Kolkata, April 9 Lucknow Super Giants clawed their way back with a disciplined middle-overs bowling effort to restrict Kolkata Knight Riders to 181/4 in their IPL clash here on Thursday.
Sent in to bat, KKR, who were looking for their first win of the season, were cruising at 98/1 at the halfway mark, with captain Ajinkya Rahane and in-form Angkrish Raghuvanshi in good form.
The duo added 84 runs off 52 balls and looked set to guide the home team past 200 after Finn Allen (9) fell for a second successive single-digit score.
However, a combination of spin and tight pace bowling triggered another familiar middle-overs slump for KKR, who lost three wickets between overs 11 and 14.
Rahane (41 off 24 balls; 4x4, 2x6) was caught by Digvesh Rathi, while Mohammed Shami completed a fine catch, and Raghuvanshi (45 off 33 balls; 5x4, 2x6) was caught at long-on by Maniraman Siddharth in the very next over.
The slide worsened when Avesh Khan returned strongly after an expensive start to clean up Rinku Singh (4) with a sharp delivery, leaving KKR without a boundary for 30 balls.
KKR slipped to 115/4 in 15 overs, once again exposing their weakness in the middle phase.
A late flourish from Rovman Powell (39 not out off 24 balls; 4x4, 2x6) ensured that KKR scored a competitive total, while Cameron Green (32 not out off 24 balls; 3x4, 1x6) finally had his best show after intense scrutiny as the highest-paid overseas cricketer in the IPL.
But the LSG bowlers, led by Shami (27 runs from 4 overs with nine dot balls), were outstanding.
Rathi was the most consistent, taking 1/25, while Siddharth returned with 1/34.
Earlier, Rahane set the tone with an aggressive approach, showcasing excellent timing and intent, while Raghuvanshi continued his good form, playing the perfect foil.
The young player, fresh from consecutive fifties, combined fluency with composure as the pair recovered after Finn Allen’s early dismissal.
Allen’s wicket, however, was not without controversy, as he top-edged one to deep third, where Rathi completed a tricky back-pedalling catch close to the ropes, with the umpires opting not to review the boundary call.
KKR had a slow start with 18 dot balls in the first five overs but recovered through Raghuvanshi's counterattack against Avesh, finishing the powerplay at 56/1.
LSG's new-ball spearhead Shami looked probing, swinging the ball both ways and conceding just two runs in one of his early overs.