Key match stats
Pitch Stats – Ekana Stadium
Average first innings score: 147
Average first innings winning score: 151
Average powerplay score: 35
Win % batting 1st vs batting 2nd: 60% / 40%
Team form LSG vs CSK
LSG: LWLWL
CSK: LLWWW
Recent meetings: CSK won by 12 runs
Preview LSG vs CSK
It's a quick turnaround for Lucknow Super Giants following their defeat here to RCB on Monday night on what was another very low and slow wicket at the Ekana Stadium.
I've mentioned before the options that LSG have here to use either black or red soil pitches and it seems that their tactic to use the later against teams they perceive as having a weakness against slow bowling has blown up in their face. Ultimately, LSG's batsmen aren't very good on those kind of pitches either!
RCB showed the way to go about building a score on this wicket by getting off to as fast a start as possible. Their 42 at the end of the powerplay might not seem much but in the context of what we've seen in the 5 games played here at the Ekana Stadium it was above average.
That in itself doesn't really fit in with LSG's game plan which is generally to be more conservative at the top of the order and look to maintain wickets for later on. Their attempts to play in a more aggressive manner in the chase against RCB ended in disaster when they found themselves 34 for 4 at the end of the powerplay and with a batsman light due to KL Rahul's injury, they never looked likely to recover.
LSG will almost certainly be without KL Rahul for this match too while a few of their players and backroom staff also need to get their heads straight following a couple of incidents both during and most notably after the game with RCB where tempers flared.
CSK meanwhile have lost their last 2 matches and it will be interesting to see whether they can adapt to the conditions here in Lucknow. This is a franchise that built much of its success on grinding out scores on low scoring wickets down in Chepauk. However, this season that has not been the case with the Super Kings largely relying on their batting strength and big scores to get wins.
I noted in my last preview, that CSK have made 4 x 200+ scores this season but they've also conceded as many 200+ scores and lost out to a last ball thriller against PBKS on Sunday who chased down 201 to win.
A few of their spinners (and they always have plenty of those) might fancy this track more than their home conditions but they will need their pace bowlers to keep things tight and pick up powerplay wickets if they are to get back to winning ways. Their most recent powerplay efforts with the ball have seen RR reach 62 without loss while PBKS were 61 for 1 after 6 overs.
The likes of Jadeja, Theekshana and Moeen Ali have managed to reign in the scoring after that but those fast starts by opposition batting line-ups removes some of the pressure that those CSK slower bowlers thrive on during the middle over phase.
LSG vs CSK head to head
CSK bowling vs LSG batting
We wait to see who LSG bring in to replace KL Rahul assuming that he is unfit. They do have Quinton de Kock sat on the bench but would need to rejig their overseas players should they wish to bring him in. I'd also imagine that the Super Giants will be keen to maintain a right-hand / left-hand combination at the top of the order.
Marcus Stoinis T20 career batting stats as an opener
The experienced Manan Vohra would be a straight swap for KL Rahul or LSG could look to promote one of their middle order players up to open the batting. I mentioned in my last LSG preview that both Pooran and Stoinis are struggling to make any kind of impact on the surfaces at the Ekana so it's possible that getting them in earlier while the ball is still hard and scoring is easier could be the way to go. Marcus Stoinis has opened regularly in the Big Bash and a couple of times for Australia in India but is yet to do so in the IPL.
Moeen and Theekshana combined T20 head to head vs Kyle Mayers
Given the seamers inability to take powerplay wickets of late then CSK might well turn towards the spinners early on this surface. It's been a tactic that many sides have used against Kyle Mayers throughout his career with both Moeen Ali and Theekshana having dismissed the big left-hander in previous encounters.
LSG bowling vs CSK batting
Of course LSG are having their own problems with seamers and a lack of penetration up front. Avesh Khan was dropped for the loss against RCB having failed to take a powerplay wicket this season. Mark Wood has also had his opportunities limited of late despite the fact that he's taken 11 wickets at a strike rate of under 9.
Instead, LSG have favored bowlers who can offer greater variety and bowl cutters into this slow Ekana surface. However, should they switch back to the red soil pitch for this game, you'd have thought that at least one of Avesh or Wood will come back into the side.
Conway and Gaikwad T20 career batting stats vs spin
Unlike LSG's most recent opponents here (RCB and GT) this isn't a CSK squad that has any difficulties against slower bowling. Therefore the inclusion of another frontline seam bowler that can hopefully provide penetration up front is a must.
Krunal Pandya T20 head to head vs CSK's left-handers
Krunal Pandya has done an excellent job of limiting scoring at this stadium and has generally bowled most of his overs in the first half of the innings. Given CSK's powerful left-hand options, his impact on this match could well be significantly less than it has been of late. Against the lefties that CSK are likely to employ in their top 5, he's yet to take a wicket and has generally been hit out of the attack.
Conversely, Ravi Bishnoi who is the franchise's leading wicket taker so far this season with 12, has only bowled twice in the powerplay. He is charitably described as a leg-spinner although his stock delivery is the googly which makes him a far more effective weapon against left-handers.
Ravi Bishnoi T20 head to head vs CSK's left-handers
Expect a game of cat and mouse between both sides as they look to limit the effectiveness of each other's spin bowlers by keeping a left and right hand combination at the crease as often as possible.
All stats used in this blog are from my own databases which are freely accessible below
IPL head to head player stats
IPL player stats by venue
IPL stadium statistics.
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