Lucknow Super Giants all-rounder Shardul Thakur shared his thoughts and what his mindset was while bowling at the 'death' in the Indian Premier League match against Mumbai Indians, in Lucknow, on Friday.
The former India seamer bagged just one wicket, conceding 40 runs, in his spell of four overs, during which he dismissed left-hand batter Ryan Rickleton with the 10th ball of the Mumbai Indians innings.
However, the 33-year-old proved his worth in the penultimate over as MI chased 203 and conceded just seven runs against hard-hitting batters Hardik Pandya and Tilak Varma.
Reflecting on the 19th over, which proved decisive in the final analysis, the Mumbai-born cricketer said, "There is always pressure when you are bowling the penultimate or the last over. Avesh (Khan) did a great job as well, but, at the end of the day, you're paid to do that job.
“It was a tricky surface; sometimes, you thought the slower ones would work, but even a few slower ones were hit for boundaries. In the end, it was the yorkers that worked.
“We do see what happened in the first half, but we have seen in the IPL that the pitch changes in the second half and becomes better; it is about adjusting to the conditions."
He heaped praise on young leg-spinner Digvesh Singh Rathi, who bowled brilliantly, taking one wicket and gave away just 21 runs in his four overs.
"He (Rathi) is a phenomenal bowler and a character as well; we need such guys in the team who come in and deliver for the team. He has been a bit of a surprise in the IPL.
"I feel the bounce is even on the red soil, and the ball comes on nicely, but you need more skills as a batter on black soil when there's no dew," the all-rounder added.
The Lucknow Super Giants bowlers' exceptional performance restricted the five-time champions to 191 as they registered a 12-run victory, their second in the ongoing 18th edition of the cash-rich league.
They are currently in sixth place in the IPL 2025 points table with four after playing four games in the competition.
Lucknow Super Giants play their next game against defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on April 8.
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