New Delhi, March 28 (NationPress) Veteran Indian batsman Cheteshwar Pujara praised Lucknow Super Giants all-rounder Shardul Thakur for his unexpected bouncer that led to hard-hitting Abhishek Sharma being late on his shot and getting dismissed early, ultimately paving the way for the visitors to secure their first win of IPL 2025.

At the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Thakur had Abhishek caught off his short delivery at deep square leg and recorded 4-34, his best performance in the IPL, as a formidable SRH batting lineup only managed to score 190/9.

In response, Nicholas Pooran delivered a spectacular performance, smashing 70 runs off just 26 balls as LSG chased down the target with 23 balls remaining. Currently, Thakur, who was brought in as an injury replacement by LSG after not being sold in the mega auction, is the top wicket-taker in the tournament.

"One aspect is that he is aiming to swing the ball. With the new ball, he is achieving that shape into the left-handers and mixing it up with yorkers. If you analyze the previous deliveries faced by Abhishek or Travis Head, he attempted yorkers - which were low full-tosses - but as a batsman, you are contemplating whether it will be a yorker or a back-of-a-length ball.

"And suddenly, he delivers a bouncer, which can catch a batsman off guard. Consequently, you have less than a second to execute your shot, and that’s why I believe Abhishek was late on his shot," Pujara stated on ESPNCricinfo.

Nick Knight, the former England batsman, also concurred that Thakur executed his bowling strategy effectively in Hyderabad. "I refer to it as bowling craft. During our playing days, we faced numerous bowlers. The finest bowlers we encountered were often those who had mastered their bowling craft. Bowling craft is when you least expect a particular delivery."

"If Abhishek had anticipated that ball, (if) he knew it was going to be short, it would have been out of the park. But because he is uncertain whether it will be full or swing, he is slightly late on it, and that distinguishes the difference between it going out of the park and getting caught. The bowling craft was perfectly executed," he added.

Pujara further commended uncapped pacer Prince Yadav for his precise plans, finishing with figures of 1-29, including the dismissal of the dangerous Travis Head. "He had a clear strategy. He aimed to bowl yorkers and mix in slower bouncers and bouncers. There was a definitive game plan: he was not going to deliver a length ball or a back-of-a-length ball."

"When you possess that clarity, execution follows. I believe his execution was flawless. There were moments when he bowled half-volleys, but I still think those are commendable deliveries on that pitch. He demonstrated a lot of courage. It requires courage to bowl those deliveries."

LSG, led by Rishabh Pant, will aim to capitalize on their victory in Hyderabad when they face Shreyas Iyer-led Punjab Kings (PBKS) in their first home match at the BRSABV Ekana Stadium in Lucknow on April 1.