Former Indian batter Mohammad Kaif lavished praise on Mitchell Marsh after they suffered a nine-run (DLS) loss against Lucknow Super Giants at the Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow on Thursday. Marsh scored a brilliant knock of 111 runs off just 56 balls with the help of nine fours and as many sixes. 

The lanky Australian scored his runs at a blistering strike rate of 198.21 in his blistering knock to help LSG post 209-3 in 19 overs. RCB were given a DLS target of 213 in 19 overs after rain intervened.

Marsh added 95 runs off 56 balls with opening partner Arshin Kulkarni, whereas he added 70 off 41 balls with Nicholas Pooran.

Mohammad Kaif said on Star Sports, “When you play on black-soil pitches with low bounce, you usually target straight areas. If you look at this match, most of his shots were played with a high elbow and straight down the ground. And with the angle at which the ball was pitching, especially on that wide line outside off stump, he kept driving over extra cover. None of the shots looked premeditated. He simply played according to where the ball was pitched and targeted straight areas. Whenever the short ball came, he pulled it and hit a couple there as well. But for most of the match, he played down the ground and struck beautiful shots through the covers.”

The former UP batter said Marsh’s knock came at a crucial time for LSG as the franchise had lost their previous six games on the trot.

“It was a knock of 111 runs off 56 balls from his bat at a time when, of course, Lucknow were in serious trouble. The team had come into the match after losing six consecutive games, and they had also been losing matches at home in Lucknow. On the other side was a very strong bowling attack. He was up against bowlers like Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood. Scoring a century against them is a big achievement.”

Royal Challengers Bengaluru will next take on Mumbai Indians at Raipur on Sunday.