Aaron Finch 63 leads Australia to victory over Ireland at T20 World Cup

Australia got their Twenty20 World Cup defense back on track with a 42-run win over Ireland at the Gabba in Brisbane on Monday.

Ireland, chasing Australia’s 179–5, were all out for 137 in the 19th over, leaving Australia to level five points, with leaders New Zealand, who have one game to go, in Group 1. is at the top.

England, who play New Zealand on Tuesday, are in third place, two points behind Australia but with a better net run rate, a factor that could be important in a tight group.

Ireland also had three points, with hopes of reaching the semi-finals out of the way before the match, but were blown away in the chase by Mitchell Starc’s pace and inswing and then the scoreboard pressure of the 180-run target.

They rolled 25-5 and handed the World Cup hosts a comfortable win despite Lorcan Tucker’s scintillating unbeaten 71.

Australia captain Aaron Finch, who won the man of the match award for his 63 runs, said the scoring was not straightforward.

“It wasn’t the smoothest wicket, it was a lot slower than we expected,” Finch said.

“He switched his pace really well and bowled a lot of cutters early in the innings.

It was difficult to find the rhythm and we did well scoring 179 runs.

Earlier, Finch had returned to form in his 44-ball knock with five fours and three sixes, responding to critics who had called for him to be dropped after a poor run with the bat.

Finch denied that he was influenced by all the chatter. “No, not feeling any pressure at all to be honest,” Finch said.

“The support from the change room and support staff has been incredible. T20 is a high-risk game, sometimes it stops, sometimes it doesn’t.”

He was patient, playing the anchor as Australia lost their first three wickets to tough Irish bowling.

– Ireland ‘making progress’ – His watchful approach paid off after Ireland’s attack and Finch had the advantage, faltering under pressure from Marcus Stoinis, who scored 35 off 25 balls.

Ireland started their run chase fast but suffered a major setback when captain Andy Balbirnie was hit for a six by Pat Cummins in the last ball of the second over.

He was chased almost immediately by the dangerous Paul Stirling, who was caught by Cummins for 11 off part-time spinner Glenn Maxwell.

Maxwell then caught Harry Tector at square leg with Ireland for 24 and the game was as good a run later as Starc bowled Curtis Camper for a duck.

Starc was bowling at real pace and struck again with another beautiful inswinger on George Dockrell’s account, leaving Ireland 25-5.

Tucker and Gareth Delany made a brief recovery until Delany skidded Maxwell trying to belt Stoinis for six.

Tucker, who came in at number three, played single-handedly, scoring 71 off 48 balls, until he was run out of partners.

“We are making progress to stay with these big teams – looking at the scoreboard we thought it was not against us,” said captain Balbirnie.

“Again the wicket column was a problem and who knows if someone stayed with Tucker.”

Originally published at Pen 18

Virat Kohli fumes at ‘invasion of privacy’ after hotel room video

Superstar India cricketer Virat Kohli said on Monday that he was “crazy about his privacy” after a stranger was filmed inside his hotel room in Perth.

Kohli, 33, took to social media to criticize the actions of the attacker, who took video footage of the batsman’s belongings at Crown Perth during India’s preparation for the T20 World Cup in Australia earlier this month.

Kohli wrote to his 221 million followers on Instagram, “I understand that fans are very happy and excited to see their favorite players and are excited to meet them and I have always appreciated it.”

“But this video here is horrifying and it made me feel very paranoid about my privacy.”

The hotel said it had launched an investigation and that a contractor had “stand-in”.

“If I can’t have privacy in my hotel room, where can I really expect any personal space???” Kohli said.

“I’m not okay with this kind of bigotry and complete invasion of privacy. Please respect people’s privacy and don’t treat them as an object for entertainment.”

Crown Resorts apologized for the violation and said it took immediate action.

“We are aware of an incident involving the privacy of a contractor and a guest at Crown Perth,” a Crown Resorts spokesperson told AFP.

“We apologize unconditionally to the guest involved and will continue to take necessary steps to ensure that this remains an isolated incident.

“We have zero tolerance for this behavior, and it is well below the standards we set for our team members and contractors.

“The Crown took immediate steps to rectify the issue, including launching an investigation, standing up to the individuals involved.

“The original video was also swiftly removed from the social media platform.

“We are also cooperating with the Indian cricket team and the International Cricket Council so that we apologize and will continue to work with them to advance our investigation.”

The International Cricket Council said: “The ICC is incredibly disappointed by the blatant invasion of privacy by a member of the Indian traveling team at Crown Perth during their team’s pre-event preparations ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022.

“We continue to work with event hotels and security providers to ensure that this remains an isolated event and that player privacy is fully respected at all times.”

Kohli has been in fine form in the tournament with two match-winning unbeaten half-centuries, but his team’s loss to South Africa in Perth on Sunday led to a 12-run defeat.

Originally published at Pen 18

virat kohli: Ravichandran Ashwin in disbelief after Virat Kohli drops a dolly in Ind-SA match, video goes viral

New Delhi: Veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin and cricket fanatics were in for a jolt when former India captain Virat Kohli – in South Africa’s 12th over – dropped a dolly to relieve Aiden Markram in Perth on Sunday.

The ball went straight into Kohli’s hand but was let off by the former India captain. It was one of the easiest catches and Kohli’s drop surprised Ashwin. Neither skipper Rohit Sharma nor the fans could believe that Kohli was dropping the catch.

The video of this reaction of Ashwin has now gone viral on social media.

Markram was batting on 35 when Kohli dropped him. The right-handed batsman scored a half-century and scored 52 for 41 to play his part in the win. Markram’s catch could have made a difference and that missed opportunity proved to be very costly for Team India.

India now has 2 wins in 3 matches in the current ICC T20 World Cup.

Originally published at Pen 18

wsf: Chennai to host squash World Cup in 2023, WSF chief says India “important territory”

World Squash Federation (WSF) President Jenna Wooldridge on Sunday said that Chennai will host the revised Squash World Cup in 2023. She also said that the city may host the 2025 edition of the World Cup.

The World Cup, which was restarted in 2023, will be held in the city after the signing of a multi-year agreement with the Squash Rackets Federation of India.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the WSF convention and the Annual General Meeting (AGM) here, Wooldridge said the World Cup, which has not taken place since 2011, could possibly be a mixed team event.

“We’ve got support to bring a new World Cup in Chennai. We had it (WC) earlier, it hasn’t happened since 2011. It will be a facelift… There are plans to make it a mixed team event. We have not decided on the eligibility criteria,” she said.

Wooldridge said that in addition to the World Cup, the WSF wants to host a world doubles event in the city in 2024.

“India is an important region and important partner for the World Squash Federation, which has a strong track record of supporting WSF and delivering some memorable world events.

“After a three-year break in our conference due to Covid, this conference and the AGM have been critically important and extremely successful in bringing the WSF family back together individually; and we are most grateful for the hospitality and generous support.” Appreciate SRFI for hosting us in Chennai.

“We look forward to our renewed collaboration to support the transformation of our game over the next few years,” she said.

The WSF chief expressed optimism about efforts to become an Olympic sport in 2028 (at the Los Angeles Games), with previous efforts failing.

He said, “We are one of the shortlist of 9. We have a chance. We have made a good submission. Being in the shortlist of 9 is an achievement in itself.”

New board members were elected at the WSF’s three-day conference and AGM. It elected two vice-presidents, with Debendranath Sarangi, the current president of the Squash Racket Federation of India, re-elected for a second term.

He is now also on the WSF board and has been joined by new New Zealand member Susan Devoy, a former world No.

Originally published at Pen 18

Satwik-Chirag win French Open men’s doubles title

Paris: Star Indian pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty clinched the French Open Super 750 title by defeating Chinese Taipei’s Lu Ching Yao and Yang Po Han in straight games in the men’s doubles final here. sunday.

The world number 8 pair, who finished runners-up in the 2019 edition, rode on their formidable attack to outshine Lu and Yang, finishing 25th, 21-13 21-19 in a 48-minute summit clash.

The Indian pair thus continued their dream this year, which saw them win the Indian Open Super 500 title, Commonwealth Games gold, Thomas Cup crown and an unprecedented bronze at the World Championships in August.

Originally published at Pen 18

T20 world cup: For India, nothing clicks except Suryakumar Yadav

When a team of batting superstars revamp their collective approach to the game in a year, systematically discarding the controls and balances that were the foundation of their playing style, you’re going to get some great results. There will be days when the lineup will chase scores they have no business with.

There will be days when the good bowlers in the opposition camp will execute their plans and take them to the sweepers. But, there will also be days in which accidents and burns will happen, and you must accept it because when you live by the sword you will also die by it. The key is that the method should win more than it costs you and it shouldn’t be something that gets in the way of lifting a team into a big match or knockout.

Even Suryakumar Yadav’s spark could not extinguish the fire so fast that India could get a big score in Perth on Sunday. It was one of those days, on a pitch with little juice against a fast bowling attack that knew where to put the ball. As is now standard, Suriya played his brand of cricket, which consisted of using pace, going after the bowling, attacking mercilessly but with smart shots in odd parts of the field, and scoring 68 runs off just 40 balls. . The rest of the team put together 57 runs in 80 balls, with eight additional players taking India for 133.

Every cricket coach tells young batsmen that they should first learn to determine the price and value of their wicket. Now, in Twenty20 cricket, this is hardly possible at the international level. The game has progressed at a fast pace, but the methods of coaching at different levels are not necessarily the same. While young players are playing more freely and fearlessly, using shots that a generation before them would have thought of as sacrilege, it has taken a lot of work to get the likes of Virat Kohli into this mode .

Kohli being a Kohli has in recent times found a method that works. Adopting the principle laid down by the team management, Kohli is taking more risks, playing more shots than before, even if he is doing so after setting up base.

Rohit Sharma has come out swinging, and the results have not been enough for him. In his last 10 matches, Rohit has scored 11, 17, 0, 0, 4 and 15 but in that time, he has scored four good scores including 72 off 41 balls, 46 not out in 20, 43 in 37 Are included. and 53 in 39. What Rohit has done is sacrifice big scores to set the tone at the top of the innings. He is setting an example of what he wants his batsmen to do.

But, it’s time to talk about KL Rahul. Once India’s leading T20 batsman – and his total is still impressive: 68 matches, 2150 runs, strike rate 139.42, 2 centuries and 20 half-centuries – he is now caught between a rock and a hard place. That day, Rahul, who was poked and blocked between launching a short ball to the on side, opened the face of the bat to Lungi Ngidi, took the ball straight to the lone slip fielder, and then nodded his head. Gone as if it had been undone by a spell cast by a magician. Rahul, who has every shot in the game and then some, is the vice-captain of the team, and it would be fair to say that he was involved in devising the new expressive and risk-taking batting approach that the team has come up with. Still, it doesn’t fully reflect how he has approached his batting. What you best associate with Rahul is missing the flourish, how he sets up for the first run, it is temporary and he is often looking at the ball instead of pushing hard and his choice of shots is poor. Used to be.

Almost all of these things point to a mind busy with things other than just playing the ball in hand. Rohit has stressed on the need to stay in the present. Rahul needs to do that at the crease, otherwise, even his position as vice-captain may soon find it difficult to stop him from being rested, benched or worse.

