Hyderabad, April 6 (IANS) Veteran pacer Mohammed Shami reflected on his match-defining spell in Lucknow Super Giants’ (LSG) win over Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in a last-over thriller and said planning and execution to exploit the conditions were the key to holding back the opposition’s batting.

After LSG won the toss and elected to field, their bowling unit, led by a masterclass from Mohd Shami, dismantled the Sunrisers’ top order early. He registered the impressive figures of 2-9, including the dismissals of SRH’s opening duo Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head. Then, Heinrich Klaasen and Nitish Kumar Reddy attempted a recovery with a 116-run stand to help SRH post a competitive total of 156/9.

“I have always tried to give my absolute best for the team. Whatever best can be done, you should do it. Contributing as much as possible for the team is always great, but when performances like this come, it’s good for me as well — it boosts confidence and helps in better execution. It also gives you more confidence going into the next matches,” Shami said in a video shared by IPL.

Shami’s early breakthroughs were built on clever use of conditions, as he varied his pace effectively on a surface that demanded adaptability.

“The biggest factor here is the pitch. It depends on how much you use the surface, how effectively you use slower deliveries. Batsmen like Abhishek and Travis Head are familiar with pace, and everyone knows how well you can mix things up here, where you can make them play, where they can get elevation, and where they won’t. Keeping all these factors in mind, we planned accordingly, and it worked successfully.”

LSG’s disciplined death bowling and crucial batting performances from captain Rishabh Pant and Aiden Markram ensured they crossed the finish line with one delivery to spare.

“The match kept going up and down because whenever we came level — when runs matched the balls — there would be a dot-ball over. The game fluctuated a couple of times, but that’s cricket. In T20 format, if you don’t score at a rate of 6–7 per over, you will face difficulties. But Rishabh did a very good job because if he had gotten out there, the team could have been in serious trouble. It was very important for him to stay at the crease.”

“As they say, if you take your catches, you win matches; otherwise, it becomes difficult because you are giving a batsman two lives. So it is very important to take every catch, no matter where it goes or what the fielding position is. Even if you convert 50-50 chances or difficult catches, it gives your team a big advantage.”

The seasoned pacer further highlighted the importance of staying match-ready through domestic cricket, especially for players outside the international circuit.

“When you are not playing international cricket, it becomes very important to keep playing. The best example of this is domestic cricket. If you play domestic cricket, your touch, your feel, and your rhythm stay intact. When you play longer formats like four-day games and then move to T20s and one-day domestic matches, you get time to spend at the crease. The more time you spend on the field, the better it is for you as a cricketer. So, if you are not playing international cricket, it is very important to fully participate in domestic cricket — it benefits you a lot,” he concluded.

–IANS

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