De Kock’s quick 81 takes Lucknow to 181-5 against RCB

LSG’s Quinton de Kock during the match against RCB in Bangalore yesterday. Pic/PTI

Two Lucknow Super Giants left-handers made up for the failures of two local heroes, but despite Quinton de Kock's excellent 81 (56b) and Nicholas Pooran's blazing unbeaten 40 (21b), Royal Challengers Bengaluru were the happier outfit at the midway stage of Tuesday night's IPL showdown at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.

KL Rahul, back as skipper after being subbed out in the last game, and Devdutt Padikkal only managed 26 runs in 24 deliveries between them - they must have felt strange that their ‘home' fans cheered their dismissals - but through de Kock and Pooran, LSG's start-stop-start innings reached 181 for five when they ran out of overs. Scores of 176 and 182 have been chased down reasonably comfortably at this venue over the last week and RCB will fancy their chances, given their powerful batting line-up, though the X-Factor of Mayank Yadav might yet have a say.

De Kock largely batted with minimal support for about 90 per cent of the LSG innings, despite eking out half-century stands for the first wicket with his captain and for the third with Marcus Stoinis, who threatened briefly before perishing to fellow-Aussie Glenn Maxwell. The off-spinner, who bowled his full complement of overs for the first time in four matches, was RCB's most successful bowler with two for 23 while Yash Dayal, the left-arm quick, was also impressive, finishing with one for 24 in a display marked by cunning changes of pace.

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Indeed, had Anuj Rawat not put Pooran down on two off a steepling skier - the easiest of three chances that went down - LSG would have been in deeper trouble. The keeper was well within his rights to call for the catch as he ran nearly 30 yards to short square-leg, but the ball just popped out and Pooran expressed his thanks in no uncertain terms.

He smashed Topley for three sixes in the 19th over, the last of them landing on the roof over deep mid-wicket, and smacked Mohammed Siraj for two more in the final over.