Originally published at Pen 18

T20 world cup: We were not good enough, conditions are not an excuse: Rohit Sharma

Perth: Conditions were tough to bat in Perth but India captain Rohit Sharma said the team’s five-wicket loss to South Africa in the T20 World Cup here on Sunday cannot be an excuse.

Suryakumar Yadav (68 off 40 balls) played the best innings of his short international career, but South Africa exposed India’s inadequacy against excessive pace and bounce to win a low-scoring thriller.

Chasing 134, South Africa finished the chase in 19.4 overs with Aiden Markram and David Miller scoring 52 and 59 respectively, the latter remaining unbeaten.

“We expected the pitch to have something, with the weather. We knew that would help for the seamer. That’s why you saw 130 was not an easy chase. I thought we fought well till the end but South Africa Well played in the end,” Rohit said at the presentation ceremony.

“The pitch is such that the wicket can come anytime for the fast bowlers. It was a match-winning partnership between Miller and Markram. But we were not good enough on the field. We have played in such conditions so conditions are not excuses. Want to continue in that department.”

On that day, India’s fielding also left much to be desired, with even a normally secure Virat Kohli taking a fairly simple chance in the boundary off Ravichandran Ashwin. Markram was the batsman on that occasion.

“We couldn’t hold our chances, we missed a few run-outs including ourselves. We were a little poor on the field, we gave so many chances on the field and we weren’t clinical. We just weren’t good enough.

“Last two games, we were very good on the field. We need to keep our heads up and learn from this game.”

In the 14th over being bowled by Ashwin, Markram and Miller hit a six each and 17 came off that over, which decided the fate of the game. Ashwin (1/43 in 4 overs) lost his confidence after dropping the catch and it showed in the subsequent overs.

Speaking on Ashwin’s over, Rohit said, “I have seen what happened to the spinners in the last game. So I wanted to finish with Ashwin before the last over. I wanted to see the fast bowler bowl the right over. Looking at the new batsman came, it was the right time to bowl to Ashwin.”

Struggling with form, South Africa captain Temba Bavuma admitted that his team’s other batsmen are in good shape.

“(At the 10-over mark) the discussion was to push the intent. When you do that, then opportunities come your way. Luckily things went our way and we were able to get to that pace .

“Our batting line-up is in good form barring ourselves. This is a batting unit that has been together for a while now. Coming up in moments of pressure will boost people’s confidence.

“We looked at the games played here and decided on the length. The convertible bounce helped us. We backed our execution, luckily it paid off for us.

“We don’t like that tag (favourites), we haven’t come into the tournament as favourites. We will keep flying under the radar. It’s important that we keep improving and that’s exactly what we’re doing,” Bavuma said.

Man of the Match Lungi Ngidi, who finished with excellent figures of 4/29, said that he will cherish his performance for a long time.

“It was very nerve-wracking when the games got so close, as a bowler you can’t do much and just have to believe in the boys. It’s one of my biggest dreams, something like this in the world (Awards) ) to get the Cup and help the country win a game, will cherish it for a long time,” Ngidi said.

He said, ‘It comes with seeing a lot of games being played here, luckily I have played here too and I knew it (how to bowl).

“We saw Pakistan bowling first and there was a lot to do. After the break of 10 overs, Markram took the game and David followed him. That partnership brought us closer and then David ended it. done.” PTI AH AH BS BS

Originally published at Pen 18

rohit: T20 WC: Rohit Sharma becomes highest-capped player in tournament history

Indian captain Rohit Sharma on Sunday became the player with the most caps in the history of the ICC T20 World Cup event.

The star Indian batsman achieved the feat during Group 2, Super 12 against South Africa in Perth.

Captain Rohit did not impress with his record-breaking 36th performance, scoring only 15 runs in 14 balls with the help of a four and a six.

Now, Rohit has made 36 appearances in the tournament since the 2007 edition. He has overtaken Sri Lankan opener Tillakaratne Dilshan. This former great gave 35 performances in this program.

Rohit has scored 919 runs in 31 innings in 36 matches at an average of 36.76 and strike rate of 130.73. He has nine half-centuries with his bat, his best score is 79*. He is the fourth highest run scorer in the history of the tournament. He has also hit the most number of sixes by an Indian player in the history of the tournament.

Rohit and Dilshan are followed by former West Indies all-rounder Dwayne Bravo, former Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi and Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan.

Coming into the match, India won the toss and decided to bat first.

India’s innings is still on.

Originally published at Pen 18

zimbabwe: Bangladesh beats Zimbabwe after last-ball drama at world T20

Shakib Al Hasan and his Bangladeshi players hugged, traded high-fives, and shook hands with their Zimbabwean rivals as they walked off the field on Sunday in what they called a narrow Super 12 victory in the Twenty20 World Cup. as was celebrated.

Back-to-back stumpings by wicketkeeper Nurul Hasan off the last two balls of Musaddek Hossain, dismissing two tail-end batsmen from Zimbabwe, who needed five runs off the last two balls to win.

Why tape? On-field umpires called for regular reviews to confirm the final stumping decision, but players and the crowd stunned when the words “Not Out” flashed on the stadium’s giant screen.

Replays showed Hasan lightly gloved the ball in front of the stumps and dismissed Blessing Mujarbani off the last ball before whipping the bails.

Instead, the umpire signaled a no ball for Musaddek and a free hit for Zimbabwe.

So all the fielders, the batsmen and the two umpires had to go back into position to re-throw the final ball. Leaving Zimbabwe, now 147-8 in response to Bangladesh’s total of 150-7, had an adjusted target of four runs instead of five for an unexpected victory.

Musaddek held his nerve and didn’t concede a run, Muzarbina did a swing and miss, giving Bangladesh just their second win in the second round of the T20 World Cup.

The last over, in which Zimbabwe needed 16 runs from six balls to win, dominated the last 39, mostly controlled by Bangladesh.

Opener Najmul Hossain Shanto, who posted a career-high T20 score of 71 off 55 balls, said his Bangladesh lineup was perfect till the last ball.

“It was a new experience for us,” he said. “Musaddek bowled very well in this pressure situation. Honestly, it was a bit nerve-wracking, but we believed we could do it.”

Shanto put on a 54-run partnership for the third wicket with his captain Shakib Al Hasan (23) and Afif Hussain (29 off 19) for the fourth wicket after Muzrabini (2-13) took two early wickets. Run partnership. Zimbabwe.

The Zimbabweans struggled in the field on a hot day at the Gabba, with a series of misfields and drop catches costing valuable runs, including two regulation chances in the final two overs.

Three wickets, including a run out from left-arm pacer Richard Nagarwa (2-24) in the last over of the innings, slowed down Bangladesh’s run of runs.

Fast bowlers Taskin Ahmed (3-19) and Mustafizur Rahman (2-15) combined to smash Zimbabwe’s top order and give Bangladesh control, but were chasing 40 off 18 balls with three overs to spare. exhausted his entire allotment.

Sean Williams (64) and Ryan Burle (27 not out) took it close in a 63-run partnership that revived Zimbabwe’s run chase and kept the competition alive.

After completing his fifty in 37 balls, Williams hit successive boundaries including a peculiar swipe off a short-pitched delivery from Hasan Mahmood to bring Zimbabwe to 125-5 at the end of the 18th over.

After this Zimbabwe needed 26 runs in 12 balls and Bangladesh depended on their spin bowlers.

Williams cut Shakib’s third ball over the boundary but was run out on the next ball, which saw significant breakthrough from some fine fielding from Shakib. Shakib ran to his right and then got up, turned and smacked down the stumps with a left-handed throw that took Williams out of his crease at the non-striker’s end.

This set up a thriller in the last over, with Bangladesh hanging on to go one point above Zimbabwe, who had a washout against South Africa and won over Pakistan in earlier games in Group 2.

“It was extremely strange,” Williams said of the no-ball decision on the last scheduled delivery. “Obviously, I’ve never experienced anything like this in a cricket match before, but then again, it just shows in a T20 game, there’s always a little bit of hope; anything can happen.

“It’s an emotional roller coaster, isn’t it?”

Originally published at Pen 18

Legendary Pakistani fast bowler Wasim Akram reveals he was addicted to cocaine

Legendary Pakistan pacer Wasim Akram has revealed that he developed a cocaine addiction after retiring from the sport, but quit after the death of his first wife in 2009. The 56-year-old has opened up about his cocaine dependence in his upcoming autobiography ‘Sultan’. : A Memoir.’

Pakistan’s leading wicket-taker in both Test and ODI cricket said he began to yearn for “an alternative to the adrenaline rush of competition” when he was traveling away from his first wife, Huma.

Akram told the Times, “The culture of fame in South Asia is all-consuming, seductive and corrupt. You can go to 10 parties in one night, and do some. And it made a huge difference to me.”

“It destabilized me. It made me a cheater. Huma, I know, was often alone during this time… She used to talk about her desire to move to Karachi, her parents and siblings to be close to.

“I was reluctant. Why? Partly because I loved going to Karachi on my own, pretending it was work when it was really about partying, often for several days at a time.”

Widely regarded as one of the best bowlers of all time, Akram made his international debut in 1985, playing 104 Tests and 356 ODIs for Pakistan. He took 414 Test wickets and 502 ODI wickets.

“Huma finally found me, finding a pack of cocaine in my wallet… ‘You need help.’ I agreed. It was getting out of hand. I couldn’t control it. One row would become two, two would become four, four would become one gram, one gram would become two. I could not sleep. I ate could not.

“I became inattentive to my diabetes, which gave me headaches and mood swings. Like a lot of addicts, part of me welcomed the discovery: Privacy was running out.”

Akram went to rehab but his experience with the doctor was pleasant, resulting in a relapse.

“The doctor was a complete con man, who primarily worked on manipulating families instead of treating patients, on separating relatives from money rather than users of drugs,” he said.

“Try as much as you can, a part of me was still smoldering inside what I had to endure. My pride was hurt, and the charm of my lifestyle remained.

“I briefly contemplated divorce. I agreed to leave for the 2009 ICC Champions Trophy, where, under Huma’s daily scrutiny, I started using again.”

However, the veteran pacer, who continued with commentary and coaching assignments around the world, said that he eventually stopped after Huma’s sudden death from a rare fungal infection in 2009.

He said, “Huma’s last selfless, unconscious act was treating me for my drug problem. That way of life had come to an end, and I never looked back.”

Originally published at Pen 18

Five top batting knocks at the 2022 T20 World Cup

Cricket’s Twenty20 World Cup is in full swing, with teams battling for a place in the semi-finals in two groups of the Super 12 stage.

A look at the five best innings of the AFP Sport tournament so far:

Kohli Masterclass
He came, he saw, he conquered. Virat Kohli smashed an unbeaten 82 to guide India to a memorable win over arch-rivals Pakistan at the MCG with over 90,000 fans.

Chasing 160 in their opening match, “King Kohli” guided the team into a dramatic final over with the final ball lifting India 31-4.

His two sixes off Pakistan pacer Haris Rauf at the end of the 19th over and a 113-run partnership with Hardik Pandya were the keys to the win, and the innings has already been dubbed one for the ages.

Stoinis Blitz

Holders Australia were stunned by New Zealand in the first match of the tournament and stumbled in their chase against Sri Lanka. Marcus Stoinis then played an unbeaten 59 off 18 balls in his hometown of Perth.

