Lucknow Super Giants and Gujarat Titans are strikingly similar in their batting approach. Both have made merry with contributions from their respective top three in the batting order, with the other batters hardly coming into play.
So when they face off in the afternoon game in Lucknow on Saturday, the top threebatters in the two teams might go on to decide the fate ofthe match.
For hosts Lucknow, it’s all about the start that Aiden Markram and Mitchell Marsh give before Nicholas Pooran comes in at No. 3 to unleash hell on the rival bowlers. For the Titans, one among B. Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gilland Jos Buttler has beenchipping in with a match-winning knock.
But while all the above six batters are in good form,what if none of them hasa good day in office? Howready are the rest?
Lucknow’s middle order features captain Rishabh Pant, Ayush Badoni and David Miller. Pant is yet to find his touch, Badoni has had one 40-plus score to show and Miller averages 45 but hasn’t got enough match-time.
The Titans look better in the middle with Sherfane Rutherford, Shahrukh Khan, Rahul Tewatia and Washington Sundar. The names are not in any order though as the Titans have shuffled their positions. But whoever has been promoted up the order, has done decently.
As for the pitch, Lucknow has favoured the pacers so far this season. Titans’ Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna have been sharp. Lucknow’s Shardul Thakur, Avesh Khan and Akash Deep haven’t been as effective.
Despite the pacers’ dominance at the Ekana Stadium, expect a spin battle between Titans’ Sai Kishore and Lucknow’s Digvesh Rathi.