he Australian all-rounder gave Lucknow a flying start, anchoring a brisk 87-run opening partnership that laid a solid foundation for the hosts
Mitchell Marsh (Pic: iplt20/BCCI)
Mitchell Marsh reached a personal milestone while Mitchell Starc reasserted his dominance over Nicholas Pooran in a gripping IPL 2025 encounter between Lucknow Super Giants and Delhi Capitals at the Ekana Cricket Stadium on Tuesday.
Marsh, with a fluent 45, surpassed the 1000-run mark in his 50th IPL appearance. The Australian all-rounder gave Lucknow a flying start, anchoring a brisk 87-run opening partnership that laid a solid foundation for the hosts. His aggressive knock, laced with characteristic power and timing, came at a strike rate of 137.27, taking his career IPL average to 24.02.
However, once Marsh departed, Lucknow’s innings faltered. The middle order collapsed under sustained pressure from a disciplined DC bowling attack, and the onus fell on Pooran to salvage the innings. But any hopes of a Pooran rescue act were swiftly extinguished by his nemesis, Starc.
In a now familiar subplot, Starc once again got the better of Pooran, dismissing him for the fifth time in seven innings. The fiery left-armer cleverly took pace off the ball, enticing the big-hitting West Indian into an ill-judged pull that resulted in an inside edge crashing into the stumps. Pooran managed just 9 off 5 balls, and the duel with Starc now reads five dismissals for a mere 14 runs in 12 deliveries.
With Lucknow reeling, Ayush Badoni and David Miller tried to engineer a recovery. The duo stitched together a valuable 49-run stand, with Badoni taking the lead. The diminutive batter impressed with a late flourish, smashing three consecutive boundaries off Mukesh Kumar in the final over. His enterprising 36 off 21 balls, including six crisp boundaries, injected some momentum but ended just as it looked threatening, Mukesh removed him on the fourth delivery of the 20th over.
Rishabh Pant, nursing a hand injury, entered at No. 7 and was unable to make a mark, falling for a two-ball duck on the final delivery of the innings. Miller, meanwhile, remained unbeaten on 14 off 15 balls but failed to shift gears, managing just a single boundary and struggling to find rhythm.
Ultimately, Lucknow finished on a modest 159 for 6, a total that looked below par given their explosive start and the firepower they possess.
(With PTI inputs)
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