When Common Sense Fails: The Fine Margins That Cost LSG the Game
I was watching the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) versus Delhi Capitals (DC) match on television in Sri Lanka and found myself wondering why cricketers at this level still, at times, lack the most basic trait – common sense. How and why do they fail to exercise this basic faculty in critical situations?
Shahbaz Ahmed, one of the more talented players on the domestic circuit and someone who had a decent season for Bengal, was batting with Anrich Nortje, with only Mohsin Khan to follow. There were still 12 balls left in the Lucknow innings, and a decent finish could have taken them to 160, which, in hindsight, could well have been a par score. Shahbaz was already set and had faced 15 balls. All he needed to do was go for the big shots and retain the strike as much as possible.
What he did, however, was take a single off the second ball of the 19th over. The last two wickets then fell in the next two deliveries, closing out the LSG innings for 141 with eight balls still remaining.
The truth is, Shahbaz should have done better. He has been a Ranji Trophy star and has a strong record for Bengal. It was his moment to take responsibility. We have often seen him play big shots in domestic cricket, and that was exactly what the situation demanded. With shorter boundaries on one side of the ground, even a mishit could have gone for six. In sum, Shahbaz needed to show game awareness and take the onus upon himself. He did not, instead exposing numbers 10 and 11, and as a result, the team ended up at least 20 runs short.
This is where players need to improve. While I refer to Shahbaz here, there have been other occasions where common sense has not been applied. Is it the pressure of the moment that affects these players? Was Shahbaz feeling the tension as the last recognised batter? Does that play on the mind and lead to a poor decision? Whatever the reason, he could have done better – for himself and for LSG.
This is where Sameer Rizvi won the game for DC. He started slowly, scoring 2 off 10 balls, and was understandably cautious at 26 for 4. The LSG bowlers were breathing fire and had worked their way back into the contest. With Tristan Stubbs for company, Rizvi began rotating the strike, and then, when Shahbaz came on to bowl, he effectively sealed the game in a single over with multiple boundaries. At no point did he panic. It was a calm, common-sense approach that ultimately won DC the match.
All of the above is, of course, much easier said than done. But that is precisely what separates victory from defeat. Between Abdul Samad and Shahbaz, they should have closed out the innings and pushed the total beyond 160. With 140, you are rarely in the game. Even at four wickets down, DC knew that one good partnership would settle things. With David Miller still to come, they had a cushion.
Common sense – or the lack of it – often determines the outcome, and one hopes Shahbaz will learn from this experience.
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