The big-hitter demolished the opposition attack with four fours and five sixes and scored the fastest T20 fifty by an Australian in 17 balls as the hosts won with 21 balls to spare.

Captain Aaron Finch had the best seat at home at the non-striker end as he stood with Stoinis in an unbeaten stand of 69, calling it a “special innings”.

Balbirni Special
Giant-killers Ireland knocked out two-time champions West Indies out of the tournament in the first round and captain Andy Balbirnie ensured they beat another big gun in England.

Balbirnie smashed 62 off 47 balls to bowl his team out for 157 as he smashed Chris Woakes for two fours and a six in the same over.

The knock inspired Ireland’s bowlers, who maintained England at 105-5 when the rain stopped. Ireland won by DLS method.

Former England captain Michael Atherton on Sky Sports said “the game was won” when Balbirnie and Lorcan Tucker put on an 82-run stand for the second wicket.

rosau eruption
Riley Rousseau was a man on a mission after scoring his first century of the tournament, scoring 109 off 56 balls, after South Africa chose to bat against Bangladesh.

South Africa were forced to share points with Zimbabwe in their opening game, which was washed out by rain, and Rossouw made sure the team left nothing to chance in their second.

He hit seven fours and eight sixes to destroy Bangladesh’s attack as South Africa posted 205-5 and won by 104 runs.

It was Rossouw’s second consecutive century, but he said that he “never thought of[getting a century]in a million years”.

Philips Power

Glenn Phillips came out to bat with New Zealand at 11-2 against Sri Lanka, but scored his second century of this edition in 61 balls to register a big win.

His innings so far reflected New Zealand’s dominance in the Super 12, as he hit 10 fours and four sixes in his innings of 104. The Black Caps firmly maintained their top spot in the tough Group 1.

Phillips single-handedly took the team’s total to 167–7, an uncertain 15–3. He called the innings “absolutely indescribable”.

Originally published at Pen 18

new zealand: New Zealand beat Sri Lanka by 65 runs

Glenn Phillips scored his second century of the tournament as New Zealand thrashed Sri Lanka by 65 runs in a T20 World Cup match here on Saturday.

Phillips (104 off 64) took New Zealand off a poor start to put up a challenging 167 for 7 in the chase.

Along with Daryl Mitchell (22), he revived his innings by scoring 84 for the fourth wicket after batting.

Kasun Rajita (2/23) took two wickets, while Vanindu Hasaranga (1/22), Dhananjay de Silva (1/14), Mahesh Thekshana (1/35) and Lahiru Kumara (1/37) took one wicket each. took.

Later, Trent Boult (4/13), Mitchell Santner (2/21) and Ish Sodhi (2/21) shone with the ball as New Zealand bowled out Sri Lanka for 102.

Brief Scores:

New Zealand: 167 for 7 in 20 overs (Glenn Phillips 104; Kasun Rajita 2/23).

Sri Lanka: (Dasun Shanaka 35, Bhanuka Rajapakse 34; Trent Boult 4/13).

Originally published at Pen 18

Satwik-Chirag duo enters French Open final

Commonwealth Games champions Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty registered a straight game win over Korean pair of Choi Sol Gyu and Kim Won Ho to enter the men’s doubles final of the French Open Super 750 badminton tournament in Paris on Saturday. The world number eight Indian pair played an aggressive game by defeating the Korean pair 21-18, 21-14 in the semi-final that lasted 45 minutes. Thus, the Indian pair reached their second final of the BWF World Tour event in 2022, having won the India Open Super 500 tournament in January this year.

Originally published at Pen 18

ICC T20 World Cup 2022: Difficult for Pakistan to make it to semis now, says BCCI chief Roger Binny – The Economic Times Video

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) President Roger Binny on October 28 expressed happiness over the victory of Zimbabwe and Ireland, saying that now the road to the semi-finals has become difficult for Pakistan. “It’s good that junior teams are coming. Zimbabwe and Ireland have proved it in this T20 World Cup. You can’t take smaller teams lightly anymore. They can beat you easily. I think Now it will be difficult for Pakistan. Make it (semifinals),” he said.

Originally published at Pen 18

T20 World Cup: K.L. Rahul to open for India against South Africa, says batting coach Vikram Rathour

Ahead of India’s third Super 12 match against South Africa in the Men’s T20 World Cup in Perth, batting coach Vikram Rathor confirmed that KL Rahul will open the batting in Sunday’s match in Perth, with Rishabh Pant opening his place. suggestions were rejected.

In India’s victories over Pakistan and Netherlands, Rahul hasn’t got off to a good start, scoring just 13 runs from both the matches so far.

“No. We’re not really thinking that. Two games aren’t enough sample size anyway. He’s batting really well and batting well in practice games as well. So, we’re not going to do anything like that at the moment. Not watching, Rathore said in a pre-match press conference.

Originally published at Pen 18

T20 World Cup: Suryakumar Yadav relives last-ball six, half-century celebration with Virat Kohli against the Netherlands

When Suryakumar Yadav ended India’s innings with a six over deep backward square leg off Logan van Beek and completed his half-century in 25 balls, as India scored 20 against the Netherlands in a Men’s T20 World Cup Super 12 match Made a challenging score of 179/2 in the overs. His friendship with Virat Kohli at the Sydney Cricket Ground on 27 October was worth watching.

Both, Kohli and Suryakumar, unbeaten on 62 and 51 respectively, walked back into the field, raising their arms, with a laugh and reminding people of the warm bond between the two best friends.

On Friday, Suryakumar Yadav posted a video on his Instagram celebrating his last-ball six and half-century with Kohli against the Netherlands.

In one of the videos, captioned – Review, reflect and repeat, Suryakumar can be seen looking at the six that completed his half-century off the last ball of the innings. Virat Kohli celebrated after his shot.

In T20Is this year, Virat and Suryakumar have added 463 runs in just eight matches at an average of over 70. The duo has also added two hundred plus stands and two fifty plus stands, adding another chapter to the wonderful partnership. Match against Netherlands in Sydney.

“I think we respect each other’s game when we’re batting together. For example, when I’m getting some boundaries from one end, he just tries and strikes. Rotates, intends to see good shots.”

“When we’re both batting together it’s just the respect we have for each other. We just enjoy batting with each other, and what shots they play. We play as much as possible. Run so hard. It’s a great thing and really looking forward. To have more partnerships with him,” said Suryakumar, adding that his combination with Kohli is what clicks.

Originally published at Pen 18

South Africa vs India: T20 World Cup: Stern Proteas test awaits India’s top-order in Perth

Kagiso Rabada and Enrique Nortje are expected to come under fire on a track that will offer a sharp bounce as India head to their toughest test in adversity against a top South African side in the T20 World Cup on Sunday .

In all likelihood, this match will decide the Group 2 topper and India’s probable semi-final venue.

WACA has been a traditional venue for many decades but now the newly constructed concrete jungle called Optus Stadium hosts international games.

While it looks like any other modern cricket stadium which is devoid of the old world charm of WACA, what both the grounds have in common is the spicy nature of its track and the good bounce on offer which can make life difficult for the batsmen. Is.

Against this backdrop, Rabada and Nortje, two of the most feared speed merchants in the world, are expected to pose some tough questions for Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Virat Kohli and Suryakumar Yadav.

While Rabada will bowl full and get the ball into the seam and swing at 145 clicks, Nortje is expected to mix it at 150-plus pace with either back off length or hard length.

Both Rohit and Virat are excellent horizontal bat players and the powerplay overs will depend on how well the top-order’s hand-eye coordination works.

The extra pace off the track will split the batsmen into less time to react and it will be interesting to see what the Indian batsmen’s approach will be.

Will they start attacking with the word ‘go’ or as has been a trend in this T20 World Cup, play the first 10 overs carefully and take the attack back to the opposition during the back-10.

While left-hander Rishabh Pant with his audacious stroke-play would have been a good foil for Rohit at the top of the order, it is understood that head coach Rahul Dravid does not want to look beyond the out-off at the moment – Rahul’s form

Another option to include Pant is to drop Dinesh Karthik, who has been level-keeping in two matches.

The Netherlands game is not enough to tell how well the Indian team is prepared for the Proteas Test.

The last series between the two sides was played on the low bounce Indian belt, on which, hitting through the line and hitting the front foot was meat and drink for the batsmen.

As far as South Africa’s bowling combination is concerned, it would not be surprising if they drop left-arm wrist-spinner Tabrez Shamsi and include an extra seamer in either Marco Jensen or Lungi Ngidi.

The Indian team has played Shamsi comfortably in the past and two spinners in Optus can be a luxury unless they want to accelerate the over-rate.

It’s not fair to tinker with the winning combination, but with three in-form left-handers in South Africa’s top six, Quinton de Kock, Riley Rossouw and David Miller, Axar Patel’s recent match-ups are definitely the team combination. When discussing, we will focus on ,

Axar’s economy rate, bowling to the left-handed batsmen, is close to 9 runs per over and with Ravichandran Ashwin in the playing XI, it will be a cover for the left-arm spinner from Gujarat.

Also Hardik Pandya can bowl his full quota in that case unless India thinks of playing Yuzvendra Chahal instead of Axar.

But in such a situation, he will have to somehow bring left-handed Pant in the team instead of Rahul.

Also, being the only left-handed batsman in the side (besides Pant) is also an advantage for Axar.

The only problem with South Africa’s top order is its captain Temba Bavuma, whose game is not suited to the requirements of T20 cricket and looks completely out of place.

Although with two of the most exciting players in Tristan Stubbs and Rossouw, South Africa will have an impact on the Indian bowling attack, where only Mohammed Shami has the ability to bowl north at 140kmph.

Rossouw will go into the match back to back with the rarest T20 century (only France’s Gustave McConne is) and will be the biggest threat to the Indian bowlers.

Adelaide will be India’s semi-final destination if they beat South Africa on Sunday and then beat Bangladesh and Zimbabwe in the next two matches.

The group topper will play in Adelaide on November 10.

However, India could end up traveling to Sydney even after topping Group 2 if Australia finish as runners-up in Group 1 and advance to the semi-finals. Their definitive semi-final venue is due to a pre-tournament arrangement.

Squad:

India: Rohit Sharma (capt), KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Rishabh Pant (wk), Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Harshal Patel, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Bhuvneshwar Kumar , Deepak Hooda

South Africa: Temba Bavuma (capt), Quinton de Kock, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Riley Rossouw, Tristan Stubbs, Kagiso Rabada, Wayne Parnell, Keshav Maharaj, Tabrez Shamsi, Marco Janssen, Enrique Nortje, Reeza Hendrix, Henrik Klaasen, Lungi Ngidi

Match starts: 4:30 PM IST.

Originally published at Pen 18

kohli: I would Bowl Yorkers to Kohli. 24 Out of 24: Jeff Thomson

In a format dominated by batsmen, bowlers often struggle to influence the outcome of T20 matches. While there is a great deal of variation in bowling, including many types of slower balls, very few bowlers are capable of bowling well with any reasonable success.

