LSG may have favored a pitch that supported spin or at the very least neutralised the Punjab Kings’ (PBKS) pace assault, as injuries limited their fast-bowling alternatives.
The state of their home field has left another IPL team feeling disgruntled. After the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) lost their opening home match of the season by eight wickets with 22 balls remaining, coach Zaheer Khan said it seemed like the opposition had their own curator to set up the field. During the post-match press conference, Zaheer remarked, “What was a little disappointing for me here…””From that perspective, you can see that the curator is not really thinking that it’s a home game, even if you’ve seen how teams have looked at taking a little home advantage in the IPL. I believe it might have appeared that the curator from Punjab was present,” he continued.
Therefore, we shall find that out. I hope this is the first and last game in that regard, even though it’s a new setup for me. because you are also disappointing the lovers of Lucknow. He pointed out that they have a lot of expectations for winning this first home game.Together, we have confidence. We have to exert every effort to create an impact in the home leg, even though we acknowledge that we have lost the game. With six games left in the season, this team has demonstrated that, despite the limited amount of cricket played, we have the proper attitude and mindset to approach the IPL. “That’s what we’re all about as a team: innovation, unconventional thinking, the fight, and hunger,” he remarked.With injuries limiting their fast-bowling options, LSG might have preferred a pitch that favoured spin or at least neutralized the Punjab Kings (PBKS) pace attack. However, they fielded only two frontline quicks, including a last-minute addition in Shardul Thakur, while their squad has just one overseas fast bowler–Shamar Joseph.
PBKS capitalized on the conditions with their pace trio of Arshdeep Singh, Lockie Ferguson, and Marco Jansen, who combined for figures of 5/112 in 13 overs, with Marcus Stoinis chipping in with two more overs.Zaheer stated, “That’s what we are saying,” after misinterpreting the pitch. As instructed by the curator, we will proceed. This is not a justification for us. During the past season, we have witnessed that batters do not always have an easy time here. These things all happen in cricket. The home team should receive support, nevertheless, and everyone should be aware that this is their home team playing in Lucknow. What can we do to help them win? Each person’s input matters. We shall find a method to win games.In the post-match presentation, even LSG captain Rishabh Pant acknowledged that they had anticipated a slower surface, which is why they chose to substitute spinner M Siddharth for seamer Prince Yadav.
“Getting a slower wicket was the goal. We thought everything was going to pause a bit because it was a home game. We weren’t good enough that day, but I believe the slower ones were still putting up a fight when bowled into the wicket. We must take lessons and keep going. We’re playing our first game at home. “We’re still evaluating the situation,” Pant stated.Concerns over home pitch conditions have now been voiced by LSG, Chennai Super Kings (CSK), and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). While CSK, who have the best home win-loss record in IPL history, have had difficulty forecasting conditions at their pitch for the past two years, KKR previously said that they wanted more spin-friendly grounds but had no influence over preparations.
