NEW DELHI: Lucknow Super Giants pacer
Matt Henry
emphasized the pivotal role played by skipper
KL Rahul
and
Quinton de Kock
's opening partnership, stating it "changed the game" against Chennai Super Kings in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) at the Ekana Cricket Stadium.
Henry heaped praise on 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.
Henry's compatriot, Marcus Stoinis, echoed his sentiments, highlighting the significance of the opening pair's contribution in chasing down 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.
Looking back at the game, a crucial cameo from Dhoni and
Ravindra Jadeja
's unbeaten 57 guided CSK to a total of 176/6.
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In response, Rahul and Quinton de Kock's formidable 134-run opening partnership secured an 8-wicket victory for the hosts.
(Inputs from ANI)
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