NEW DELHI: Former Australian cricketer
Matthew Hayden
has shared valuable insights on how teams can effectively counter the remarkable pace of Lucknow Super Giants' (LSG) rising star,
Mayank Yadav
. Hayden suggests that batsmen facing such an intense pace should focus on allowing the ball to come to them rather than trying to force shots off either foot.
Hayden's remarks come in the wake of Mayank's impressive performance in LSG's recent victory over
Royal Challengers Bengaluru
(RCB), where the young fast bowler showcased his extraordinary talent, clocking a speed of 156.7 kmph, the fastest delivery of the
IPL 2024
season so far.
"One of the things that happens in this competition is that all eyeballs, all those great players watching him, they are working out strategies of how they are going to play him," Hayden commented during the Star Sports Cricket Live show. "If you bang it on length and the pace is fast, it's tough to hit. And the way you've to play someone of that pace is that you need to allow the ball to come to you. Don't try to force it off the front foot or back foot. Just absorb the pressure and the ball will do the rest because (of) the pace of the delivery."
Adding to Hayden's perspective, another Australian cricketer, Smith, emphasized the need for batsmen to exploit Mayank's pace to their advantage, suggesting that using the pace effectively could force the bowler to adopt alternative strategies.
"I don't think he bowled a slower ball. They should be using the pace as much as he can to score behind the wicket and make him do something different," said Smith. "He's bowling quick and if you get some bat on it particularly in the Chinnaswamy the ball races away. So try and use his pace a little bit more instead of finding it. Teams are finding it at the moment and they are coming well short."
Praising Mayank's consistency and impactful performance against RCB, Smith highlighted the young bowler's ability to maintain high standards consistently, which often eludes many players after a standout game.
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"The thing that impressed me is that he's played his debut game the other day obviously, there'll be a lot of hype around him and you see a lot of players have that one good game and then just can't back it up," Smith remarked. "But he's come straight back in, bowled like an absolute genius, got out Glenn Maxwell one of the best T20 batters in the world, Cameron Green, an international player who plays fast bowling really well and Patidar as well. So three quality players. So Mayank Yadav, remember the name."
IPL POINTS TABLE | IPL SCHEDULE
With Mayank's stellar performance contributing significantly to LSG's success, the team currently holds the fourth spot on the points table with two wins and a loss from three games. They will now prepare for their upcoming home game against Gujarat Titans at the Ekana Cricket Stadium on April 7 under the leadership of KL Rahul.
(Inputs from IANS)
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