Raw pace is what best catches the attention of fans and experts alike when an unknown fast bowler rushes in to the bowling crease for the first time. Combine it with a good run-up, smooth action, accuracy, and cricketing smarts and you know the bowler would be a force to reckon with.

That’s exactly what Mayank Yadav displayed on his Indian Premier League debut for the Lucknow Super Giants at the Ekana Stadium against the Punjab Kings on Saturday.

The 21-year-old pacer from Delhi finished with figures of 3-27 in his four overs as the Super Giants beat the Kings by 21 runs despite a fighting 50-ball 70 from the visiting skipper Shikhar Dhawan.

Earlier in the day, the Lucknow Super Giants posted a mammoth 199/8 after opting to bat first, riding on the back of a half-century from opener Quinton de Kock (54). Stand in skipper Nicholas Pooran (42) and Krunal Pandya (43*) also played vital knocks even as Sam Curran picked up three wickets for the Punjab Kings.

Turning point of the match

The Punjab Kings were cruising in the chase with openers Jonny Bairstow (42) and Dhawan finding boundaries at will. They duo added 61 runs in the batting powerplay and continued to motor along, bringing up a 100-run partnership off 62 deliveries in the 11th over. It was then that the debutant turned up.

Yadav was the last bowler introduced into the attack by Pooran in the tenth over of the chase. The youngster raised eyebrows with his pace, recording 150 kph with just his third delivery. Though he conceded ten runs of his first over with a boundary each from Bairstow and Dhawan, Pooran persisted with the youngster.

Yadav repaid his captain’s faith in the very next over, clocking 155.8 kph – the fastest ball of the season, with his first delivery. Dhawan got of strike the next delivery, while Bairstow played a dot ball. A 143.8 kph bouncer followed and the Englishman ended up gifting a catch to Marcus Stoinis at deep midwicket looking to take Yadav on.

It was a much needed wicket for the Lucknow Super Giants and from there the tides started turning in their favour.

Yadav conceded just 17 runs in his final three overs and picked up two more wickets and was ably supported by Mohsin Khan, who finished with 2-34 which included the wicket of Dhawan in the 17th over.

The Field’s player of the match

Pandya’s scintillating innings at the death, Pooran’s onslaught, half-centuries from de Kock and Dhawan, Curran’s bowling effort – there were multiple individual brilliances on display at the Ekana Stadium. But it is hard to look past the young Yadav for The Field’s Player of the match.

Besides Bairstow, Yadav sent back the young Prabhsimran Singh and the dangerous Jitesh Sharma to effectively derail the Punjab Kings’ chase. It was not just about wickets, but containing the run flow as well after the Kings had raced to 98/0 after 10 overs.

Yadav did all of it with ease. Eight out of the 24 deliveries he bowled in the evening were clocked in excess of 150 kph and none dipped below the 140 kph mark. Talk about not letting the intensity drop!

Yadav was accurate as well, rarely bowling loose deliveries. In fact, the only extra he conceded in the match was a leg bye to Dhawan.

While all of Yadav’s three wickets were from well directed bouncers, he was not a one trick pony either. He outsmarted Dhawan with quick full deliveries and the veteran admitted it in the post match presentation.

“Mayank outsmarted us with his pace,” said Dhawan. “He is very smart as well. He knew I was ready for the bouncers and so bowled two full yorkers for a dot ball and a single.”

‘Take it like an exam’

Much before Yadav stole the limelight with his raw pace, it was Pandya’s night in Lucknow. Having walked out to bat in the 16th over at the fall of Pooran’s wicket, the southpaw went into a rampage.

He smashed four boundaries and two sixes in his unbeaten 22-ball stay in the middle, occasionally turning down singles to take the Lucknow Super Giants to a par total on the batting friendly surface. He ran hard between the wickets and ensured that his team never let the momentum slip after losing their skipper.

“I like to play as per the situation, I’ve always prepared that way that I’ll be flexible as a batter. I just want to go out and contribute to the team, regardless of what position I bat. I like to prepare well. I take it like an exam where if you study well, your paper will go good. I treat cricket the same way.”

— Krunal Pandya in the innings break