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Pune: Gujarat Lions came in all guns blazing with openers Brendon McCullum and Dwayne Smith looking in ominous form chasing Rising Pune Supergiants target of 196.
Both McCullum and Smith took the RPS bowling apart after getting just 9 runs in two over, openers launched into the GL attack picking away 24 runs in the third over where McCullum went haywire on Albie Morkel.
Since then it was all the McCullum-Smith show. By the end of the power-play GL has already amassed 72 runs in just 6 overs.
Both players notched up 63 runs in just four overs. McCullum was finally out on 43 off 22 balls with Rajat Bhatia getting his first wicket of the match. Smith was not to be stopped he crashed the boundary off the next ball, to bring up his fifty in just 28 balls.
Smith added just 13 run to his score to finally be dismissed for 63 by Thisera Perera.
Perera bowled a perfect yorker to send Smith middle crashing down. Skipper Suresh Raina and Dinesh Karthik carried on the good work for GL as they constructed a 51 run partnership for the 3rd wicket.
Karthik played a healthy cameo of 33 runs from 20 balls to keep the run-rate going for GL. Raina who did not look at his fluent best managed to survive and remained not-out on.
The fourth wicket to fall for Dwayne Bravo, who got out after making 7 runs from 6 balls. Come in Ravindra Jadeja who faced just one ball only to be run-out by Dhoni in a comical fashion.
Perera comes into bowl the final over and gives a nice juicy full toss to Faulkner, who pounces on for a boundary on the on side.
Earlier in the day, Raina winning the toss opted to bowl first, allowing RPS to bat first on a batsmen friendly pitch. It was Australian skipper Steven Smith who crashed in the party for GL hitting his first ever T20 and IPL century in just 53 balls.
Smith’s knock 101 contained as many as 8 boundaries and 5 massive sixes. Smith was ably supported Rahane, who brought up his fourth IPL this season in 43 balls. Captain MS Dhoni chipped in with 30 quick runs in just 18 balls.
Brief scores
Rising Pune Supergiants - 195/3 (Smith 101, Rahane 53)
Gujarat Lions - 196/7 (Smith 63, McCullum 43, Raina 34, Karthik 33)
Result - Gujarat Lions won by 3 wickets
