March 21, 2018 issue
Cricket
run with a confident six.
Dinesh Karthik smacked a six off the last ball to help India register a thrilling four-wicket victory over Bangladesh in the final of the Nidahas Trophy T20 Tri-Series at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Sunday. It was a dramatic end to the chase as Karthik hit a flat six over extra cover with India needing five to win with one ball left.
India were in control as they reached 132/4 after 17 overs in pursuit of Bangladesh’s 166/8, but Mustafizur Rahman had a different plan as he bowled a terrific wicket-maiden 18th over, conceding just a leg bye to the under-pressure rookie Vijay Shankar and dismissing Manish Pandey off the last ball. The equation changed to 34 off two overs when Karthik came in to bat, but the experienced finisher – he was Man of the Match in India’s very first T20I back in 2006 – displayed immense calmness to smash Rubel Hossain for a couple of sixes and fours to score 22 runs in the penultimate over.
The match was still not over with India needing 12 in the final over and with Shankar on strike in his first International innings. The all-important final over started with a wide and a dot ball, before Shankar took a single. Karthik could manage just one in the next ball to leave the equation at nine from three balls. Shankar hit a four before falling off the penultimate delivery – mistiming a lofted shot down the ground – and Karthik took India home in style with a shot heard around the world.
The skipper Rohit Sharma had given India a flying start (24/0 in two overs) but they lost Shikhar Dhawan (10) and Suresh Raina (0) in six balls to slip to 32/2 in 3.3 overs. Rohit kept the scoring rate high and along with KL Rahul resurrected the chase. The duo put on 51 runs for the third wicket in six overs to keep India in the hunt, a stand that ended when Rahul top-edged Rubel Hossain in the tenth over. Rahul scored 24 off 14 balls, which included a six and two fours. The wicket put a break on India's run rate.
Rohit completed his 14th T20I fifty off 35 balls in the 12th over, but the runs almost dried up as the skipper and Pandey managed just 15 runs in the next 3.5 overs. Rohit fell for 56 to Nazmul Islam in the 14th over with India needing 69 in 40 balls. Thankfully for them, they had Karthik to follow.
Earlier, Sabbir Rahman (77 off 50 balls) helped Bangladesh post 166/8. Yuzvendra Chahal (3/18) and Jaydev Unadkat (2/33) took wickets at regular intervals, but Sabbir kept the scoreboard ticking from one end.
Bangladesh's innings was also dented by two run-outs but Mehidy Hasan (19 not out off seven balls) compensated by scoring 18 runs off Shardul Thakur's final over. For India, Washington Sundar (1/20) also had a good outing but Shankar (0/48) and Thakur (0/45) gave away 93 runs in eight overs.
Sent in to bat, Bangladesh had a good start but lost three wickets in ten balls to be reduced to 33/3 after five overs. Sundar gave India an early breakthrough when he dismissed Liton Das (11) in the fourth over and then Chahal rattled the innings with a double strike in the fifth. First, Tamim Iqbal was caught at the long-on boundary line where Thakur took an excellently judged catch and four balls later, Soumya Sarkar, while trying to sweep, hit straight to Dhawan at backward square.
Rahman, along with Mushfiqur Rahim, stabilised the innings with a 35-run stand for the fourth wicket in 5.1 overs. Rahman targeted all-rounder Shankar to increase the scoring rate as he hit a six and a four in consecutive balls to take the team over 50-mark. Chahal broke the partnership in the 11th over by dismissing the in-form Rahim (9).
Bangladesh lost skipper Shakib Al Hasan (7) in the 17th over through another run out. Unadkat then ended Rahman's innings in the penultimate over before dismissing Rubel Hossain for his second.
