In reply, GT were off to a great start but lost the plot in the 17th over when they lost Sherfane Rutherford and Rahul Tewatia in quick succession to surrender the initiative.
“We gave 15-20 extra. If we’d stopped them (LSG) at 210-220 it would’ve been better, that was a huge difference,” said Gill, hinting that it was a wake-up call for the side, which has already qualified for the playoffs.
Asked if he chose to bowl first after winning the toss just to test the team’s preparedness for the playoffs, Gill said, that was not the case.
“No, honestly. We bowled well in the powerplay. Yes, we didn’t get wickets. But they (LSG) scored 180 in the next 14 overs, which was a lot. We were right in the game till the 17th over. Shahrukh and Rutherford batted well. Getting the momentum back will be key in the next game.
GT play their last league match against Chennai Super Kings at the same venue on May 25, hoping to regain the momentum ahead of the playoffs.
Player of the Match Marsh, who finally struck his maiden IPL century after playing in the tournament since 2010, said LSG hadn’t had a great season but they can bow out on a high.
“I actually first played for the Deccan Chargers, it’s been a long journey. Happy to contribute tonight. Being given the opportunity to open, the partnership with (Aiden) Markram has helped me..
“We haven’t had the best of seasons but the last two games are still important. I thought they bowled well early on. T20s these days, if you’re 12 off 12 and not time it well, it’s panic stations. But today showed you can bat through and go on to stitch big partnerships,” he added. PTI AM AM KHS