Rahane’s blazing 61 in vain as LSG survive KKR scare in high-scoring thriller
Kolkata, Apr 8 (PTI): Lucknow Super Giants held their nerve in a high-scoring contest to edge past Kolkata Knight Riders by four runs in a pulsating IPL clash at the Eden Gardens here on Tuesday.
On a night dominated by batters, KKR skipper Ajinkya Rahane rolled back the years with a power-packed 61 off 35 balls, nearly pulling off KKR’s highest-ever run chase.
But LSG's spin attack, led by Ravi Bishnoi and Digvesh Rathi, applied the brakes just in time to seal a thrilling win, limiting KKR to 234/7 after the away team amassed 238 for three .
It was the third win of the season for LSG in five games while KKR suffered their third loss in five matches.
Mitchell Marsh (81 off 39) continued his sensational form with a fourth fifty of the season, while Nicholas Pooran (87 not out off 36 balls) launched a brutal assault with a 21-ball half-century as LSG posted a challenging target.
In a transformed avatar, Rahane tore into the Indian pace attack -- Akash Deep (43 in 3 overs), Shardul Thakur (30 in 2 overs), and Avesh Khan (17 in 1 over) -- setting up KKR’s best-ever powerplay score since 2017, racing to 90/1.
Rahane’s sparkling knock ended against the run of play, falling victim to Shardul Thakur’s wide-ball ploy.
Incidentally, LSG bowled 20 wides in a tactical strategy that seemed to have worked in the end.
At 162/3 in 13 overs, KKR were cruising with a current run rate of 12.46, comfortably ahead of the required 11 per over, needing just 77 off 42 balls.
But Rahane’s dismissal stalled the momentum and triggered a collapse as KKR lost four wickets for just 15 runs, slipping to 177/6 in 15.2 overs.
Ravi Bishnoi, who conceded 24 runs in his final over, managed to hold his nerve and defend the same in the last over despite Rinku Singh’s presence at the crease.
LSG leaked 38 runs in the 18th and 19th overs combined -- with Avesh Khan giving away 14 -- but Bishnoi closed out the game.
Left-arm spinner Digvesh Rathi, a find of the season for LSG, impressed again with 1/33, including the prized wicket of Sunil Narine -- his idol -- off his very first ball.
His very first ball against Narine (30 off 13) had the Trinidadian mistiming a slash straight to long-off.
Aiden Markram completed the catch as Rathi, already under the scanner for his 'notebook' celebration (three demerit points), reprised it -- this time writing on the Eden grass.
Earlier, Quinton de Kock (15) fell to a DRS call in the third over before Rahane and Sunil Narine counter-attacked in stunning fashion, dismantling LSG's Indian pace attack with disdain.
On a sultry afternoon, LSG's opening pair of Aiden Markram (47 off 28; 4x4, 2x6) and Marsh gave them a blazing start, adding 99 runs off just 62 balls.
Pooran then lit up the evening with his 36-ball unbeaten 87, studded with seven fours and eight sixes, to power them to their second highest IPL total.
Such was the domination that LSG reached 95 without loss at the halfway stage and then added 143 in the last 10 overs with Pooran leading the carnage.
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200 parrots die of food poisoning in MP's Khargone district
Khargone (PTI): At least 200 parrots have died on the banks of the Narmada River in Madhya Pradesh's Khargone district due to food poisoning, officials said on Friday.
The carcasses were found in the last four days near an aqueduct bridge on the riverbank in the Badwah area, and a post-mortem report has ruled out bird flu as the cause, they said.
Some parrots were alive during rescue operations, but the toxicity of the food was so severe that they died shortly thereafter, District wildlife warden Tony Sharma said.
The deaths triggered panic in the area after a suspected bird flu scare, but veterinary examinations found no trace of the infection. Forest department officials have banned feeding near the aqueduct bridge and deployed staff at the site for strict enforcement.
Viscera samples from the birds were sent to Jabalpur for further examination, officials said.
According to officials from the veterinary department, food poisoning and improper diet have caused the deaths.
Teams from the veterinary and forest departments, as well as the wildlife wing, have been monitoring the area for the past four days after being alerted by residents.
Veterinarian Dr Manisha Chauhan, who conducted the post-mortems, said symptoms of food poisoning were found in the parrots, with no indicators of bird flu.
People often unknowingly feed birds food that proves fatal to their digestive systems, she said.
Veterinary extension officer Dr Suresh Baghel said rice and small pebbles were found in the stomachs of dead birds.
Prima facie, the deaths seem to be linked to improper feeding, he said, citing pesticide exposure from feeding in sprayed fields and water from the Narmada River as contributing factors.
Visitors to the bridge feeding cooked or leftover food to birds may have proved fatal, officials said.
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