Brief scores: India 168/6 (Rohit Sharma 56; Rubel Hossain 2/35) beat Bangladesh 166/8 (Sabbir Rahman 77; Yuzvendra Chahal 3/18) by four wickets
India were in control as they reached 132/4 after 17 overs in pursuit of Bangladesh’s 166/8, but Mustafizur Rahman had a different plan as he bowled a terrific wicket-maiden 18th over, conceding just a leg bye to the under-pressure rookie Vijay Shankar and dismissing Manish Pandey off the last ball. The equation changed to 34 off two overs when Karthik came in to bat, but the experienced finisher – he was Man of the Match in India’s very first T20I back in 2006 – displayed immense calmness to smash Rubel Hossain for a couple of sixes and fours to score 22 runs in the penultimate over.
The match was still not over with India needing 12 in the final over and with Shankar on strike in his first International innings. The all-important final over started with a wide and a dot ball, before Shankar took a single. Karthik could manage just one in the next ball to leave the equation at nine from three balls. Shankar hit a four before falling off the penultimate delivery – mistiming a lofted shot down the ground – and Karthik took India home in style with a shot heard around the world.
The skipper Rohit Sharma had given India a flying start (24/0 in two overs) but they lost Shikhar Dhawan (10) and Suresh Raina (0) in six balls to slip to 32/2 in 3.3 overs. Rohit kept the scoring rate high and along with KL Rahul resurrected the chase. The duo put on 51 runs for the third wicket in six overs to keep India in the hunt, a stand that ended when Rahul top-edged Rubel Hossain in the tenth over. Rahul scored 24 off 14 balls, which included a six and two fours. The wicket put a break on India's run rate.
Rohit completed his 14th T20I fifty off 35 balls in the 12th over, but the runs almost dried up as the skipper and Pandey managed just 15 runs in the next 3.5 overs. Rohit fell for 56 to Nazmul Islam in the 14th over with India needing 69 in 40 balls. Thankfully for them, they had Karthik to follow.
Earlier, Sabbir Rahman (77 off 50 balls) helped Bangladesh post 166/8. Yuzvendra Chahal (3/18) and Jaydev Unadkat (2/33) took wickets at regular intervals, but Sabbir kept the scoreboard ticking from one end.
Bangladesh's innings was also dented by two run-outs but Mehidy Hasan (19 not out off seven balls) compensated by scoring 18 runs off Shardul Thakur's final over. For India, Washington Sundar (1/20) also had a good outing but Shankar (0/48) and Thakur (0/45) gave away 93 runs in eight overs.
Sent in to bat, Bangladesh had a good start but lost three wickets in ten balls to be reduced to 33/3 after five overs. Sundar gave India an early breakthrough when he dismissed Liton Das (11) in the fourth over and then Chahal rattled the innings with a double strike in the fifth. First, Tamim Iqbal was caught at the long-on boundary line where Thakur took an excellently judged catch and four balls later, Soumya Sarkar, while trying to sweep, hit straight to Dhawan at backward square.
Rahman, along with Mushfiqur Rahim, stabilised the innings with a 35-run stand for the fourth wicket in 5.1 overs. Rahman targeted all-rounder Shankar to increase the scoring rate as he hit a six and a four in consecutive balls to take the team over 50-mark. Chahal broke the partnership in the 11th over by dismissing the in-form Rahim (9).
Bangladesh lost skipper Shakib Al Hasan (7) in the 17th over through another run out. Unadkat then ended Rahman's innings in the penultimate over before dismissing Rubel Hossain for his second.
Brief scores: India 168/6 (Rohit Sharma 56; Rubel Hossain 2/35) beat Bangladesh 166/8 (Sabbir Rahman 77; Yuzvendra Chahal 3/18) by four wickets
Marlon Samuels countered Brendan Taylor’s spectacular 10th One-Day International hundred with an audacious half-century as West Indies completed their fifth highest run chase in One-Day Internationals, to beat Zimbabwe by four wickets and haul themselves back into contention for a spot in next year’s World Cup in England.
Facing a must-win scenario at Harare Sports Club, West Indies overhauled the hosts’ impressive 289 with an over to spare, with the right-handed Samuels unfurling a Man-of-the-Match top score of 86.
He got support from the stylish Shai Hope who weighed in with 76 while opener Evin Lewis struck 64, as West Indies pulled off the highest run chase of the ICC World Cup qualifiers.
