From timid souls to headless chickens - LSG disable snooze from the intent alarm but still fail to wake up
A lot of teams were involved in a mid-table muddle during the ongoing 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL), but what Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) have been through the last couple of weeks can only be described as being trapped in quicksand. A well-known method of getting out of quicksand is to make small movements and avoid any sort of panic.
After twin defeats to Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH), the campaign was still under their control to a certain degree, and the situation demanded calm, just like individuals in a similar predicament are expected to.
However, LSG just flapped around and splashed around across all directions in a bid to get out, and that, unsurprisingly, has led them to sink even faster. With 12 points after 13 matches with an atrocious net run rate of -0.79, they are paralyzed in the quicksand.
LSG tried to assess the conditions in the SRH contest the old-school fashion but were reduced to 21-2 in the fifth over. This time around against Delhi Capitals (DC) they made amends in terms of approach, swung their bat to almost everything and anything, but still found themselves at 24-3. So, what are LSG doing wrong to find themselves at the same juncture despite taking two different routes?
KL Rahul's recent comments about the intent and approach of other teams almost had an air of 'How come they can do it and not us?' about it. The way that LSG's bowling unit was assembled, with three frontline pacers being uncapped players, they had no choice but to bowl first, even though the record at the Arun Jaitley Stadium states otherwise.
It closely resembled the, 'Score what you can, we'll chase it down' philosophy, without the intimidation or the strength to back it up. Usually, such an approach is adopted by the side because of batting depth, with the belief that the prowess can overcome the conditions. But here it is because of the glaring disparity between the batting and bowling strength on paper.
KL Rahul emphasized being brave at the toss, and although they got good marks for that, they failed in the logic department, and the modern game is the amalgamation of both.
LSG ended up being hit by sticks in failed pursuit of the Carrot
Being set a target of 209 on a batting-friendly track and short boundaries, it was the perfect opportunity for LSG to show their intent with the bat.
Everyone expected a spike in the batting effort, with the matter even reaching the franchise owner, but the way they went about it was confounding. The carrot, in the form of the win to keep them alive, was dangling right in front of them, but LSG just could not escape the stick.
Although it may not look like it, there is a lot of thought and work that goes into cultivating an aggressive playing style. It is not all blind slogging, and Rome was not built in a day. Assessing the conditions as quickly as possible, and knowing which area and bowler to target with a certain degree of premeditation are all required to make the powerplay and the rest of the innings count.
LSG had a certain grip over the conditions when they were bowling, so that was almost a non-factor. It was certainly established that 208 was only slightly above par, and the same was confirmed by KL Rahul after the match as well.
It was the baffling shot selection that gave the impression of forced intent instead of being adept at it. Although the situation demanded such an approach, the execution was far off. LSG swung hard from the word go, hoping it was the only thing missing from their game and ended up losing four wickets in the powerplay.
LSG looked awkward trying to embody such an approach, and while it may have been just a one-off, that ship has sailed away. KL Rahul's post-match comments also had some interesting snippets, worthy of dissection.
"When we got JFM out in the first over we should have capitalized, but they - Hope and Porel - showed a lot of intent," he said.
"This has been a problem right through the season - we keep losing a lot of wickets in the powerplay, we never get a solid start to get the likes of Stoinis and Pooran in," Rahul added.
The two aforementioned, and contrasting, back-to-back statements speak volumes. It also shows that losing wickets in the powerplay is inevitable, with no team being immune to it, particularly in this modern-day style.
However, if one shows a commitment towards attacking cricket (with reasonable logic), whenever the situation demands it, one is bound to be rewarded for it.
Stuck in sixth gear without a brake - Nicholas Pooran cruising with the pole while others are still test-driving
A lot of automobile and motorsport terminologies have been strewn around to surmise LSG's batting performance into words, and instead of being overused, each one of them has been better than the last. Perhaps for the first time, something in the positive sense might be used, courtesy of Pooran's fighting knock.
It was as if all members were given a free run with an F1 car, and only Pooran was able to control it, with the rest of them, familiar with only sedans and hatchbacks, crashing it on the first turn itself.
To put it in cricketing terms, every batter in the LSG unit tried the same aggressive approach, but only Pooran looked at ease while playing that way because it was nothing new for him. He was always ahead of his time anyway.
The left-handed batter has arguably been LSG's best batter this season considering how he has played his role to perfection, it begs the question, where should he bat?
With his efforts in the recent past, Pooran has earned a place in the top tier of T20 batters, an elusive list that includes Suryakumar Yadav and Heinrich Klaasen.
Pooran has played almost 50 deliveries more than Suryakumar Yadav and close to 80 more than Klaasen in the 2024 IPL, with a couple of extra innings to his name as well. But, why does it not feel like that? A key thing to note is that Pooran has been unbeaten in almost half of the 13 innings that he has played this season. Does that mean he is so good that the bowlers cannot dismiss him or the more plausible theory that he is coming perhaps a bit too late to bat?
LSG view him as a reliable candidate to finish the innings, but when your finisher is your best batter, then the argument of the best batter facing the most deliveries comes into play in response.
Frankly, LSG could have used a Pooran in each phase of the innings this IPL. He had already shown how he could be impactful in the death overs, but he gave LSG a blueprint for powerplay and early middle overs batting as well.
Building the side around Pooran seems a popular approach among fans recently, and while that does bring a whole other set of issues, it is certainly worth pondering about.
LSG have had their hands tied with their bowling unit
A lot of focus has gone on LSG and their batting approach, and rightly so. However, it is crucial to shed a bit of light on their bowling attack as well. As mentioned earlier, LSG had to overrule conditions and data to bowl first just because of their 'inexperienced' bowling attack.
The lack of faith in the bowlers can be considered disdainful, but after the events in their last two matches, they do not have the stand to argue. Mark Wood and David Willey's last-minute withdrawal, Mayank Yadav and Shivam Mavi's injuries, and other factors have rendered LSG helpless to an extent. Bishnoi and Pandya's indifferent campaign in an indifferent season for spinners only worsened their problems.
With the recall of Yudhvir Singh Charak and Arshad Khan for the penultimate clash, LSG have seemingly completed all the possible permutations and combinations in terms of the bowling unit assembly.
Ending a campaign, particularly one preceding a mega auction, with four consecutive defeats does not come across as good news for anybody. Everything points towards a potential revamp in mentality, batting unit, bowling unit, but the real question is, by how much? Do LSG need to paint over the cracks, renovate, or build from scratch? A potential seventh-place finish with one of the worst net run-rate in the league certainly and unfortunately points to the latter.