Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar is unhappy with Chennai Super Kings’ (CSK) Shivan Dube as he bowled a costly penultimate over against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG).
Dube leaked 25 run in the 19th over as it helped LSG win a thrilling match at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai on Thursday.
Gavaskar minced no words watching Dube being hit all sides of the park. “He has played a fair bit of limited-overs cricket and he is still bowling those length balls. He is going to get punished. Of course, it’s not fair that somebody who has not bowled so far is given the 19th over when the batsmen are looking to play the shots. But look at it… it’s a length ball,” Gavaskar said on air.
“He is bowling the slower delivery but a slower delivery is very useful on a turning, dry pitch. Not on a pitch where the ball is coming off the bat quite nicely,” he added.
Gavaskar was not impressed with Dube as the all-rounder was continuously bowling length balls, which allowed LSG batsmen Evin Lewis and young Ayush Badoni to play freely and milk a massive 25-runs from the six deliveries to help their side in sealing the match.
In the match, the 18th over was bowled by Dwayne Bravo and in the final two overs, the KL-Rahul-led LSG needed 34 off the last 12 balls. In the next six balls, Lewis took charge and blasted the fastest half-century of the season.
In the final over with nine needed, Badoni completed the formalities and helped LSG register their first-ever Indian Premier League (IPL) win.
“Clearly, CSK’s calculation as far as who should be bowling is going wrong. A length ball and a nice easy swing on this lovely batting pitch. He clearly hasn’t learnt anything, Shivam Dube. A quicker ball but length ball this time and it has gone the distance,” Gavaskar said while commentating.
“The first ball went for a six, and then he was smashed for a boundary. Then again, a boundary and then the last ball going to a six – 25 runs,” he added.
The Ravindra Jadeja-led CSK has now lost both of their two games so far in the season as prior to the LSG game, the Yellow Brigade had suffered a six-wicket loss against two-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). They will now be up against the Mayank Agarwal-led Punjab Kings (PBKS) at the Brabourne stadium in Mumbai on Sunday (April 3).
On the other hand, after a win and a loss from their two games, LSG will face the Kane Williamson-led Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the Dr DY Patil Sports Academy in Navi Mumbai on April 4 (Monday).