Impressive 21-year-old fast bowler Blessing Muzarabani (2-36) and leg-spinner Graeme Cremer (2-63) both picked up two wickets but were unable to prevent West Indies clinching the crucial win.
Captain and seamer Jason Holder was outstanding with four for 35 from 10 overs while new-ball partner Kemar Roach claimed three for 55 and rookie pacer Keemo Paul, two for 55.
With the victory, West Indies climbed from third to the top of the standings with six points with one match remaining against Scotland.
Zimbabwe, meanwhile, slipped to second place – one point behind – with one match remaining against United Arab Emirates on Thursday, while Scotland lie third also on five points.
West Indies made early inroads when they reduced Zimbabwe to 28 for two in the sixth over, with Holder having left-hander Cephas Zhuwao caught at short fine leg by Keemo Paul without scoring and then sending back Hamilton Masakadza for seven to a catch at the wicket.
However, Taylor came to his side’s aid by anchoring three successive half-century stands to put the innings back in good shape.
First, he put on 51 for the third wicket with Craig Ervine (14) before adding 76 with Williams and a further 79 with Sikandar Raza (22).
All told, the 32-year-old Taylor struck 20 fours and two sixes in a 124-ball knock before perishing in the 44th over, skying a heave at Roach to cover where Ashley Nurse held a difficult catch.
Needing to win to stay in the qualifiers, West Indies got a solid start as Lewis and veteran Chris Gayle (17) posted 38 off 35 balls for the first wicket.
The left-handed Gayle looked ominous in belting two sixes – back-to-back straight hits off off-spinner Sikandar Raza in the fourth over – but fell to a catch by Kyle Jarvis running in from third man after miscuing a slash at Muzarabani in the sixth over.
Any hopes Zimbabwe harboured of making further inroads were then dashed as Lewis, Hope and Samuels combined to put the contest firmly in the Windies favour.
Lewis struck seven fours and a six off 75 balls, adding 72 for the second wicket with Hope, before pushing a return catch to Sikandar Raza in the 22nd over.
Hope found an ally in Samuels and together they posted a fabulous 135 for the third wicket to put the result seemingly beyond doubt.
Samuels was at his absolute best, stamping his authority on the innings with six fours and four sixes in 80 balls at the crease, while Hope faced 97 deliveries and counted five fours and a six.
With the required run rate having climbed to nearly eight an over, Samuels released the pressure by slamming Sikandar Raza for two successive straight sixes in the 36th over which cost 18 runs, before raising his 29th ODI half-century in the following over off 54 balls.
He then ripped into Cremer in the 39th with a pair of straight sixes and a similar boundary as the over leaked 19 runs.
Against the run of play, he edged Muzarabani behind in the 44th over, triggering a slide which saw the Windies dramatically lose four wickets for 20 runs in the space of just 12 balls
Hope fell to a low catch at deep mid-wicket by Sikandar Raza in the 45th over off left-arm spinner Williams and in a moment of madness in the 46th over from Cremer, Holder (6) picked out long off while Shimron Hetmyer (13) was stumped missing a wild heave, to leave the Windies tottering on 265 for six.
However, Rovman Powell (15 not out) and Nurse (8 not out) spared the Windies blushes in an unbroken 25-run, seventh wicket stand which saw their side over the line.
Facing a must-win scenario at Harare Sports Club, West Indies overhauled the hosts’ impressive 289 with an over to spare, with the right-handed Samuels unfurling a Man-of-the-Match top score of 86.
He got support from the stylish Shai Hope who weighed in with 76 while opener Evin Lewis struck 64, as West Indies pulled off the highest run chase of the ICC World Cup qualifiers.
Impressive 21-year-old fast bowler Blessing Muzarabani (2-36) and leg-spinner Graeme Cremer (2-63) both picked up two wickets but were unable to prevent West Indies clinching the crucial win.
Captain and seamer Jason Holder was outstanding with four for 35 from 10 overs while new-ball partner Kemar Roach claimed three for 55 and rookie pacer Keemo Paul, two for 55.
