Sport
‘Awesome’ Warner, Marsh star as Australia down Pakistan at World Cup
Australia rode on punishing centuries from openers David Warner and Mitchell Marsh to beat Pakistan by 62 runs in their World Cup game in Bengaluru on Friday.
Australia’s total of 367-9 was built on Warner’s 163 with Marsh, on his 32nd birthday, hitting 121, AFP reported.
Pakistan were undone by poor bowling and fielding which saw Warner dropped when he had made just 10.
“It was awesome,” said man of the match Warner. “For us to go out there and put in a performance and a score on the board like that is very pleasing.”
Leg-spinner Adam Zampa then ripped through the middle-order with figures of 4-53 as Pakistan were bowled out for 305 in 45.3 overs, leaving both teams on two wins and as many losses.
Mohammad Rizwan (46) and Saud Shakeel (30) added 57 for the fourth wicket as Pakistan needed 168 from the last 20 overs but Pat Cummins dismissed Saud Shakeel while Zampa accounted for Rizwan, Iftikhar Ahmed (26) and Mohammad Nawaz (14) to end their resistance.
“The first 34 overs in the bowling and fielding cost us,” admitted Pakistan skipper Babar Azam.
“We dropped Warner and such batters don’t spare you. This is a big-scoring ground and we missed our mark.”
Pakistan were given a solid start of 134 — only their second hundred opening stand this year — by Imam-ul-Haq (70) and Abdullah Shafique (64).
Australia dropped Shafique with substitute Sean Abbott spilling a simple chance over the boundary off Cummins when the opener had made 27 while the skipper then dropped Imam off Zampa when the batsman was on 48.
But Marcus Stoinis’s short-pitched deliveries claimed both the openers within the space of 20 runs while Cummins pulled off a splendid catch at mid-wicket off Adam Zampa to dismiss Babar for 18.
Earlier, Warner and Marsh set up Australia’s imposing total.
Warner survived a leg-before appeal off the very first ball of the match and was then dropped on 10 in the fifth over, before cracking a punishing 124-ball 163 after Australia were sent in to bat on a flat Chinnaswamy Stadium pitch.
Marsh clobbered a 108-ball 121 as the pair raced to an Australian World Cup opening stand record of 259 by the 34th over, much to the delight of a 30,000 crowd.
Warner’s innings had 14 boundaries and nine towering sixes as he and Marsh spared none of the Pakistan bowlers. Marsh’s knock was spiced with ten boundaries and nine sixes.
Their stand — just 23 short of the World Cup opening record of 282 by Sri Lanka’s Upul Tharanga and Tillakaratne Dilshan against Zimbabwe at Pallekele in 2011 — was helped by a weak performance by Pakistan in the field.
– Warner dropped on 10 –
It was the innings-turning moment when Warner’s miscued shot off Shaheen Shah Afridi ballooned in the air, but Usama Mir — replacing Shadab Khan in the side — let the ball slip between shaking hands.
Warner made the most of his reprieve as he and Marsh hit four boundaries and a six off pacer Haris Rauf’s first over, taking 24 in all.
Australia smashed 82 in the first power-play and completed 200 runs in the 30th over.
Warner completed his second World Cup century — and 21st overall — with a single off spinner Mohammad Nawaz off 85 balls while Marsh reached his second ODI hundred with a six in the same over, taking 100 balls.
Ironically, it was Mir who caught Marsh off Shaheen to break the stand in the 34th over.
Glenn Maxwell, sent in at three to keep up the momentum, fell first ball, caught by Babar off Shaheen while Steve Smith was caught and bowled by Mir for seven.
Warner continued the carnage with three more sixes before falling to Rauf, holing out at long-on.
Australia’s previous highest World Cup opening stand was 183 set by Brad Haddin and Shane Watson against Canada at this same venue in 2011.
Shaheen, who finished with 5-54, helped Pakistan come back in the last ten overs with six wickets falling for 70 runs. Rauf took 3-83.
Pakistan next face Afghanistan in Chennai on Monday while Australia’s next opponents are the Netherlands in New Delhi two days later.
In the twenty-ninth match of the fifth season of the Afghanistan Champions League, Aino Mina edged past Jawanan Perozi 1–0.
In Tuesday’s thirtieth fixture, Abu Muslim Farah claimed a 2–1 victory over Khurasan Faryab.
Looking ahead to tomorrow’s thirty-first match, Arman FC will take on Istiqlal Kabul at 10:00 a.m. Meanwhile, in the thirty-second encounter, Sarsabz Yashlar will face Ettifaq Khanzadah at 1:30 p.m.
All matches are being broadcast live on Ariana Television, giving fans across the country the chance to follow all the excitement and drama of the Afghanistan Champions League throughout the season.
Sport
ILT20: Desert Vipers edge Gulf Giants in historic super over thriller
Gurbaz and James Vince (25 off 22) added another 54, but the scoring slowed dramatically. Only 38 runs came off the final five overs, with the Giants finishing on 179/5.
The Desert Vipers clinched a dramatic victory over the Gulf Giants in the DP World ILT20’s first-ever Super Over, extending their dominance with a sixth straight win over the Giants.
Chasing 180, the Vipers were rescued by a superb partnership between Dan Lawrence (56 off 31) and Sam Curran (44 off 36), who dragged the innings back from early trouble and levelled the scores off the final ball to force a Super Over.
