A Win Made of Small Moments-LSG's Unobtrusive Battle for Triumph

Lucknow Super Giants won their first home match of the season at last and it wasn't about flashy wickets or big shots. It was a night of subtle moves and tiny decisions that turned out to make a huge difference. From the beginning till the end LSG demonstrated that they were willing to do anything to win and this [IPL match] indicated how hard they were willing to work. Each small gesture every hushed conversation among players every field change and even the over-rate penalty spoke volumes about a team which was willing to make things right back home. The [Lucknow Super Giants] were not only playing a game they were playing for respect confidence and redemption.

Before Akash Deep began his third over something strange occurred. A substitute emerged with a message from the dressing room. Immediately after that Nicholas Pooran had a brief conversation with him. Akash Deep had conceded 21 runs in his last over so something had to be done. He tweaked his line a bit this time bowling outside off and it became more effective. These are the small [IPL moments] that don't make it to the highlight reel but make a significant difference. The same sort of attention to detail came when Digvesh Rathi was getting ready to bowl. Immediately after the timeout he and Rishabh Pant took some time setting the field with precision. They omitted putting a midwicket fielder and the consequence was a wicket precisely in that region. Naman Dhir attempted to assault there but lost his wicket.

These minute conversations and small changes continued occurring throughout the match. During one timeout Nicholas Pooran Rishabh Pant and Aiden Markram had a profound conversation. The team even received a warning for exceeding the 60-second break between overs. But all these moves informed us of one thing — this match was important to [LSG]. They had lost their initial home match before and it took a toll on them. Even the team guide Zaheer Khan had shared his disappointment over the pitch calling the groundsman a Punjab curator. Coach Justin Langer subsequently stated it was just emotion but it was obvious the team was hurt badly.

LSG complained but they did not just complain. They took practical steps. They changed the pitch from red soil to black soil and included Akash Deep in the playing eleven. They also avoided complaining about the pitch conditions and instead chose to play with whatever was available. As stated by Rishabh Pant at the toss, the team had learnt to accept what was available and play accordingly. Coach Langer further said that the team needs to stop discussing the pitch and simply play [good cricket].

That intense will to win could be observed from the powerplay. Although batting first was not the favorite option in Lucknow where chasing has been more effective LSG attempted it. Mitchell Marsh played a brilliant innings on 30 balls in the powerplay which is a record in [IPL history]. He reached his fifty in just 27 balls showing clear intent. Mumbai Indians were not quick to adapt and later their coach Mahela Jayawardene said they should have bowled slower deliveries early on.

After Marsh it was Markram who took control. He built the innings and scored a late fifty. David Miller provided finishing touches with quick runs at the end and Ayush Badoni also contributed with a crucial 20 runs off 12 balls against spin. This wasn't an easy task for Badoni as he has a poorer strike rate against spin but he proved his improvement. LSG finished on 203 runs their highest ever at home. Up until this game, they never scored more than 200 runs at their home stadium. It took them 14 games to eventually get there and it was a big moment.

The bowling too was as considerate. Akash Deep and Shardul Thakur began by bowling short into the body. It came good early with two wickets but Dhir refused to give in by capitalizing on the predictable bowling to score. Then entered Suryakumar Yadav for MI in his 100th IPL game. He played well scoring only one six but plenty of boundaries. But a smart ball from Avesh Khan cut short his innings just when it was getting hazardous.

Tilak Varma fought against Rathi who bowled smart googlies. The pressure continued to mount and although Hardik Pandya remained unbeaten till the last LSG remained firm. Rathi bowled the 18th over in control and only conceded 11 runs when more than 13 were required per over. Shardul Thakur then picked up from past errors and bowled yorkers in the 19th over which took MI by surprise. He conceded just 7 runs.

That left Avesh Khan with the task of defending 21 runs in the final over. He had performed well against Hardik Pandya and again he delivered. Although the last over began with only four fielders outside the circle due to the over-rate penalty LSG also maintained their cool. Avesh took his time to establish the field and did not panic. These little things reflected the [quiet urgency] that flowed through LSG throughout the night.

LSG's victory was not sensational. It was not flashy about sixes or wickets. It was constructed on group planning and intelligent decisions. From a little message on the ground to an ideal field setting everything cumulatively worked. And ultimately it provided Lucknow Super Giants a win that was bigger than merely two points. It was a payback for not surrendering and for believing in the [small moments] that create huge wins.