NewKerala.com

LSG Batters Struggle on Home Pitches Like Perth's WACA, Says Coach Langer

Lucknow Super Giants head coach Justin Langer has admitted his team's batters have failed to adjust to the extra pace and bounce on their home pitch at the BRSABV Ekana Stadium. Langer compared the conditions to playing at the WACA in his hometown of Perth, noting his batters have been dismissed by the short ball repeatedly. Despite the batting woes, he praised his pace unit, specifically highlighting young bowlers Mohsin Khan and Prince Yadav as future India players. Langer emphasized that the pitch is excellent and the responsibility lies with the batters to adapt better to the challenging conditions.

Key Points: IPL 2026: LSG Batters Not Adjusting to Home Pitch Pace - Langer

  • LSG lost all home games
  • Batters struggling with short ball
  • Pitch compared to Perth's WACA
  • Langer praises young pace duo
  • Onus on batters to adapt
3 min read

IPL 2026: LSG batter have just not adjusted to extra pace and bounce on pitches at home, says Langer

LSG coach Justin Langer says his batters are struggling with the extra pace and bounce at Lucknow's home ground, comparing it to playing at the WACA in Perth.

"This is like playing at the WACA (Perth). There's real pace and bounce. - Justin Langer"

Lucknow, April 23

Lucknow Super Giants head coach Justin Langer admitted his batters have struggled to cope and adjust to the extra pace and bounce at the BRSABV Ekana Stadium and equated the pitches here to 'playing at the WACA' in his hometown Perth.

LSG have lost all of their home games so far in IPL 2026, with the latest instance of it coming through a 40-run defeat to Rajasthan Royals on Wednesday. "I think the pitch here is very different than in most of India. It's a brilliant cricket pitch. You see pace and bounce and we just haven't quite adjusted to it. I thought we started off with bowling quite well in it.

"We bowled well in the first game but we're just not adjusting to the extra pace and bounce. We saw that we've been out to the short ball a number of times, our batters, and that's what I would say," Langer said at the postmatch presser.

The side's batting returns at the venue this season have been modest - as seen from them making 141, 164/8 and 119. "So we're not adjusting. We see a lot of the wickets in India where the ball doesn't bounce very high. This is like playing at the WACA (Perth).

"There's real pace and bounce, isn't there? I mean you're seeing some really interesting cricket being played here and we just haven't been able to adapt to it at this stage. We haven't quite clicked, have we?" added Langer.

Despite the batting woes, Langer praised his pace unit, especially singling out young fast bowlers Mohsin Khan and Prince Yadav. "Last year our numbers were incredible and we were ruing the fact that a lot of our bowlers were injured or coming back from injury or not quite fit.

"This year our bowlers have been a real credit. I think Mohsin Khan, again outstanding. Prince Yadav, I think they're both two players who will play for India. No question in my mind they'll both play for India," he added.

On whether the franchise had any say in pitch preparation, Langer reiterated his admiration for the surface, and added that the onus was on the LSG batters to adapt to conditions on offer.

"No, no, no. Their groundsmen here: I've said for the last couple of years this is one of the best pitches in India. You see it's a big outfield and a big ground. It's a brilliant one bat to bat on... it's a great cricket wicket actually and we just need to adapt to it better.

"We get to play a bit here but this is, we've got a very good groundsman. We've got a great cricket pitch. Every game's exciting cricket. We've just been on the wrong side of it so far," he concluded.

- IANS

Share this article:

Reader Comments

P
Priya S
It's good to have variety in pitches across India! Not every ground should be a flat batting paradise. This tests the technique of our batsmen, which is needed for international cricket. LSG batters need to step up, plain and simple. 💪
R
Rohit P
Fair point by Langer, but where is the local coaching staff's input? Shouldn't our Indian coaches have prepared them better for home conditions? Seems like a planning failure. On the bright side, Mohsin and Prince look like real finds for the future!
S
Sarah B
Interesting perspective as an overseas fan. Having a "Perth-like" pitch in the IPL is fantastic for the league's quality. It prepares Indian players for tours to Australia and South Africa. LSG's struggle is their own, but it's great for cricket overall.
K
Karthik V
Yaar, this is so frustrating to watch as an LSG fan! We pay for tickets to see our team win at home, not make excuses. The batters look scared of the short ball. Need someone with guts like KL Rahul to show the way. Hope they turn it around soon 🤞
M
Michael C
Respect to Langer for not blaming the pitch and praising the groundsman. That's a class act. In T20, adaptability is key. Other teams will figure out Ekana now, so LSG needs to solve this puzzle fast, or their season will be over before it starts.

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

Leave a Comment

Minimum 50 characters 0/50