With the victory, West Indies climbed from third to the top of the standings with six points with one match remaining against Scotland.
Zimbabwe, meanwhile, slipped to second place – one point behind – with one match remaining against United Arab Emirates on Thursday, while Scotland lie third also on five points.
West Indies made early inroads when they reduced Zimbabwe to 28 for two in the sixth over, with Holder having left-hander Cephas Zhuwao caught at short fine leg by Keemo Paul without scoring and then sending back Hamilton Masakadza for seven to a catch at the wicket.
However, Taylor came to his side’s aid by anchoring three successive half-century stands to put the innings back in good shape.
First, he put on 51 for the third wicket with Craig Ervine (14) before adding 76 with Williams and a further 79 with Sikandar Raza (22).
All told, the 32-year-old Taylor struck 20 fours and two sixes in a 124-ball knock before perishing in the 44th over, skying a heave at Roach to cover where Ashley Nurse held a difficult catch.
Needing to win to stay in the qualifiers, West Indies got a solid start as Lewis and veteran Chris Gayle (17) posted 38 off 35 balls for the first wicket.
The left-handed Gayle looked ominous in belting two sixes – back-to-back straight hits off off-spinner Sikandar Raza in the fourth over – but fell to a catch by Kyle Jarvis running in from third man after miscuing a slash at Muzarabani in the sixth over.
Any hopes Zimbabwe harboured of making further inroads were then dashed as Lewis, Hope and Samuels combined to put the contest firmly in the Windies favour.
Lewis struck seven fours and a six off 75 balls, adding 72 for the second wicket with Hope, before pushing a return catch to Sikandar Raza in the 22nd over.
Hope found an ally in Samuels and together they posted a fabulous 135 for the third wicket to put the result seemingly beyond doubt.
Samuels was at his absolute best, stamping his authority on the innings with six fours and four sixes in 80 balls at the crease, while Hope faced 97 deliveries and counted five fours and a six.
With the required run rate having climbed to nearly eight an over, Samuels released the pressure by slamming Sikandar Raza for two successive straight sixes in the 36th over which cost 18 runs, before raising his 29th ODI half-century in the following over off 54 balls.
He then ripped into Cremer in the 39th with a pair of straight sixes and a similar boundary as the over leaked 19 runs.
Against the run of play, he edged Muzarabani behind in the 44th over, triggering a slide which saw the Windies dramatically lose four wickets for 20 runs in the space of just 12 balls
Hope fell to a low catch at deep mid-wicket by Sikandar Raza in the 45th over off left-arm spinner Williams and in a moment of madness in the 46th over from Cremer, Holder (6) picked out long off while Shimron Hetmyer (13) was stumped missing a wild heave, to leave the Windies tottering on 265 for six.
However, Rovman Powell (15 not out) and Nurse (8 not out) spared the Windies blushes in an unbroken 25-run, seventh wicket stand which saw their side over the line.
Mar 20 Super Sixes
South Africa's speedster Kagiso Rabada will play in the Cape Town Test after his two-match ban for making physical contact with Steven Smith was overturned by the ICC's code of conduct appeal commissioner Michael Heron.
After a hearing via video conference lasting more than six hours on Monday, in which Rabada's case was championed by the high-profile South African legal advocate Dali Mpofu, his level 2 charge for physical contact was downgraded to a level 1 charge for conduct contrary to spirit of the game, with a 25% match fee fine and one demerit point, instead of the three he had initially been given by the match referee Jeff Crowe.
This means Rabada's demerit points total dips below the threshold bringing an automatic ban, allowing him to play at Newlands. Rabada, captain Faf du Plessis and the team manager Mohammed Moosajee all took part in the hearing.
In his judgment, Heron said he was not satisfied that Rabada's physical contact with Smith matched the "inappropriate and deliberate" definition covered by the ICC code of conduct.
Rabada currently sits on seven demerit points because he started with five before the Port Elizabeth Test and collected one for the Smith dismissal and one more for the David Warner send-off in the second innings.