For example, someone like Jasprit Bumrah, is worth his weight in gold because of his ability to bowl over the top and end. So what should the bowlers do? At what length should he bowl? Are the bowlers overdoing it? Former Australia fast bowler Jeff Thomson talks to Boria Mazumdar about the art of fast bowling and what according to him bowlers should or should not do against quality batsmen, all of whom are batting with the better bat in the modern game . Excerpts:

Considering how friendly the T20 format is for the batsman, what would be your first advice to bowlers struggling to make an impact?

First you have to get rid of the notion that it is a batsman friendly format. If you think the batsmen have the upper hand or they are too good, you will always be on the back foot. I said something like Shardul Thakur a few years back. I wanted him to be more aggressive. See how well they have done in recent times. Whoever the batsman is, you have to be confident that you can get him out. That you are just as good, no matter what happens. You may have the speed or you may have the ability to move the ball but if you do not win the battle in mind, you will never win the battle on the field. The batsman, whoever it is, is your enemy. Not literally but figuratively. You need to be very aggressive when you bowl. You need to be tireless. That is the first and most important thing.

That is the mental side of things. There is also an element of skill, which is also very important. Take someone like Virat Kohli. He is batting at his best. How does a bowler bowl to him? It can’t just be mental.

When you bowl to someone like Kohli, you have to know that some days you will not win. But that’s not an excuse to feel tough when you come up against him. Instead, you go harder than anyone else. Give him balls he doesn’t want to face. Bowl him in areas he doesn’t like. In my case, I had the advantage of being the fastest bowler in the world in my time. And if you ask me, I will bowl him a yorker. 24 off 24 balls, I will bowl him a yorker. Keep one leg slip and the other slip on the boundary and keep bowling in the block hole. At my own pace, I want to see someone do a lap sweep or a paddle sweep. But this is what I would do with him.

Bowlers have a lot of variety these days. Is all this necessary?

You can have all the variety but unless you are able to execute, they are of no use. When you bowl to someone like Vivian Richards, Sachin Tendulkar or Virat Kohli, you need to be at your best in terms of execution. You need to implement the plans well. They are enough to feed you until you do. A limited bowler with better performance is always better than a talented bowler with great variety but poor performance. That’s what I’ve always believed.

Looking at the bowlers, the powerplay and all the other restrictions, would you like to bowl in T20 cricket?

Absolutely, I will. The most important thing bowlers should remember while playing in this format is that they need to bowl only 24 deliveries. Nobody is asking him to bowl three or four spells like we did in Test cricket. He doesn’t need to bowl long spells of 10 overs. He has to bowl just four overs. So, they can do their best with at least one ball. Take full steam in each of the 24 balls thrown by him. He is indebted to his team for making this happen. That’s why they are there. And if I had the chance, I would have been flat out every game knowing it was only a short burst that I had to bowl.

Would you say that the quality of fast bowling has declined over time as T20 has become the dominant format of cricket?

I would say a little. The result is a lack of continuity. Ask any bowler which ball will be most effective at the end of the innings. They’ll tell you it’s a yorker. Now ask them why can’t you throw the same ball six times out of six? Why is it that a great yorker is followed by a hall volley or an over pitched ball? There lies the problem. Modern fast bowlers don’t know how to be consistent and as a result they get thrown around. They just need to be more consistent as some of them have the necessary skill sets to do so.

Originally published at Pen 18

aus vs eng abondoned: T20 World Cup, AUS vs ENG: Match abandoned due to rain, two sides will share the points – The Economic Times Video

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Originally published at Pen 18

bhuvneshwar: Jasprit Bumrah’s absence doesn’t mean we start doing extra stuff: Bhuvneshwar Kumar

Senior India pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar said Jasprit Bumrah’s absence is undoubtedly a big loss, but it did not mean that the current bowling unit would deviate from their individual plans to make up for the key bowler’s absence.

While Bumrah was ruled out of the T20 World Cup due to a back strain, Bhuvneshwar himself faced a tough time during the Asia Cup and the subsequent bilateral series as his performance in the death overs was questionable.

However, the Meerut man has been in excellent form overall and it was his first spell of fast swing bowling that put the pressure on Pakistan, helping young Arshdeep Singh pick up the wickets of Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam.

So did the bowling unit do anything extra to make up for Bumrah’s absence?

“The kind of bowler Bumrah is, it’s definitely a big loss for the team. It’s not like we have to do anything extra with Bumrah,” Bhuvneshwar told reporters in the mixed field after another tough performance against Netherlands. ”

“Even if Bumrah was around, we couldn’t have done those extra things. We are doing exactly what is our strength.”

Asked whether his criticism of death bowling in the Asia Cup has hurt him from performing well for India for a decade, Bhuvneshwar gave the impression that he was not happy.

“So many saloons once happened thing bad. Toh ho gayi. Baat khatam. (All these years, I’ve done this out of a tournament. It’s happened. It’s done and dusted).

“The media and commentators can say a lot (about death bowling), but as a team we knew we would have our share of ups and downs.

“T20 is a format where it can be difficult for the bowlers and even for the batsmen if the track is difficult. But since the Asia Cup is a big event, people tend to judge you that much.”

Bhuvneshwar said that he stays away from social media during big events.

“During the World Cup, I keep myself completely away from social media and I don’t know what everything is written about. Because it’s social media you know all these things.”

In the first match of the tournament against Pakistan, Bhuvneshwar really troubled Rizwan with his swing and he said that he never expected so much swing in Australia.

The senior bowler said, “I never thought that my balls would swing so much. Whether me or Arshdeep who took two wickets, Arshdeep and I complimented each other. So you can say that I was happy.”

Talking about Arshdeep, there was a glow on his face.

“He has been amazing since his debut. He was always asking what kind of track would be offered and what kind of shots would the batsmen play on this track. He also asks me and Rohit and Virat. In their first T20Is With the World Cup in mind, he is doing really well.”

Bhuvneshwar also confirmed that there is no death bowler.

He said, ‘There is no such death bowler. You can’t do this kind of planning in cricket where you know who your death bowlers are even before the tournament starts.

“A lot of things are spontaneous and the captain takes care of how he assesses the situation at that very moment.”

Preparation was very important in Perth.

The Indian team had a seven-day camp in Perth and hence, playing South Africa on Saturday, could have been beneficial for the team.

“The first phase of preparation when we touched down here in Perth was the most important. The strategy changes with each team as the batsmen change. We discussed and coached the implementation of the plans.

“If you lose the first match in a tournament and that too against a tough team like Pakistan, it would have been difficult to come back.”

The trend in such events is that batsmen go to hell for the leather in the last 10, he said.

Bhuvneshwar said, “You can feel that as a bowling unit we gave 15 to 20 more (34 in the last 3 overs), but it has been a pattern of all the teams in this World Cup.”

“If you watch most of the matches, teams haven’t scored much in the first 10, but once the ball is a touch old, the set batsmen start scoring runs.”

Originally published at Pen 18

pakistan zimbabwe match: T20 World Cup: Zimbabwe edge Pakistan by one run in Perth thriller

Zimbabwe all-rounder Sikandar Raza scored a sensational 3-25 against Pakistan on Thursday as his team registered a one-run victory off the last ball to register their maiden Super 12 win in the Twenty20 World Cup.

Pakistan, after an exceptional last-ball loss to arch-rivals India in their opening match on Sunday, went down 129-8 in 20 overs to restrict Zimbabwe to 130-8 at the Perth Stadium after being marginally banned. The tournament turns sour. ,

Mohammad Nawaz, from a screeching start in the last over against India that cost the match in his favor, watched as his nightmare tournament continued when he made 22 off the final ball of the match off Brad Evans (2-25). He was dismissed for 11 runs in the last over.

Shaheen Afridi was run out on the final ball, leaving Zimbabwe players celebrating on the pitch.

Man of the match Raza told reporters, “I really believe in this group of boys.”

“Since I have been a part of Zimbabwean cricket, I would rate it as the best win. There is no better stage. It is (the) World Cup, the biggest stage.”

Pakistan got off to a rocky start with world top-order T20 batsman Mohammad Rizwan reduced to 36-3 in the eighth over, cutting a delivery from a two-metre-long Blessing Mujarbani (1-) into the dugout for 14 runs. 18) On his stumps.

It was left to Shan Masood to stabilize the ship with a composition of 44, regularly driving two to exploit the large outfield.

But Raza overtook the Asian team with his off-spin and stumped Masood on wide.

After losing the first toss, the much-awaited Pakistan pacer bowled much for 47 runs in the powerplay overs, though quick wickets stalled the momentum to dismiss the Zimbabwe openers.

Signaling a return to form after scoring a score in his team’s washout against South Africa on Monday, all-rounder Sean Williams (31) hit three boundaries and scored 95-3 with six overs to spare. Look ready.

Spinner Shadab Khan (3-23) clean bowled the left-hander before getting a chance, falling for four wickets in six balls and scoring no runs.

A late run from Evans (19 off 15 balls) gave 11th-ranked Zimbabwe the lift they needed to eventually move to third place in Group Two.

Pakistan captain Babar Azam said, ‘Today we were not better in all three departments. (Reporting by Joel Duber in Perth; Editing by John Stonestreet and Ken Ferris)

Originally published at Pen 18

kohli: Virat Kohli stars again as ominous India thrash Netherlands

Virat Kohli scored a second consecutive fifty as India put themselves in a strong position to beat the Netherlands by 56 runs on Thursday to put themselves in a strong position in the Twenty20 World Cup.

The Indians started the match on the back of their thrilling final-ball win over Pakistan in Melbourne over the weekend, where Kohli also acted with the bat.

They brought some of that energy to rob 179-2 at the Sydney Cricket Ground before putting the spirited Dutch to 123-9 in front of 36,000 fans.

Kohli (62 not out in 44 balls) and captain Rohit Sharma (53 off 39) were both in good shape with a 73-run stand.

Suryakumar Yadav, arguably the best T20 batsman in the world in current form, smashed a 25-ball 51 as India posted 112 runs in the last 10 overs.

“I thought it was a clinical win. When you are expected to win, the pressure is immense. It was the perfect game for us,” Rohit said.

“Yes, we played a little slow in the beginning, but it was a conversation between me and Virat, we had to wait on that surface to play the big shots.

“Not very happy with my half-centuries, but what is important is to score runs – it doesn’t matter if they are good looking runs or ugly runs.”

India had a stellar World Cup appearance, winning consecutive home series against Australia and South Africa, as they targeted their first global silverware since the 2013 Champions Trophy.

Thursday’s impressive win propelled them to the top of Group 2, three points ahead of South Africa, after the Proteas demolished Bangladesh earlier in the day. The Dutch remain at the bottom after two out of two losses.

Two of the six teams from the group will advance to the semi-finals.

Dutch captain Scott Edwards said: “Definitely the most noisy crowd I’ve played in. It was a great experience.”

“Chasing 180 was always going to be difficult. Thought we bowled really well, but if you don’t get wickets, it’s hard to restrict them along the batting order.”

– Flowing – After winning the toss and electing to bat in the first T20 between the two teams, Indian opener KL Rahul failed to fire again, was dismissed lbw for nine by Paul van Meeckeren.

It brought superstar Kohli to the crease – a huge roar from the drumming, flag-waving crowd.

He and Rohit overcame some top-class boundaries, but the stiff Dutch attack prevented them from running away with it, restricting India to 67-1 at the halfway point of the innings.

