The Albany Gazette - Shami, Pant help Lucknow beat Hyderabad in nervy IPL clash

Pace bowler Shami's inspirational opening spell had Hyderabad tottering at 26-4 before the home team reached 156-9 at the Uppal stadium.

Lucknow started strongly but wobbled in the middle phase before the left-handed Pant kept calm to steer the team home with one ball to spare for their first win of the season in two matches.

Aiden Markram's 45 off 27 balls set up the chase but Lucknow lost quick wickets including impact substitute Ayush Badoni, stumped for 12, and Nicholas Pooran, run out for one.

Needing nine off the final over, Pant, a wicketkeeper-batter, hit three fours including the winning boundary off Jaydev Unadkat.

Shami stood out after he took down Hyderabad's dangerous openers Abhishek Sharma, for a duck, and Travis Head, for seven, on successive balls in his first two overs.

He had Sharma caught at short third off the last delivery of his opener and Head then taken at mid-off from the first ball of his second over.

India's veteran quick Shami has 462 international wickets across three formats but has fallen off the radar of national selectors despite consistent domestic performances.

The 35-year-old Shami last played for India in the final of the 2025 ODI Champions Trophy in Dubai.

England's Liam Livingstone avoided the hat-trick but soon fell for 14 after skipper Ishan Kishan was bowled for one before Heinrich Klaasen and Nitish Kumar Reddy hit back.

Klaasen top-scored with 62 and Reddy hit 56 off 33 balls as the two put on 116 runs in a counter-attacking stand that gave Hyderabad a fighting chance.

But once the two departed, Hyderabad's batting fell apart as fast bowlers Prince Yadav and Avesh Khan finished with two wickets each to provide able support to Shami.

(R.White--TAG)