Sport
India edge Pakistan in low-scoring nailbiter at T20 World Cup
India beat Pakistan by six runs in a low-scoring but tense T20 World Cup Group A encounter on Sunday at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium where more than 34,000 fans were in attendance at the temporary arena despite the early rain.
India beat Pakistan by six runs in a low-scoring but tense T20 World Cup Group A encounter on Sunday at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium where more than 34,000 fans were in attendance at the temporary arena despite the early rain.
The result moved India to the top of Group A with two wins from their opening two matches while Pakistan have zero points from two defeats following their upset by the hosts, the United States.
Pakistan won the toss and elected to bowl first on a two-paced pitch where rain interruptions made things difficult for India who struggled to get going and were dismissed for 119.
Mohammad Rizwan laid the platform for the chase with a patient knock of 31 but Pakistan fell short after losing wickets at regular intervals
In response, Mohammad Rizwan laid the platform for the chase with a patient knock of 31 but Pakistan fell short after losing wickets at regular intervals while India’s Jasprit Bumrah (3-14) made crucial breakthroughs and bowled 15 dot balls.
“We felt that we were a little under par and when the sun came out, the wicket did get a little better,” player of the match Bumrah said.
“So we had to be really disciplined with what we were trying to do and we are very happy with the win.”
Chasing a run-a-ball 120 to win, Pakistan lost skipper Babar Azam (13) when he edged Bumrah to the slips while Usman Khan and Fakhar Zaman also fell for 13.
But Rizwan, who was dropped in the third over by Shivam Dube near the boundary, made a patient knock of 31 before Bumrah made another crucial breakthrough when he had the opener bowled.
The game suddenly turned India’s way when Rishabh Pant took a second running catch to dismiss Shadab Khan as Pakistan’s required run rate crept up and left them needing 21 runs off the last two overs.
Bumrah was saved for the penultimate over where the pace spearhead conceded only three runs and finished his spell with his third wicket when Iftikhar Ahmed was caught in the deep.
Naseem Shah smashed two boundaries in the final over but Arshdeep Singh ensured there were no fireworks at the end as India held on for a narrow win.
WATCH: Fans in Jalalabad gather in the city to watch the match
HUGE ROAR
In the first innings, which was delayed by rain, Rohit set the tone in the first over when he launched a Shaheen Afridi delivery into the stands behind midwicket to draw a huge roar from the crowd.
Spirits were briefly dampened in the 34,000-capacity stadium when the rain returned and the players walked off but play restarted 35 minutes later with no overs lost.
Virat Kohli kicked things off with a boundary but he played a loose shot to fall to Naseem Shah when he smashed a wide ball straight to the covers before Afridi dismissed Rohit when he skied a ball to deep square leg.
Axar Patel and Pant accelerated the scoring rate, but Shah struck again to remove Axar when the all-rounder charged down the pitch only to see the ball crash into the stumps.
Pant continued to live dangerously as he refused to take his foot off the gas, throwing his body around the crease to play unorthodox yet trademark shots to all corners of the ground, but he was losing partners at the other end.
The wicketkeeper’s luck finally ran out when he fell for 42 while the middle and lower order collapsed, with none of the last seven batters getting into double digits as India were all out for 119.
“We didn’t bat well enough. At 10 overs we were in a good position and you expect the guys to stitch together partnerships. We fell 15-20 runs short, every run matters on a pitch like that,” Rohit said.
“The bowlers did the job for us… The never-say-die attitude in the team with 119 on the board, we didn’t make early inroads but we got together and said if it can happen to us, it could happen to them.” – Reuters
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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
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