Aussie pair shines as Lions edge Pune

The match in one tweet: Lions Roar again!! Steve Smith’s ton goes in vain as birthday boy Faulkner applies the finishing touch chasing 195.

The hero: Steve Smith was at his imperious best striking a ton in just 53 balls. Smith started his innings with a delicate leg-glance for four from the first ball he faced before going on a rampage, hitting five sixes and eight fours in his masterful innings. Smith found the middle of his bat with such regularity and such apparent ease as to make him look a class above just about every other batsman in the tournament. His class knock was summed up by the fact he had scored equal amount of runs on both sides of the pitch, and that he had executed just about every shot in modern cricket while doing so. 

The blazing start: Brendon McCullum and Dwayne Smith are making a habit of demoralising opponents before the end of the Powerplay. The pair once again blazed away at the start to put on an opening partnership of 93 from 49 balls to give the Lions the perfect platform to chase down the mammoth total of 195. McCullum was eventually dismissed for 43 (22) but Smith carried on to score 63 in 37 balls.  

The Finisher:  Celebrating his 26th birthday, James Faulkner remained calm through all the chaos to hitting the winning runs. Needing nine runs off the last over, Faulkner whipped the first ball for four and then watched two of his teammates lose their wickets under pressure. Finally given the strike, with three to get off two balls, Faulkner clubbed the ball down the ground for a double before finishing the match by calmly depositing a slower ball past the inner ring. 

The support cast: Ajinkya Rahane was brilliant again in making 53 from 45 balls while Dhoni (30no off 18) chipped in superbly at the death. Rahane dropped anchor from the start and combined with Smith to put on a partnership of 111 from just 67 balls but sadly for the Supergiants their bowlers failed to defend 195.

The Shot: Mike Hussey called it the 'dog shot'; the one where Smith miraculously hits a perfect yorker down to fine-leg by shutting the face of his bat at impact and steering between his legs to the boundary.

The Moment: Smith had moved swiftly to 41 from 25 when he under-edged one on to the stumps while attempting a sweep off unorthodox bowler Shivil Kasuhik. But Shivil's ecstasy turned to agony as the replays showed he had over-stepped. Smith made the most of his luck by firstly depositing the free hit into the stands and then carrying on to make a further 59 runs. Fortunately for Kaushik, he would still finish on the winning side.

The stat: Smith's ton was the first in his T20 career and the 10th by an Aussie in the IPL.

The Unorthodox: Kaushik's bowling action brought back memories of the 'frog in a blender', Paul Adams. Kaushik, the left-arm wrist spinner, delivers the ball with his head pointed skyward at the moment of release while his hands comes over his titled head at the point of release. It is an action that is certain to get plenty of Youtube hits over the coming days.

The Wash-up: The Lions skip to a four-point lead on the points table and are within a whisker of securing a semi-final spot while the Pune Supergiants simply cannot afford any more blemishes if they are to participate in the finals race. Injuries to key players have affected the Pune campaign this year but questions have to be raised about their recruitment.

The next stops: Pune host Mumbai in two days in a local derby while the Lions return home to take on the might of Punjab.