Despite Azmatullah Omarzai’s impressive 4 for 32 and early blows that left the Vipers reeling at 14/2, the lower order held firm. Khuzaima Tanveer struck a crucial six in the final over before Vriitya Aravind guided the game into the tie-breaker.
Giants set the tone early
Batting first, the Gulf Giants made a strong start as Pathum Nissanka (56 off 29) and Rahmanullah Gurbaz (41 off 31) blasted 58 in the powerplay. Their 73-run opening stand put the Giants in control before Noor Ahmad struck back, removing Nissanka immediately after his fourth six.
Gurbaz and James Vince (25 off 22) added another 54, but the scoring slowed dramatically. Only 38 runs came off the final five overs, with the Giants finishing on 179/5.
Vipers fight back
Omarzai and Mark Adair dismantled the top order, but Curran and Lawrence rebuilt with a 60-run stand. Lawrence brought up a brisk half-century, while late cameos from Shimron Hetmyer (16 off 8) and Hasan Nawaz (11 off 4) kept the chase alive. Omarzai again swung momentum back in the 18th over, dismissing both Hetmyer and Lawrence.
With 13 needed off the last over, Tanveer’s six and Aravind’s nerveless batting carried the match into the Super Over.
Vipers dominate the tie-breaker
Lawrence smashed 10 runs as the Vipers posted 13/1 in the Super Over. Naseem Shah then bowled a tight over, restricting the Giants to just nine and sealing the Vipers’ third consecutive win of the season.
Reactions
Sam Curran, the Vipers’ stand-in captain, praised his side’s resilience:
“Three wins from three — I’m not complaining. Tanveer has worked incredibly hard. To hit a six under pressure and then bowl well shows how far he has come.”
Giants’ stand-in skipper Moeen Ali lamented missed opportunities:
“We made mistakes at the wrong time and let them back in. In this format, the game is never over — this was one we could easily have won.”
Brief Scores
Desert Vipers beat Gulf Giants (Super Over)
Gulf Giants 179/5 (20 ov): Nissanka 56, Gurbaz 41; Tanveer 2/23, Noor 2/47
Desert Vipers 179/9 (20 ov): Lawrence 56, Curran 44; Omarzai 4/32, Thushara 2/33
Super Over
Vipers 13/1: Lawrence 10, Hetmyer 3*; Thushara 1/13
Giants 9/0: Moeen 5*, Moores 1*; Naseem 0/9
Player of the Match: Dan Lawrence
Sorkh Poshan Khafi secured a commanding 4-0 victory over Sarsabz Yashlar in the Afghanistan Champions League (ACL) on Monday in Kabul.
The fifth match of the tournament had originally been scheduled for November 24 but was postponed following the death of former player Farhad Adil. Adil, who previously served as captain of Sarsabz Yashlar and also played for Sorkh Poshan Khafi, was found dead in Herat on November 23.
In Monday’s match, Sorkh Poshan Khafi’s goals were scored by Yasir Safi (1), Khalil Tajik (1), and Khalil Ahmad Ahmadi (2), leading their team to a decisive win.
All ACL matches are broadcast live on Ariana Television Network, giving football fans across Afghanistan the opportunity to follow the season’s action.
Tomorrow, Tuesday, Aino Mina will face Jawanan Perozi, while Abu Muslim Farah will take on Khurasan Faryab.
Tahawol: Pakistan’s warning on Afghanistan reiterated
Afghan higher education minister seeks expanded academic ties with Iran
Saar: UN’s meeting on Afghanistan reviewed
ACL: Aino Mina 1–0 Jawanan Perozi; Abu Muslim Farah 2–1 Khurasan Faryab
Kazakhstan reaffirms support for major economic projects in Afghanistan
Pakistan will lose big market in both Afghanistan, Central Asia: Sarhadi
Afghanistan records $580m in fruit exports in six months
Türkiye leads Riyadh 2025 Islamic Solidarity Games medal table
Tashkent: Central Asian leaders say regional stability hinges on Afghanistan
Afghan Abdalyan beat Sri Lanka A by 3 wickets in Rising Stars Asia Cup opener
Tahawol: Pakistan’s warning on Afghanistan reiterated
Saar: UN’s meeting on Afghanistan reviewed
Tahawol: Iran seeking to expand ties with Afghanistan
Saar: Calls for dialogue between Afghanistan, Pakistan
Tahawol: Discussion on Afghanistan at Doha Forum
-
Business5 days agoAriana Afghan Airlines boost air trade with arrival of new cargo aircraft
-
Sport3 days agoILT20: Nissanka fires Gulf Giants to four-wicket win over Dubai Capitals
-
Business2 days agoAfghanistan signs agreement with DP World to bolster ports infrastructure
-
Latest News5 days agoIran offers fully funded virtual education for Afghan students returning from abroad
-
Latest News3 days agoSyria’s President challenges West’s counter-terrorism claims in Afghanistan and Iraq
-
Sport4 days agoFIFA confirms all 12 groups for 2026 World Cup
-
Regional5 days agoPutin questions US punishing India for buying Russian oil
-
Sport4 days agoACL: Abu Muslim Farah and Jawanan Perozi 6-0; Istiqlal Kabul and Sarsabz Yashlar 3-1