Delhi boy shows great temperament and technique on spinner's paradise
The game was shaping up to be the third consecutive low-scoring scrap this season before rain turned it into a damp squib. With four deliveries remaining in the first innings, the Lucknow Super Kings had huffed and puffed their way to 125-7 on yet another spinner's paradise at the Ekana Cricket Stadium when the downpour halted proceedings.
What started as a drizzle soon became heavy showers, and after stopping for a while to revive hopes of an exciting finish, it began pouring down again and put paid to any chance of a resumption. LSG and the Chennai Super Kings were among the five franchises sitting at 10 points ahead of Wednesday's encounter, and both were looking to surge ahead in the table with a win. But the two teams had to make do with a point each.
Before the rain took over, LSG's Ayush Badoni showed exactly how to not just survive but also thrive on a pitch as challenging as this. While the top half of the hosts' batting folded in the face of CSK's trademark spin squeeze, Badoni exhibited the temperament and class to tackle the situation.
The Delhi boy initially bided his time at the crease, riding the spin wave of Ravindra Jadeja, Moeen Ali and Maheesh Theekshana. He patiently played out the middle overs, ensuring - along with an uncharacteristically restrained Nicholas Pooran - that his side did not lose another wicket up until the 18th over.
Having got accustomed to the pace of the surface, Badoni cut loose at the death, using the depth of the crease and waiting for the ball to come to him before launching into power-packed lofted shots on both sides of the wicket.
