sluggish pitch in Lucknow. The IPL 2023 match on Wednesday, May 3 saw the Chennai team rattle the Lucknow top-order, leaving them stunned and reeling at 44 for 5 at the halfway mark. The hosts were in dire need of a break.
Captain MS Dhoni won the toss and chose to field first, despite it being a day game. The pre-game showers at the Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Stadium played a role in his decision, as teams have historically won while batting first at this venue.
Moeen Ali was the catalyst for the team's success, as he secured the crucial wicket of Kyle Mayers. The off-spinner was brought into the game early on, in the fourth over, following two overs from the returning Deepak Chahar and one from Tushar Deshpande. Mayers attempted to hit a big shot, but was caught by Ruturaj Gaikwad at long-off. Unfortunately for Mayers, the ball did not come onto the bat as well as he had hoped. This early breakthrough set the tone for the rest of the match.
The stand-in captain, Krunal Pandya, had a rough day at the office with the bat. He was caught out for a duck by Maheesh Theeskshana on the very next delivery. Ajinkya Rahane, positioned at first slip, made a stunning catch, leaving the Sri Lankan spinner on the brink of a hat-trick.
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Marcus Stoinis managed to fend off the hat-trick ball, but his relief was short-lived. Ravindra Jadeja sent him packing with a remarkable delivery. Jadeja's pitch was outside the leg-stump, but it turned sharply and hit the top of the off-stump. It was a masterful display of bowling that left the Lucknow team reeling.
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Stoinis, who has been performing exceptionally well with the bat, appeared bewildered and flustered as he was caught off guard. In fact, Stoinis remained in the middle of the pitch before realizing what had just happened. It was a remarkable delivery from Ravindra Jadeja that opened the account.
Moeen Ali, on the other hand, demonstrated his exceptional fielding skills by taking a sharp return catch to dismiss Karan Sharma for 9. The talented all-rounder from England concluded his 4-over spell with impressive figures of 2 for 13.
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