Rohit completed his 29th T20I half-century in his 144th game, smashing four sixes along the way, before Colin Ackerman took a Fred Klaasen delivery to the ropes before he was looking for another.

Yadav joined Kohli and the runs began to flow more freely.

Kohli rose to the second 50th and 35th in his T20 career as the pair lit up the innings with a last-ball six to take India to a strong total.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar sent down a maiden to kick things off in a Dutch reply and got his first wicket in his second over when Vikramjit Singh went for a pullshot but missed and the ball hit the bail.

Spinner Axar Patel was brought into the attack early and struck with his second ball, claiming dangerous opener Max O’Dowd was bundled out for 16, but missed.

It was difficult to score runs and Netherlands crawled just 51-3 in 10 overs.

Ravi Ashwin’s spin caused all kinds of problems and he removed Ackerman (17) and Tom Cooper (9) in the same over when he went for the big hit, with Netherlands’ tail barely wagging.

Originally published at Pen 18

T20 World Cup: South Africa beat Bangladesh by 104 runs

South Africa defeated Bangladesh by 104 runs in their T20 World Cup match here on Thursday. Batting first, South Africa posted an innings of 205 for 5, followed by Riley Rossouw’s 109 off 56 balls and Quinton de Kock’s 63 off 38 balls. The Proteas then bowled out Bangladesh for 101 runs in 16.3 overs.

Liton Das (34) was the top scorer for Bangladesh.

Enrique Nortje (4/10) was the most successful bowler for South Africa, while Tabrez Shamsi (3/20) took three wickets.

Shakib Al Hasan (2/33), Taskin Ahmed (1/46) and Afif Hossain (1/11) were among the wickets for Bangladesh.

Brief Scores:

South Africa: 205 for 5 in 20 overs (Riley Rossouw 109, Quinton de Kock 63; Shakib Al Hasan 2/33).

Bangladesh: 101 all out in 16.3 overs (Liton Das 34; Enrique Nortje 4/10).

Originally published at Pen 18

india: India post 179/2 against Netherlands in T20 World Cup

India scored 179 for 2 against the Netherlands in their T20 World Cup match here on Thursday. Opting to bat, India put on a solid batting performance with Rohit Sharma (53), Virat Kohli (62 not out) and Suryakumar Yadav (51 not out) – all scoring brilliant half-centuries.

Fred Klaasen (1/33) and Paul van Meeckeren (1/32) took one wicket each for the Netherlands.

Brief Scores:

India: 179 for 2 in 20 overs (Virat Kohli 62 not out, Rohit Sharma 53, Suryakumar Yadav 51 not out; Paul van Meeckeren 1/32).

Originally published at Pen 18

BCCI announces equal match fees for both Indian men and women cricketers

Originally published at Pen 18

meghalaya: World champion arm wrestler Margaret Pathaw gets Rs 5 lakh award from Meghalaya govt

The Meghalaya government has given five lakh rupees as a cash prize to Margaret Pathav, who won a gold medal at the 43rd World Arm Wrestling Championships in Turkey. He recently won the gold medal by defeating Santos Anna of Brazil in the 60 kg left hand category of the championships.

Along with Pathav, the state government also gave cash prizes of Rs 6.5 lakh to 10 other athletes representing the country and of repute in various international wrestling and bodybuilding competitions.

Congratulating them, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma said that winners are not made overnight, but success comes only through hard work and dedication.

“We are taking the right steps to nurture our athletes so that in the days to come, our athletes can compete in national and international competitions. With proper strategy and planning, we are confident that what we are investing in today ‘That will bear fruit in the coming days,’ Sangma said while addressing the event on Wednesday.

He said that the government has allocated Rs 500 crore for the development of sports infrastructure in the state.

The Chief Minister expressed hope that better sports facilities can be provided in the districts, sub-divisions and blocks across the state in future.

Originally published at Pen 18

Cricket: Disruptors Ireland dare to dream at T20 World Cup

MELBOURNE: Ireland’s long journey of credibility in global cricket took a quantum leap with a surprise upset against England in the T20 World Cup leaving Andy Balbirnie’s men to dream big things on the world stage.

While rain and the Duckworth-Lewis scoring method sealed victory at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Wednesday, Ireland outright deserved a win, beating England with bat, ball and ground before the season set in.

Having already eliminated West Indies in qualifying, Ireland’s first win in the second round of the T20 World Cup threw the Super 12s wide open and issued a warning to the cricketing powers, who had largely turned them down in the competition. .

Ireland now have another chance to break new ground in Melbourne when they take on Afghanistan in a potentially decisive clash against hosts Australia in Brisbane on Friday.

“The group is open wide. It’s a huge Friday night game for us,” Balberni said.

“If we can go to Brisbane with a win on Friday, who knows what will happen?

“We’ve obviously lost one and won one, so we’re in balance. We’re just going to go out and enjoy.”

Only a day before Afghanistan, Ireland have little time to celebrate England’s stunner, arguably their best win since defeating the same opponents in the 50-over World Cup in 2011.

Still, Balbirnie said his team was thrilled to make its mark at the MCG, where Ronnie Delany won the 1,500m gold medal for Ireland at the 1956 Olympics.

“It will always be a special place because of tonight,” Balbirnie said after the match.

“We visited the museum last night (here), and Ronnie Delany won the gold medal at the Melbourne Olympics here, and you see his name is etched in the history of our sport forever.

“I hope we have done something similar. I have always said that cricket is not a big sport in Ireland. We are the flag bearers, and we want to make it as big as possible.”

Originally published at Pen 18

Leave nothing to chance – The Economic Times

India means business in this World Cup. You better believe it. He kept a marker to keep a better watch against Pakistan and other teams.

The Netherlands will be the first to get a taste of what this team is capable of, playing India at the Sydney Cricket Ground today. After extraordinary scenes at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, in front of 90,293 shouting fans, things will be dialed down a few notches for the second game.

But, India will know that they have won only one match and there is a long way to go. You can’t take anything for granted in this format and even within the tournament, as South Africa found out, raining a point sharing with Zimbabwe after only three overs of the second innings was.

While the team had an optional net session on Tuesday, the day before the match was quiet. It was time to regroup, take a breath, and prepare physically and mentally to go deeper into the tournament.

Bowling coach Paras Mhambrey addressed the media and clarified that there were no injury concerns in the team and it was not the idea to rest any player at this time. He didn’t say much, but maybe the time will come for him later, when India have made it to the last four.

However, Mhambrey conceded that it was helpful to stop Pakistan’s match at the earliest. He said, ‘We have always been talking about that in a tournament like this, every match is important. Yes, we knew what the hype would be around the first game. It was always going to be a high-intensity big conflict,” Mambre said. “But having this kind of game in the first leg and gathering dust is good in itself. Had this match (Pakistan) been the third or fourth match, it could have had an impact on other games as well.

“Every team has worked in their own way to get here, so every match from now on is important for us. We will focus on whichever team we are coming up against and take it one day at a time.” After India’s win against Pakistan, there was sentiment all around, and it is reported that head coach Rahul Dravid had a word with the players, asking them to enjoy and celebrate the moment, but it was very was not far off as it was only the beginning of his campaign.

The challenge for India against the Netherlands in the first match will be the opposite. There it was about living in the moment, not getting carried away by the hype and outside noise that inevitably comes with India-Pakistan matches. The challenge will be to maintain the intensity on Thursday. Instead of worrying about what the opposition is thinking, India will look inwards, focusing on its game. Whether they bat first or bowl first, India will look hard against the opposition

They may not be bowling as fast as Pakistan or bowling to skilled batsmen like Babar Azam, but India still need to bring their A-game to the park. Successful campaigns are built on putting together victories, gaining momentum, and peaking at just the right time.

Rohit Sharma admitted that it was in the minds of the players that India had not won the International Cricket Council (ICC) trophy in nine years. If this is to change now, there can be no loss in intensity, there is no looking back and India should not miss any chance.

Originally published at Pen 18

virat kohli: Virat Kohli storms into top-10 T20I batter’s list

Indian batsman Virat Kohli returned to the top 10 T20 International batting charts by climbing five places to ninth in the latest rankings released on Wednesday.

Kohli has been rewarded for his gallantry against Pakistan in the first match of India’s T20 World Cup against arch-rivals Pakistan at the Melbourne Cricket Ground last Sunday.

Kohli scored an unbeaten 82 to give India a memorable last-ball victory, an innings that propelled the former India captain into the top 10 in the list of T20I batsmen.

The 33-year-old hit six fours and four sixes during his scintillating innings.

Pakistan wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Rizwan (849 rating points) is in the top spot, with New Zealand opener Devon Conway (831) gaining three places to replace Suryakumar Yadav from the second spot.

Conway played an unbeaten 92 off 58 balls as New Zealand beat defending champions Australia by 89 runs in their opening match.

With 828 rating points in his kitty, Suryakumar dropped to third place, but was ahead of Pakistan captain Babar Azam (799) and South Africa’s Aiden Markram (762).

New Zealand’s Finn Allen also went ahead thanks to his swashbuckling 16-ball 42 against Australia, which helped him jump 17 places to 13th.

Originally published at Pen 18

hs prannoy deal: HS Prannoy signs exclusive deal with Rhiti Sports

Indian badminton player HS Prannoy has signed an exclusive agreement with Rhiti Sports to manage, promote and represent them in the media.

Rhiti Sports will handle the marketing, endorsement and promotions of Prannoy.

“As players, we are always on the lookout for useful associations and partnerships that can help us connect and grow faster,” Prannoy said. “Building on the experience and expertise of the Rhiti Group, an association between us is one such step,” he added.

Originally published at Pen 18

T20 World Cup: Team India unhappy with after-practice food in Sydney, BCCI sources say

Originally published at Pen 18

T20 World Cup: How Dinesh Karthik is trying to redefine the parameters of both preparation and possibility

(This story originally appeared in . on 26 October 2022)

Sydney: It is interesting to see Dinesh Karthik going about his preparations here in Australia. His primary function is to overcome the impossible whenever necessary, so he must be ready at all times.

Becoming India’s designated finisher is not easy. Not getting enough playing time, or enough match conditions in which he must pursue superhuman pursuits or close the innings with a flurry of audacious strokes, is part of the job description. Add to that India’s tendency to cut and change the T20 line-up over the past year or so. The team has played 36 T20 matches after the 2021 T20 World Cup. Karthik has played only 20 innings in which he has scored a score of 149.72.

This is where preparation comes in. Sometimes he must do what the other 10 people on the team are not capable of at that exact moment. He is an expert but his captain would want him never to be needed. Even when after an endless wait, he gets a chance to end things in a high-pressure game, odds are stacked against Karthik. At best, there is only a 50:50 chance of success. Kartik has to overcome those obstacles.

Hello Sydney We are here for our second match of the #T20WorldCup! #TeamIndia https://t.co/96toEZzvqe

—BCCI (@BCCI) 1666673383000

On the second night against Pakistan, which has been the biggest match of the ongoing T20 World Cup, Karthik could only last two balls. He came in the last over itself, against slow left-arm spin from Mohammad Nawaz, India needed 16 off five balls and Hardik Pandya just fell.

