Bravo, Finch guide Gujarat Lions to maiden IPL win

Powered by a stroke-filled Aaron Finch half-century, debutants Gujarat Lions registered their maiden win in Vivo IPL 2016 when they humbled Kings XI Punjab by 5 wickets at the IS Bindra Stadium on Monday. The visitors did well to firstly restrict the hosts to a competitive 161-6 and then recovered from a poor start to knock off the runs required in under 18 overs, thereby registering an emphatic win.

The Gujarat Lions chase, which was rocked in the very first over when the dangerous Brendon McCullum was stumped for nought, was put back on track through a 51-run partnership between opener Aaron Finch and skipper Suresh Raina. Both batsmen went after the bowlers in that second wicket partnership; while Finch contributed 29 from 18 balls, Raina made 20 from 9 balls before he miscued a slower delivery from Marcus Stoinis and holed out to Mitchell Johnson.

Dinesh Karthik, who walked in at number four, and Finch ensured they did not take the foot of the pedal. The pair was involved in a rollicking partnership, adding 65 runs in 38 balls. Finch, who played some stunning drives – especially straight down the ground, dominated the partnership, contributing to the extent of 44 runs. Karthik found the boundary occasionally but smartly turned the strike over very well to ensure Finch got to face more of the deliveries.

Such was the pair’s dominance that the required run rate which was 7.59 when they got together had been brought to a modest 5.51. But then against the run of play Finch was dismissed, beaten in flight and stumped off the bowling of Pardeep Sahu; he made 74 from 47 balls, twelve of which found the fence.

Though the Lions lost Ravindra Jadeja and 17-year old Ishan Kishan thereafter, a well-set Karthik steered the visitors past the finish line in the eighteenth over; he remained unbeaten on 41 (26 balls).

For KXIP, Sandeep Sharma (1-21) was impressive with the new ball, while the leg-spinner Sahu (1-35) was impressive on occasions. Earlier in the evening, after being asked to take first strike, hosts Kings XI Punjab rode on an opening stand of 78 to post a competitive total. Manan Vohra and Murali Vijay survived a testing couple of overs from Praveen Kumar, who got the ball to move both ways, and feasted on the other bowlers they came up against.

Vijay was the first to break the shackles when he hit young Pradeep Sangwan for a six and a boundary off consecutive deliveries in the second over. There was more stick for Sangwan as Vijay would hit him for two boundaries in his following over. Vohra, who was handed a chance early on, got stuck into James Faulkner in the fifth over and hit him for three boundaries. After six overs, KXIP were in a comfortable position at 52 for no loss.