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Lucknow Super Giants pacer Matt Henry believes that the opening stand between skipper KL Rahul and Quinton de Kock "changed the game" for them against Chennai Super Kings in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) at the Ekana Cricket Stadium.
LSG produced a clinical bowling effort, which reduced CSK to 90/5. Ravindra Jadeja's blitz and MS Dhoni's action-packed cameo powered CSK to a competitive total of 176/6. In reply, Rahul and de Kock forged a 134-run opening stand without breaking a sweat, which laid the foundation for LSG's comfortable 8-wicket win. Henry hailed the opening duo for their remarkable effort and "world-class" performance in the chase. "It was a bit on the slower side and the way the guys adapted to it, we did a really good job. The amazing opening partnership between Quinton and KL changed the game for us. When you can bat the way they did and the intent they showed but I suppose the batsmanship overall was world class and I think that was the difference at the end of the day," Henry said in the post-match press conference. Herny's compatriot, Marcus Stoinis, was in sync with his assessment and opened up about the impact the opening duo had while chasing 177. "Quinny (de Kock) and KL batted beautifully to pretty much seal it and then Nicky (Pooran) came in and iced the cake. That's an important partnership for us at the top. Having that continuity, having them get us off to a start allows us to play the rest of the innings and to build an order around it as well. We've got that confidence with our team and the nice thing about this season so far is there's been different boys stepping up and chipping in to win these games at different stages," Stoinis said after the game. Recapping the match, Dhoni's cameo, combined with Ravindra Jadeja's unbeaten 57, propelled CSK to 176/6. In reply, Rahul and Quinton de Kock forged a 134-run opening stand, which ensured that the hosts walked away with an 8-wicket victory. (ANI)
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