Karthik danced straight to the track and though he could have been better off waiting in his crease, he managed to do the most important thing: give back the strike to Virat Kohli. It was followed by drama, turmoil, panic attacks, wides, full tosses and controversy as 13 runs came off the next three balls. Now India needed two out of two, the pressure was over. DK was back on strike. How should he close it now?

Nawaz throws a flat down leg down as DK deflects his intentions. A hesitant attempt to sweep ended in stumpings instead. Disaster. Failure. return. reload. Prepare for another day.

At the MCG and here at the Sydney Cricket Ground, where India will take on the Netherlands on Thursday, Karthik’s methods during the nets session have been subtle and relentless. He will stretch for a bit and then go for a run. He will start by doing some wicketkeeping exercises. Then he would hit the nets and keep going. After that he will be there again.

On Tuesday, he seemed to be in animated conversation with R Ashwin all the time, even during the ‘keeping practice and batting session’. About 10 minutes of practice and he was in the nets. He will face spin, sidearm, pace, off-spin, left-arm spin and back again. Lots of left arm spin. Then he would return to his ‘keeping practice’. Karthik’s father also appeared for a while seeing him train.

Very few people in world cricket, who at the age of 37 and have completely reinvented themselves for a specific role, can sustain this intensity of training. Along with his personal ‘coach’ and friend Abhishek Nair, Karthik is known to book stadiums and fly net bowlers and pay for their stay and expenses. He will travel across the country simulating different situations.

Unlike an MS Dhoni or an Andre Russell, who will only muscle the ball, ‘DK’ takes the hard route: he has to angle, keep his shape, get his timing right, look ugly against spin, sometimes- Have to play the field sometime, fox fast bowler. fundamentally improved. He’s a busy, playful character in the nets and in between, not a range-hitting enthusiast. His job is a tough job but you don’t get a chance to claim 6 T20I innings of 25 or more runs at a strike rate above 200 with regular work. He has played 22 innings at an average of 142.78 as No.6 in T20Is.

On Tuesday, for a while, he seemed obsessed with arcing between square leg and fine leg. When Mohammad Siraj bowled, he began to chase down the target: “Four! That’s four! That’s six! Four!” Siraj replied only with a sly smile, and, one at a time, laughed, “Hey you too!” He tried to change his line but DK was at the top.

A net bowler, Muhammad Irfan Jr., a tall fast bowler from Pakistan who plays grade cricket in Sydney, troubles Karthik several times with a back-of-a-length ball. He later said, “He does his practice and he has to put the shots (he does his practice and should play his shots).”

In between intervals, a finisher must uncoil and strike. If India are chasing and Karthik is on strike, you can bet it is a tough game.

Originally published at Pen 18

In awe of Kohli: Australian greats from three generations talk about the MCG masterclass

Three generations of Australian cricketing greatness had a common, non-Australian buzzword: Virat Kohli. Be it 94-year-old Neil Harvey, the last surviving member of Don Bradman’s invincibles or Doug Walters, the first Test batsman to score a century in a season or Australia’s 2015 World Cup-winning captain Michael Clarke, they are each Virat Kohli and Pakistan’s Sold on his incredible innings against

Harvey, who can barely walk an hour and a half from Sydney city centre, leads a recluse life, was excited about how Kohli almost single-handedly batted India to victory. He considered the former India captain to be a great player of the game.

He said, ‘Kohli played a very good innings and that shot in the 19th over was very special. “There are good players and there are great players. Kohli is a great player and he has made this win really special for all of you.”

Walters, one of the best of his generation and someone who would have been a perfect fit for white-ball cricket, was equally impressed. “The best thing about Kohli is that he plays the traditional stroke. He was in control of the situation and had the confidence to support himself to win the game for his team. It tells a lot about a player’s ability. Against Pakistan, his proficiency in getting wet under pressure was a lesson for every aspiring cricketer,” Walters said.

Walters also could not stop talking about two shots against Harris Rauf in the 19th over. “The highlight of the first shot was that he was able to cross the MCG, which is one of the longest boundaries in the world. It tells how accurate the shot was. Timing, balance, execution, everything was perfect and that is why the ball traveled the distance and landed in the stands,” he said. The stroke is being compared to Sachin Tendulkar’s third man six on Shoaib Akhtar in the 2003 World Cup.

With Kohli batting at his best, Walters is backing India to do well in Australia and feels this England could be India’s final. Clarke, who was the captain when Kohli scored his maiden Test century in Australia in 2012, always believed that Kohli would do well. Even before the tournament began, Clarke had said that this World Cup could see Kohli dominating the proceedings.

“The format and the conditions are such that the opener and No. 3 will be the deciding factor for a team. And in Kohli you have the best man for the job. At number three, if he plays 70 balls in the innings, he will score 110 runs for the team and so you shouldn’t be too worried about his approach.

“Actually, I’m a little surprised by all this talk about attitude. There is no single approach in cricket. If you have players like Kohli and Rohit (Sharma), you just have to make them bat for as long as possible. Have to back down. If they do that, more often than not, they will win you the game,” he argued. As for Clarke, Kohli is getting close to his best and there is a certain calmness about him that is refreshing.

Even the Australian press could not stop talking about Kohli. In Sydney newspapers, which paid little attention to the India-Pakistan game the morning after, all have started to focus on Kohli and the greatness of knocking under pressure. With that one innings, Kohli has set the tone for India in the World Cup.

Originally published at Pen 18

Pakistan’s Shoaib Akhtar ‘wants’ Virat Kohli to retire from T20 Internationals

Former Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar wants Virat Kohli to retire from T20 Internationals as he believes the Indian batsman should not devote his ‘full energy’ to the shortest format. Akhtar heaped praise on Kohli after scoring an unbeaten 82 against Pakistan in a T20 World Cup match on Sunday, helping India register a thrilling four-wicket win at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

He said, ‘According to me, he played the biggest innings of his life against Pakistan. He played like this because he was confident that he would do it.

Akhtar said, “He is back with a bang. I want him to retire from T20I because I don’t want him to put all his energy into T20I cricket. With the same commitment as he is today, he Can score three centuries in ODIs.” Youtube channel.

Kohli single-handedly led India to victory after staring down the barrel at one stage in the most anticipated game of the tournament.

Akhtar recalled the criticism that Kohli had to face during long lean runs with the bat.

“He was down and out for 3 years, he didn’t score runs, he was stripped of his captaincy and a lot of people said a lot of things to him.

“People dragged his family into it too, but he continued to train and got into corruption and just a day before Diwali, he burst crackers in an innings. He decided that this place and this stage was perfect for his comeback. Is.

The Pakistan pacer said, “Raja is back and he is coming back with a bang and I am really happy for him. He is a great cricketer.”

Originally published at Pen 18

nadal: Rafa Nadal to return at Paris Masters, says coach

Coach Carlos Moya said Rafa Nadal will return to the Paris Masters next week before taking his place in the season-ending ATP Finals.

Nadal won his 14th French Open title this year while battling injuries, taking a painkiller injection to deal with a chronic leg injury and was ruled out of Wimbledon due to a stomach problem.

After his loss to Frances Tiafoe at the US Open in September, he said he needed to “fix things” and was unsure about when he would play again.

The Spaniard, who won a men’s record 22 Grand Slam titles, partnered with Roger Federer in a doubles match at the Laver Cup last month before pulling out of the tournament.

He also took time off for the birth of his first child with wife Marie Perello on October 8.

Moya confirmed that Nadal will use the Masters 1000 event at Bercy, which the world number two has never won, as part of his preparations for the ATP final in Turin from 13–20 November.

“Before you reach Turin, you have to play matches in Paris, which are similar,” Moya told IB3 TV.

“Wherever Rafa is competitive and we go with hope and confusion.”

Originally published at Pen 18

serena williams: I am not retired: Serena Williams

Serena Williams said on Monday that she has not retired from tennis and the chances of her return are “very high” as she previously indicated she would be pulling out of the sport after last month’s US Open.

“I’m not retired,” Williams told a conference in San Francisco while promoting her investment company, Serena Ventures.

“(The chances of return) are very high. You can come to my house, I have a court.”

Williams, 41, said she was “getting away from tennis” in an essay in August and, while she did not confirm the US Open as her farewell event, she was given grand tributes before each match in New York and a Said emotional goodbye. lost in the third round

The 23-time Grand Slam champion, who took the tennis world by storm as a teenager and is regarded as the greatest of all time, said it was not natural for her not to prepare for the tournament after the US Open.

“I still haven’t really thought about[retirement],” Williams said.

“But I woke up the other day and got on the court and (supposedly) for the first time in my life that I’m not playing for a competition, and it felt really weird.

“It was like the first day of the rest of my life and I’m enjoying it, but I’m still trying to find that balance.”

Originally published at Pen 18

Tennis star Serena Williams says she has not retired from the sport yet, may come back soon – The Economic Times Video

Serena Williams said on Monday that she has not retired from tennis and the chances of her return are “very high” as she previously indicated she would be pulling out of the sport after last month’s US Open. “I’m not retired,” Williams told a conference in San Francisco while promoting her investment company, Serena Ventures.

Originally published at Pen 18

Taskin Ahmed: T20 World Cup: Taskin Ahmed fires Bangladesh to win over Netherlands

Melbourne Bangladesh pacer Taskin Ahmed picked up four wickets as he started the T20 World Cup in a nine-run win over the Netherlands in Hobart on Monday.

The Netherlands decided to bowl first and restricted Bangladesh to 144 for eight on a disappointing day at the Bellerive Oval.

Paul van Meeckeren (24) and Fred Klaasen (seven not out) put on a scintillating 34-run partnership for the final wicket as the Netherlands were bundled out within 12 runs of victory with two balls to spare.

But Van Meeckeren was unable to clear the rope from Soumya Sarkar’s final ball, leading to Bangladesh’s first victory in 17 attempts in the second round of the T20 World Cup.

Man of the match Taskin ensured that Netherlands’ chase got off to a terrific start as they removed opener Vikramjit Singh and number three Bass de Leede in the first two balls of the innings.

A half-century from all-rounder Colin Ackermann (62) kept the Netherlands in the game but Taskin was dismissed by the number four in the 17th over for two wickets.

Bangladesh will take on South Africa in their next Super 12 match in Sydney on Thursday, while the Netherlands will take on India.

Originally published at Pen 18

We stand for each other in bad times: Arshdeep Singh on how he moved on from that dropped catch in Asia Cup

MELBOURNE: Arshdeep Singh had “sleepless nights” after dropping a seater against Pakistan during the Asia Cup, but a healthy team environment has allowed the young Indian left-arm pacer to move on from it and take on arch rivals. Allowed to perform a game-changing performance. T20 World Cup.

The 23-year-old faced severe criticism after he missed a catch in a Super 4 match of the Asia Cup last month and some incidents have called him a “Khalistani”.

“The team environment is so nice that we don’t let outside noise in. We enjoy each other’s company, standing up for each other in bad times. It really helps,” says Arshdeep told the media in mixed territory. They registered a thrilling four-wicket win over Pakistan in their World Cup opening match here on Sunday.

Arshdeep removed Pakistan’s in-form openers Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan to get India off to a great start.

Asked about the “challenges” of handling two high-pressure games in the span of two months, he said: “There is no such thing as a challenge if you enjoy your game.

“We are enjoying our cricket, and as I said the team environment is really good. We love our game so much and when it happens you enjoy the game and there is no challenge. ”

“Personally, I enjoy my game too. I try to be in the present whenever I get a chance.”

