New Delhi: IPL is considered to be the biggest T20 league in the world. For this, apart from Indian veterans, the entry of world’s biggest cricketers is considered to be the reason. Crores of salary of the players playing in this is a big reason. Along with this, the strong support of the fans for every match is also a special reason. Apart from this, one more thing makes this league special – a small player becoming big or a great comeback of a big player. Lucknow Super Giants K fast bowler Mark Wood comes in this last category.
The first match of IPL history was played on Saturday night at the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Stadium in Lucknow. The host Lucknow Super Giants were on the field. In front of him was Delhi Capitals, which was expected to give tough competition. However, this did not happen. One, Lucknow had already scored 193 runs with the explosive innings of 73 runs by Kyle Meyers. Then Mark Wood’s fast pace destroyed all the hopes of Delhi, in which swing and bounce were accompanied by speed.
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swing, bounce and pace
Mark Wood, who made his IPL debut five years ago, celebrated his return with a display of fast bowling that everyone would like to see again and again. Unless he is a batsman. Mark Wood entered in the fifth over and put Prithvi Shaw in awe by putting 3 consecutive short balls. One ball was wide in this but it was enough to create fear in the mind of Prithvi Shaw. After this, what happened in the next two balls can be kept in the category of sensationalism.
Wood bowled a length ball at a speed of 147 kilometers per hour, which came for a light inside and Shaw’s stumps flew away. Mitchell Marsh, who came to the crease, came in the spirit of his strong form and started driving the first ball, but he too had the same fate as Shaw. Stumps on the ground.
बट्टाटेविजर्स ।@MAWood33 gets two in two with his fiery pace ????????
Follow the match ▶️ https://t.co/086EqX92dA #TATAIPL#TATAIPL , #LSGvDC , @LucknowIPL pic.twitter.com/wuCshhzfMo
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 1, 2023
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Outcry by taking 5 wickets
This one over of Wood had decided the fate of Delhi. Wood took the wicket in his next over as well and this time Sarfaraz Khan became his victim. Like Prithvi Shaw, Wood also threatened Sarfaraz with a bouncer and got a wicket on this, who came in an awkward position and started playing the upper-cut and was dismissed at fine leg. Delhi could not recover from these shocks and in the 20th over Wood again stamped his name on Lucknow’s victory by taking two wickets. He gave only 14 runs in 4 overs and took 5 wickets. He became the first bowler to take 5 wickets in this season.
5 years wait after one match
This return of Wood was special in many ways. The English pacer made his debut for Chennai Super Kings in 2018 but played only one match and went for 49 runs without taking a wicket in that too. He didn’t get another chance. After this, the next four seasons were full of injury, poor form, disappointment in the auction for Mark Wood, but during these four years he played an important role in winning England ODI and T20 World Cup.
Mark Wood was supposed to make a comeback in the IPL last season itself, but a thumb injury just before the season snatched away this opportunity from him. Despite this, Lucknow waited for his return and decided to retain him. This decision has been proved right in the first match of IPL 2023 in Lucknow itself.
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