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It's double-header day, so there's still plenty of cricket coming your way. All you need to do is switch tabs to keep up with all the live action. For now, this is Pratyush Rohra, signing off on behalf of my partner, Bidipto Datta. Buh bye!
Alright then. Shivamogga Lions make it three wins in three, cementing their spot at the top end of the table. They currently sit in second place because of their net run rate. Gulbarga Mystics, on the other hand, are second from the bottom and have only won one of their four games so far. They'll need to turn the tide quickly if they are to defend their title.
Shreyas Gopal is the Player of the Match! Here is what he has to say.
Shreyas Gopal (Shivamogga Lions captain): (On the planning between Abhinav Manohar and him when they got together at the crease) It wasn't the best start with the bat, but, we had to consolidate. We were trying to take it deep, probably into the 12th over. We also thought of picking up the pace earlier on but the calculations were on. (On those reverse hits that went for productive runs) I don't practise the switch hit much, but glad they came off well today. (On HS Sharath) HS Sharath makes it a bit of a habit of hitting big sixes and we are not complaining! (On a performance like this) This has been a slightly tough game for us but what matters is to come up trumps from even the difficult situations we were put in, so, as captain, am happy on that front!
What a game by the Shivamogga Lions. They were down and out in the middle, not delivering the most consistent of performances but they still managed to get over the line. Somehow, they just found a way. The bowling performance from them wasn't as clinical as they'd like, and when they found themselves at 39-5 in the run chase, it seemed like a lost cause.
The Mystics bowlers were splendid in the powerplay, wrecking riot to blow away the Shivamogga top order. However, Shreyas Gopal and Abhinav Manohar steadied the ship for them, taking their time in the middle to make sure they try and take the keep deep. The captain posted a well-constructed half-century while his partner took a bit of time to get going.
However, neither of them managed to hang around till the end with the Mystics getting the crucial breakthroughs that should have sealed the game for them. Sharath HS and S Shivaraj had other plans though, playing stunning cameos to get their side over the line from the unlikeliest of situations.
It's only early days in the tournament and perhaps a bit early to tag them as champions, but this performance from the Shivamogga Lions was one fitting of a champion side. They'll be the side to watch out for as the tournament progresses. The Mystics, on the other hand, need to buck up quickly if they want to keep their playoff hopes alive. Stick around for the presentations.
19.5 Vijaykumar Vyshak to HS Sharath, SIX RUNS! THAT WILL DO IT! SHIVAMOGGA LIONS FINISH IT OFF IN STYLE! Attempted yorker on off-stump but it fell just short of where the bowler wanted it to land. Sharath was at it immediately to lift it firmly over the top and got enough wood on it. The ball then sailed over the sight screen for a maximum!
19.4 Vijaykumar Vyshak to S Shivaraj, short and slow, into the pitch around off-stump. A swat down to wide long-on off the back foot for a single. Three to get off two balls here!
19.3 Vijaykumar Vyshak to HS Sharath, short on off-stump. Pulled down with a short-arm jab to deep backward square-leg for a single only.
19.2 Vijaykumar Vyshak to HS Sharath, short around off-stump. Sharath goes for the short-arm pull but misses. It takes the thigh pad on the way to the keeper, no run whatsoever!
19.1 Vijaykumar Vyshak to S Shivaraj, over the wicket, short and slow on off-stump. Dragged around to the short fine-leg region from down on one knee for a single.
Vijaykumar Vyshak [3.0-0-16-2] is back into the attack
Absolute drama in this contest, right till the very end. Vijaykumar Vyshak could have and probably should have bowled the penultimate over but he opted for Shetty. Now, the captain needs to defend six runs off the final over.
19
overs
170/7score
1wd
1
1wd
4
1
1
6
2
runs
HS Sharath*
24(8)
S Shivaraj
25(15)
Abhilash Shetty
2/45
18.6 Abhilash Shetty to HS Sharath, OH! Hard length delivery around off-stump. Sharath goes for the pull on the front foot but mistimes it. It lands safely to the mid-on region and that allows the batters to pick up two runs!
18.5 Abhilash Shetty to HS Sharath, SIX RUNS! Full toss outside off-stump. Sharath muscles it over wide long-off from the back foot for a maximum! That can be a killer blow!
18.4 Abhilash Shetty to S Shivaraj, OH! DROPPED BUT THREE RUNS SAVED! Full outside off-stump. Squirted away in the air to the right of short third man. The fielder dived and stopped it somehow to keep it to one!
18.3 Abhilash Shetty to HS Sharath, full toss outside off-stump. Driven down to deep extra cover from deep in the crease for a single only.
18.2 Abhilash Shetty to HS Sharath, FOUR! Good length ball outside off-stump. Sharath slaps it over the mid-off fielder off the back foot for an important boundary!
18.2 Abhilash Shetty to HS Sharath, WIDE AGAIN! Short outside off-stump. This too goes beyond the tramline as the batter misses the slash on the up.
18.1 Abhilash Shetty to S Shivaraj, good length ball around off-stump. Dragged around to mid-wicket from the back foot for a single here.