On the extra he put in to be mentally tough, he said: “I didn’t put on anything extra, I just try to keep everything simple. Mainly, I don’t think much.”

Opening the bowling with veteran Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Arshdeep trapped Babar for a golden duck and then in his next over he dismissed Rizwan to give him the opening pace.

Chasing 161, India played an unbeaten knock of 82 from Virat Kohli and took four wickets in the last ball.

“Both the teams are playing really well. As a youngster you really like it. It was a big field, you have to work hard. It challenges you physically and mentally and in you brings out the best,” he concluded. PTI KHS/TAP TAP BS BS

Originally published at Pen 18

Max Verstappen gets record-tying 13th win at US Grand Prix

Austin Max Verstappen and Red Bull launched the United States Grand Prix, set to honor the memory of founder and team owner Dietrich Mateschitz and the racing powerhouse he built.

Both the driver and the team overcame self-inflicted race drama to chase down Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton to win Sunday.

“I think this is a race he would love to see,” Verstappen said of the victory, which came a day after it was announced by the team, the Austrian billionaire co-founder of Red Bull Energy Drinks global empire. The founder, had died at the age of 78. ,

The Red Bull team was told shortly before Saturday’s qualifying that Mateschitz had died, and Verstappen vowed he would give everything it took to secure a win to honor him.

“The only thing we could do today,” Verstappen said, “was victory.”

Still, it was a relief to see the checkered flag.

Verstappen’s race was almost undone when a rare slow pit stop – 11 seconds lost by a tricky change of the front left tire – left him well behind and behind Hamilton.

“Beautiful,” Verstappen said on team radio.

He then chased down the championship rival of the previous season and passed him on lap 50 of 56. Verstappen had to stop the troubled Hamilton through the final laps, and both drivers were warned not to exceed the track limit which would incur a penalty.

“It’s definitely dedicated to Dietrich,” Verstappen said. “I pushed it to the limit of coming back.”

Hamilton said he simply cannot stop charging Red Bull.

“It felt amazing even within shooting distance of Max at certain points in the race,” Hamilton said. “For a second, I thought we might catch it… He came from a very, very long time ago.”

The victory continued Verstappen’s dominance in 2022.

They had won their second consecutive season championship in Japan just two weeks earlier. Texas’ victory was number 13 this year, leaving Michael Schumacher (2004) and Sebastian Vettel (2013) still with the most three races in a season.

Since its inception, Red Bull has won six drivers’ championships and five constructors’ titles.

Originally published at Pen 18

India vs Pakistan: 'One of my best innings in the world cups', says Virat Kohli

Originally published at Pen 18

Virat Kohli: Virat Kohli: An enigmatic champion

In our subconscious mind, we all aspire to be Virat Kohli.

Walk with strut, speak with authority and, when needed, pull a high backfoot punch for a straight six under extreme pressure.

Alas, we are not champions but mere mortals who do the second best: watch an artist work and enjoy every moment until it lasts.

And may, live long enough to tell our grandchildren that we were a privileged person to have seen such talented people as Roger Federer, Lionel Messi, Usain Bolt and our own Virat Kohli.

Major sports achievements can do fun things. This can be a reason for unbridled joy but sometimes some exploits can numb anyone.

There was an occasion on Sunday at the Melbourne Cricket Ground where Kohli was completely out after Ravichandran Ashwin scored the most important one of his life.

Mission accomplished, he retreated silently but made people think in disbelief.

This was not the rugged Virat Kohli born in West Delhi. Fist pumps were missing, his chiseled jaw muscles relaxed. There was not a word of abuse.

Was it Virat Kohli or a ‘cheater’ impersonating him? The old aggression was back in his game but not in his body language. His batting was full of intensity but he didn’t need to fake it as he once admitted to doing so.

It seemed like a lull after the storm. Kohli no longer needed to reveal his feelings to express himself. He seemed like a man at peace with himself.

Suryakumar Yadav, currently known as the best T20 batsman in the world, had sprinted inside the MCG turf and got a bear hug. Virat Kohli hugged back but when the TV cameras zoomed in, it looked like he was still trying to absorb everything. There was a big smile when captain Rohit Sharma picked him up.

Even the most beloved ‘Indiranagar ka goon’, the normally stoic Rahul Dravid, took some steam as he high-fives with players and staff in the dug-out and later like a big brother Put his arms around Kohli.

After winning gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Abhinav Bindra admitted that he felt hollow soon after the Games. He had no goal left.

For Kohli, there is a tournament to be won but one can stop and wonder if he too has gone through a whole range of emotions that Bindra felt after Beijing?

At times, the feeling of euphoria that a heady achievement brings is often overshadowed by a sense of relief.

The country wanted his 71st international century but perhaps the champions in them wanted a bigger stage.

Where the century jinx was already broken against UAE in the Asia Cup, everyone wanted this kind of innings and there could be no better opposition than Pakistan and that too on the eve of Diwali.

As he was quietly returning to the dressing room, he gave a thumbs up to a section of the crowd but Dinesh Karthik and Hardik Pandya insisted that he accept the audience on the other side of the MCG as well.

He raised his hand for a second.

Kohli, the batsman left his mark in our minds long ago. But Kohli, that person has started growing in our minds.

He is showing that he is not the alpha-match that market forces want us to believe he is. Rather, we are getting to know a new Kohli, more human, more vulnerable.

Like life, elite sport can be brutal as well as demanding at the same time. Kohli had faced this for the last three years when he faced drought.

For someone who had scored international hundreds for fun, he was put under the microscope and his place in the playing XI in T20Is was questioned.

After resigning from the T20 captaincy, being removed from the ODI leadership role and then freeing himself from the Test top post, Kohli had a crucial end to end 2021 and early 2022.

Even if you call the intense scrutiny and criticism of experts “extraneous noise,” everyone is human and bound to get hurt. It must have happened with Kohli as well.

He must have bled inside and wanted his vengeance in his own way: by allowing his bat to do the talking for him.

The last three years would have taken away a lot from cricketer Kohli and no one would complain if there was a ‘hand of God’ in this perfectly written script.

His wife Anushka’s Instagram post reveals what Kohli must have gone through over the years.

“..Although our daughter is too young to understand why her mother was dancing and screaming wildly across the room, one day she will understand that her father played his best innings that night, which was followed by a round of came what was tough for him but he came stronger and wiser than ever! Your strength is infectious,”

‘Chak De India’ may have been appropriated as India’s sports anthem, but those who are fans of 1980s rock didn’t mind humping Bonnie Tyler’s hit song from the movie ‘Footloose’ would have done.

“I need a hero. I’m holding out for a hero until the end of the night. He has to be strong, and he has to be fast. And he has to be fresh from the fight.”

Originally published at Pen 18

IND vs PAK T20 World Cup: India beat Pakistan by 4 wickets in a nail-biting thriller

Originally published at Pen 18

IND vs PAK T20 World Cup: Indian fans celebrate outside Melbourne Cricket Ground as team India beat Pakistan by 4 wickets, watch!

Originally published at Pen 18

virat kohli: T20 World Cup: Virat Kohli’s masterclass draws effusive praise from Indian cricket fraternity

अपने आईसीसी टी 20 विश्व कप मैच में पाकिस्तान पर भारत की जीत के बाद, महान भारतीय क्रिकेटर सचिन तेंदुलकर ने स्टार बल्लेबाज विराट कोहली की प्रशंसा करते हुए कहा कि यह “निस्संदेह उनके जीवन की सर्वश्रेष्ठ पारी” थी।

स्टार बल्लेबाज विराट कोहली के विस्फोटक अर्धशतक और हार्दिक पांड्या के साथ शतकीय साझेदारी ने रविवार को प्रतिष्ठित मेलबर्न क्रिकेट ग्राउंड (एमसीजी) में चल रहे आईसीसी टी 20 विश्व कप के अपने ग्रुप 2, सुपर 12 मैच में भारत को पाकिस्तान को चार विकेट से हराने में मदद की। .

“@imVkohli, यह निस्संदेह आपके जीवन की सर्वश्रेष्ठ पारी थी। आपको खेलते हुए देखना एक सुखद अनुभव था, 19वें ओवर में रऊफ के खिलाफ लॉन्ग ऑन पर बैकफुट पर छक्का शानदार था! इसे जारी रखें। #INDvPAK # T20WorldCup, “तेंडुलकर ने ट्वीट किया।

तेंदुलकर ने एक अन्य ट्वीट में कहा, “एक खेल का रोमांच जिसने भारत के #T20WC अभियान को खूबसूरती से स्थापित किया है! कई व्यक्तियों द्वारा महत्वपूर्ण योगदान, लेकिन विराट के साथ हार्दिक की साझेदारी का विशेष उल्लेख #TeamIndia के लिए बहुत महत्वपूर्ण था। #INDvPAK,” तेंदुलकर ने एक अन्य ट्वीट में जोड़ा।

बीसीसीआई सचिव जय शाह ने भी बल्लेबाज को उनकी पारी पर बधाई देते हुए कहा कि उन्होंने पीछा करते हुए अपने कौशल का प्रदर्शन करने के लिए घड़ी को पीछे कर दिया था।

शाह ने ट्वीट किया, “समय की ओर मुड़ना! चेज मास्टर @imVkohli वापस आ गया है और अपने कौशल का प्रदर्शन करने के लिए क्या मैच है। आज हमने क्या खेल देखा है! बधाई #TeamIndia #INDvsPAK2022@BCCI @ICC,” शाह ने ट्वीट किया।

भारतीय मध्यक्रम के बल्लेबाज श्रेयस अय्यर ने भी जीत पर विराट और टीम इंडिया को बधाई दी।

अय्यर ने ट्वीट किया, “एक धनुष ले लो, विराट क्या जीत है टीम इंडिया।”

पूर्व भारतीय सलामी बल्लेबाज वसीम जाफर ने भी कोहली की पारी के लिए उनकी प्रशंसा की और मेन इन ब्लू को उनकी जीत पर बधाई दी।

जाफर ने ट्वीट किया, “एक धनुष ले लो @imVkohli युगों के लिए एक पारी। बधाई टीम इंडिया #INDvPAK,” जाफर ने ट्वीट किया।

पूर्व भारतीय स्पिनर अमित मिश्रा ने भी ट्वीट किया, “जब राज्य गिरता है, तो राजा उगता है … धनुष लो राजा कोहली। #IndvsPak।”

पूर्व भारतीय स्पिन महान हरभजन सिंह ने भी भारत को उनकी जीत पर बधाई दी।

हरभजन ने ट्वीट किया, “बस शानदार और टीम इंडिया के लिए बेहतरीन जीत में से एक। दिल की गहराइयों से बधाई। @imVkohli, @hardikpandya7 और @arshdeepsinghh की क्या पारी है। आप सभी ने एक सराहनीय काम किया है। @BCCI,” हरभजन ने ट्वीट किया।

महान ऑलराउंडर युवराज सिंह ने भी भारत को यादगार जीत की बधाई दी।

“उस गेंद को वाइड के लिए छोड़ कर अपना कूल @ ashwinravi99 रखा !!! क्या खेल अविश्वसनीय है !!’ #indiavspak हमेशा एक खेल से बढ़कर होता है ‘यह एक भावना है !!! महानता ने @imVkohli को व्यक्त किया,” युवराज ने ट्वीट किया।

