New Delhi, April 23 Vijay Dahiya, the assistant coach of Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) defended the move of promoting David Miller to number five batting spot during their eight-wicket defeat to Delhi Capitals (DC), citing it as a way to reverse the team’s declining run-rate following three quick dismissals.
At the BRSABV Ekana Stadium, Miller came out to bat after Abdul Samad’s promotion didn’t yield anything substantial. But Miller could only make 14 off 15 balls as impact player Ayush Badoni slammed a quick 21-ball 36, as LSG made 159/6, which DC chased down in 17.5 overs.
Miller’s promotion also meant that skipper Rishabh Pant came out to bat at seven, and made just a two-ball duck. "I think in the T20 format, there is only one plan, and that is to have a lot of plans. Nothing is decided in this game. You try to understand how the game is going and how you will try to ride I”
“We were a little behind the game. We tried to make a comeback. So, that's why the effort to promote Miller, who plays with an attacking style, to see if that could change anything. If we managed to get 10-15 runs from a few overs then, the game could have been different," said Dahiya at the conclusion of the game.
He also lauded DC for assessing the conditions well and using it to their advantage. "We had more than 80 runs in the 8th and 9th over. Thereafter we lost some momentum. So rather than talking about the pitch, we will try to address the other things. We should have seized that momentum."
"Let's give credit where it's due. I think Delhi Capitals bowlers assessed the conditions very well. If you look at both innings, there were a few overs where the ball stopped slightly. At that time, they used cutters and made a very good comeback," he added.
LSG, at fifth place in the points table with ten points from nine games, will now face Hardik Pandya-led five-time champions Mumbai Indians (MI) at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
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