इस जीत के साथ भारत ग्रुप-2 में दो अंकों के साथ शीर्ष पर है।

160 रनों का पीछा करते हुए, भारत की शुरुआत खराब रही क्योंकि सलामी बल्लेबाज केएल राहुल को तेज गेंदबाज नसीम शाह ने आठ गेंदों में सिर्फ चार रन पर पवेलियन भेज दिया। सलामी बल्लेबाज ने एक बार फिर एक महत्वपूर्ण मैच में निराश किया, जिसके अंदर का किनारा सीधे स्टंप्स में जा गिरा। भारत इस समय 7/1 था।

भारत को दूसरा झटका तब लगा जब कप्तान रोहित ने इफ्तिखार अहमद को एक सीधा स्लिप में लपका। कप्तान ने तेज गेंदबाज हारिस रऊफ के हाथों 7 गेंदों में सिर्फ 4 रन पर अपना विकेट गंवा दिया। भारत 3.2 ओवर में 10 रन पर दो विकेट से नीचे हो गया।

निगाहें सूर्यकुमार यादव और विराट कोहली पर एक बार फिर से एक और साझेदारी करने पर थीं। सूर्यकुमार ने सिल्की स्ट्रेट ड्राइव से शुरुआत की और अगली ही गेंद पर तीन विकेट लिए। सूर्यकुमार वास्तव में अच्छे दिख रहे थे, लेकिन रऊफ को बड़ी मछली तब मिली जब उन्होंने विकेटकीपर मोहम्मद रिजवान को एक विकेट दिया।

भारत को एक और बड़ा झटका लगा क्योंकि सूर्यकुमार 10 गेंदों में सिर्फ 15 रन बनाकर पवेलियन लौट गए। भारत 5.3 ओवर में 26/3 था।

क्रीज पर अगले बल्लेबाज अक्षर पटेल थे। छह ओवरों में पावरप्ले के अंत में, भारत 31/3 पर था, जिसमें विराट (5 *) और अक्षर (2 *) क्रीज पर थे। पटेल भी महज 2 रन पर दुर्भाग्यपूर्ण रन आउट होने के बाद वापस चले गए। भारत 31/4 पर सिमट गया था।

पटेल के आउट होने के बावजूद रिजवान रनआउट में विफल रहे और गेंद को पूरी तरह से स्टंप्स पर नहीं मारा, लेकिन वह इससे बच गए।

पंड्या और कोहली ने भारत को अपनी पारी का आधा हिस्सा सुरक्षित कर लिया, हालांकि एकल बिना किसी सीमा के जारी रहा। भारत 10 ओवर में 45/4 पर था, जिसमें विराट (12 *) और पंड्या (7 *) क्रीज पर थे।

भारत 10.3 ओवर में 50 रन के आंकड़े तक पहुंच गया. पांड्या ने 12वें ओवर की शुरुआत में मोहम्मद नवाज को पारी का पहला छक्का लगाते हुए एक बड़ा छक्का लगाया। नवाज़ पर दो और छक्के लगे, जिसमें विराट का सीधा हिट भी शामिल था, जिसने भारत को एक मूल्यवान ओवर दिया जिससे उन्हें 20 रन मिले।

दोनों ने 40 गेंदों में 50 रन की साझेदारी की।

15 ओवर की समाप्ति पर भारत ने 100 रन का आंकड़ा छू लिया। भारत 100/4 पर था, जिसमें विराट (42*) और हार्दिक (32*) क्रीज पर थे। इन दोनों की बदौलत मेन इन ब्लू ने आखिरी पांच ओवरों में 55 रन बनाकर ठोस रिकवरी की।

रऊफ ने किफायती 16वें ओवर में छह रन देकर पाकिस्तान की ओर लय हासिल की। भारत को 24 गेंदों में 54 रन चाहिए थे। अगले ओवर से छह रन आए, जिससे समीकरण 18 गेंदों में 48 रन हो गया।

विराट ने 43 गेंदों में अपना अर्धशतक पूरा किया। स्टार बल्लेबाज एक बार फिर भारत के पक्ष में आ गया, जिससे भारत को 17 और रन बनाने में मदद मिली। मेन इन ब्लू को 12 गेंदों में 31 रन चाहिए थे।

19वें ओवर में रऊफ के दबदबे के बाद विराट ने दो गेंदों में दो छक्कों की मदद से भारत के पक्ष में जीत हासिल की. भारत को अंतिम ओवर में 16 रन चाहिए थे।

प्रिय खिलाड़ियों की इस जोड़ी को आखिरी ओवर में 77 गेंदों में 113 रन बनाकर बड़ी पारी खेलनी पड़ी। नवाज की पहली गेंद पर पांड्या 37 गेंदों में 40 रन बनाकर आउट हुए। भारत को 5 गेंदों में 16 रन चाहिए थे और कोहली के साथ ‘फिनिशर’ दिनेश कार्तिक क्रीज पर थे। हालाँकि, वह भी दो रन शेष और एक गेंद जाने के साथ स्टम्प्ड हो गया।

अश्विन ने सिंगल के साथ मैच का अंत किया, जिससे भारत को चार विकेट से जीत दिलाने में मदद मिली। भारत 160/6 पर समाप्त हुआ, कोहली ने 53 गेंदों पर नाबाद 82 रन बनाए, जिसमें छह चौके और चार छक्के और अश्विन 1 रन बनाकर नाबाद रहे।

रऊफ (2/36) और नवाज (2/42) पाकिस्तान के लिए गेंदबाजों की पसंद थे। नसीम ने एक विकेट भी लिया।

हार्दिक पांड्या और अर्शदीप सिंह के शुरुआती, तेज और शीर्ष गेंदबाजी मंत्रों ने भारत को प्रतिष्ठित मेलबर्न क्रिकेट ग्राउंड में चल रहे ICC पुरुष T20 विश्व कप के सुपर 12 चरण के हाई-वोल्टेज क्लैश में कट्टर प्रतिद्वंद्वी पाकिस्तान को 159/8 तक सीमित करने में मदद की। एमसीजी) रविवार को मेलबर्न में।

भारत के लिए, अर्शदीप सिंह ने तीन विकेट हासिल किए हार्दिक पांड्या ने 3-30 के शानदार आंकड़े के साथ वापसी की।

पाकिस्तान के लिए शान मसूद ने नाबाद 52 रन बनाए जबकि इफ्तिखार अहमद ने 51 रनों की अहम पारी खेली.

पहले गेंदबाजी करने का विकल्प चुना, भुवनेश्वर कुमार की तेज गेंदबाजी ने भारत को शानदार शुरुआत दी क्योंकि उन्होंने पाकिस्तान के बल्लेबाजों को रन बनाने से रोक दिया। पारी के दूसरे ओवर में पाकिस्तान को बड़ा झटका लगा क्योंकि उसके स्टार बल्लेबाज बाबर आजम को अर्शदीप सिंह ने बिना कोई रन बनाए पहली गेंद पर डक के लिए भेज दिया।

इसके बाद नए बल्लेबाज शान मसूद बल्लेबाजी के लिए उतरे। पारी के चौथे ओवर में, अर्शदीप ने फिर से प्रहार किया क्योंकि उन्होंने पाकिस्तान के सलामी बल्लेबाज मोहम्मद रिजवान को 12 गेंदों पर 4 रन पर आउट कर दिया, जिससे मेन इन ग्रीन 15-2 से पिछड़ गया। बाएं हाथ के तेज गेंदबाज अर्शदीप सिंह ने भारत को मैच में बढ़त दिलाने के लिए पावरप्ले के अंदर दोनों पाकिस्तानी सलामी बल्लेबाजों को हटा दिया।

इसके बाद इफ्तिखार अहमद बल्लेबाजी के लिए उतरे। इफ्तिखार और मसूद दोनों ने अपने हाथ खोले और नियमित अंतराल पर चौके मारे। पावरप्ले के बाद पाकिस्तान का स्कोर 32-2 हो गया।

दबाव में होने के बावजूद इफ्तिखार और मसूद की जोड़ी ने खेल के नौवें ओवर में अपनी टीम के कुल स्कोर को 50 रन के पार पहुंचा दिया. खेल के 10 ओवर के बाद पाकिस्तान का स्कोर 60/2 हो गया।

इफ्तिखार ने गियर्स को शिफ्ट किया और पारी के 12 वें ओवर में अक्षर पटेल को 21 रन पर आउट करते हुए बैक-टू-बैक दो बड़े छक्के मारे। इफ्तिखार ने मैदान के चारों ओर भारतीय गेंदबाजों को पटकनी देते हुए 32 गेंदों में अपना अर्धशतक पूरा किया।

मोहम्मद शमी को वापस आक्रमण में लाया गया और उन्होंने डेंजरमैन इफ्तिखार को 34 रन पर 51 रन पर आउट कर दिया। तीसरे विकेट के लिए पाकिस्तान का 76 रन का स्टैंड आखिरकार टूट गया।

इसके बाद शादाब खान क्रीज पर आए लेकिन बल्लेबाज कुछ खास नहीं कर सके क्योंकि हार्दिक पांड्या ने उन्हें 14वें ओवर में 6 गेंदों पर 5 रन बनाकर पवेलियन वापस भेज दिया. उसी ओवर में पांड्या ने फिर से चौका लगाया क्योंकि उन्होंने नए बल्लेबाज हैदर अली को 2 रन पर आउट किया, पाकिस्तानी बल्लेबाज सूर्यकुमार यादव के हाथों कैच आउट हो गए।

मोहम्मद नवाज ने शानदार चौके के साथ पांड्या के स्पैल का स्वागत किया, हालांकि, 6 गेंदों में सिर्फ 9 रन बनाकर उनका कार्यकाल छोटा हो गया। इस बिंदु पर, पाकिस्तान नियमित अंतराल पर विकेट खोता रहा। इसके बाद अर्शदीप ने आसिफ अली को आउट करने के लिए एक शानदार डिलीवरी दी, जिसे दिनेश कार्तिक ने विकेट के पीछे पकड़ा।

शान मसूद ने मैदान के चारों ओर भारतीय गेंदबाजों को थपथपाते हुए 40 गेंदों में अपना तीसरा टी20ई अर्धशतक पूरा किया। पारी के अंतिम ओवर में शाहीन अफरीदी ने अर्शदीप की गेंद पर एक चौका और एक छक्का लगाया।

आखिरी ओवर में भुवनेश्वर ने 8 गेंदों में 16 रन बनाकर अफरीदी को पैकिंग के लिए भेजा। नया बल्लेबाज हारिस रऊफ फिर बल्लेबाजी करने आए और उन्होंने अपनी टीम को 20 ओवरों में 159/8 के प्रतिस्पर्धी कुल तक पहुंचाने के लिए एक बड़ा छक्का लगाया।

संक्षिप्त स्कोर: पाकिस्तान 159/8 (शान मसूद 52*, इफ्तिखार अहमद 51; हार्दिक पांड्या 3-30) बनाम भारत: 160/6 (विराट कोहली 82*, हार्दिक पांड्या 40, हारिस रऊफ 2/36)।

Originally published at Pen 18