Pre-tournament faV(ou)(i)ra(i)tes India don’t (Ki)win

India made just one change to their playing eleven – Kuldeep Yadav made way for Yuzvendra Singh Chahal. New Zealand made a couple of changes to the eleven that last played India – Colin Munro and Todd Astle made way for Martin Guptill and Lockie Ferguson.

On winning the toss, Kane Williamson, the New Zealand skipper, chose to bat. Guptill, who faced 14 balls, scored just a run. Twenty-one balls into the match, he was caught by Virat Kohli, India’s skipper. Jasprit Bumrah broke the one-run stand.

Henry Nicholls, whose 51-ball innings included a couple of boundaries, scored 28. Eighty-nine balls later, Ravindra Jadeja broke the 68-run stand. Williamson, whose 95-ball innings included half-a-dozen boundaries, scored 67. Seventeen overs later, he was caught by Jadeja. Chahal broke the 65-run stand.

James Neesham, whose 18-ball innings included a boundary, scored a dozen. Thirty-four balls later, he was caught by Dinesh Karthik. Hardik Pandya broke the 28-run stand. Colin de Grandhomme, whose 10-ball innings included a couple of boundaries, scored 16. Twenty-two balls later, he was caught by Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Bhuvneshwar Kumar broke the 38-run stand.

The Kiwis had scored 211 for the loss of five wickets off 46.1 overs when it began to pour, resulting in the resumption of play on the reserve day. The sixth-wicket pair put on 25. Ross Taylor, who was 67 overnight, added just seven to his score the next day. His 90-ball innings included three boundaries and the only six of the innings. Twenty balls later. Jadeja ran him out.

Tom Latham, who was batting on three when rain stopped play, added seven to his score. He faced 11 balls. The next ball, he was caught by Jadeja. Kumar broke the seventh-wicket stand. Mitchell Santner, whose 13-ball innings included a boundary, scored nine. He was unbeaten.

Henry, the player of the Mat(t)ch, faced a couple of balls, scoring a run. Five balls later, he was caught by Kohli. Needless to say, Kumar was in seventh heaven. Trent Boult faced three balls, scoring as many. He was unbeaten.

India conceded 18 extras. New Zealand scored 239 for the loss of eight wickets off 50 overs. Chahal, Pandya, Bumrah (whose spell included a maiden) and Jadeja bowled 10 overs each, picking up a scalp apiece. They conceded 63, 55, 39 and 34, respectively. Kumar bowled 10 overs, including a maiden. He conceded 43, picking up three scalps.

Rohit Sharma, who faced four balls, scored just a run. Nine balls into the chase, he was caught by Latham. Henry broke the four-run stand. Kohli, who faced half-a-dozen balls, scored just a run. Seven balls later, he was trapped leg before wicket by Boult, who broke the one-run stand.

Lokesh Rahul, who faced seven balls, scored just a run. A couple of dot balls later, he was caught by Latham off the bowling of Henry. Karthik, whose 25-ball innings included a boundary, scored half-a-dozen. Forty-one balls later, he was caught by Neesham. Henry broke the 19-run stand.

Rishabh Pant, whose 56-ball innings included four boundaries, scored 32. Seventy-seven balls later, he was caught by de Grandhomme. Santner broke the 47-run stand. Pandya, whose 62-ball innings included a couple of boundaries, scored 32. Forty-six balls later, he was caught by Williamson. Santner broke the 21-run stand.

Jadeja, whose 59-ball innings included four boundaries and as many sixes, scored 77. A hundred and four balls later, he was caught by Williamson. Boult broke the 116-run stand. The eighth-wicket pair put on eight. Dhoni, whose 72-ball innings included a boundary and a six, scored 50. Four balls later, Guptill ran him out.

Kumar, who faced a ball, failed to get off the mark. Three balls later, Ferguson broke the one-run stand. Chahal, whose run-a-ball innings included a boundary, scored five. Three balls later, he was caught by Latham. Neesham broke the four-run stand. Bumrah, who didn’t face a ball, was unbeaten.

New Zealand conceded 16 extras. India, who were dismissed for 221 off 49.3 overs, lost by 18 runs. De Grandhomme, who bowled a couple of wicketless overs, conceded 13. Neesham, who bowled 7.3 overs, conceded 49. He picked up a wicket.

Ferguson, who bowled 10 overs, conceded 43. He picked up a wicket. Boult and Santner bowled 10 overs, including two maidens, each, picking up two wickets apiece. While the former conceded 42, the latter conceded 34. Henry bowled 10 overs, including a maiden. He conceded 37, picking up three scalps.

New Zealand advanced.



   

   

India are Vi(ra)(c)torious against SL

India made a couple of changes to their playing eleven – Mohammed Shami and Yuzvendra Chahal made way for Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav. Sri Lanka made nine changes to the eleven that (Dickwel)last played the Indians – Danushka Gunathilaka, Upul Tharanga, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Niroshan, Asela Gunaratne, Sachith Pathirana, Akila Dananjaya, Suranga Lakmal and Nuwan Pradeep made way for Dimuth Karunaratne (who was leading the team), Kusal Perera, Avishka Fernando, Kusal Mendis, Lahiru Thirimanne, Dhananjaya de Silva, Isuru Udana, Kasun Rajitha and Lasith Malinga.

On winning the toss, Karunaratne chose to bat. He scored 10. His 17-ball innings included a couple of boundaries. Twenty-two balls into the match, he was caught by Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Jasprit Bumrah broke the 17-run stand. Kusal Perera, whose 14-ball innings included three boundaries, scored 18. Twenty-one balls later, he was caught by Dhoni. Bumrah broke the 23-run stand.

Mendis, who faced 13 balls, scored just three. Twenty-one balls later, he was stumped by Dhoni. Jadeja broke the 13-run stand. Fernando, whose 21-ball innings included four boundaries, scored 20. Half-a-dozen balls later, he caught by Dhoni. Hardik Pandya broke the fourth-wicket stand, which was worth just a couple.

Thirimanne, whose 68-ball innings included four boundaries, scored 53. A hundred and fifty-seven balls later, he was caught by Jadeja. Yadav broke the 124-run stand. Angelo Mathews, whose 128-ball innings included 10 boundaries and a couple of sixes, scored 113. Sixty-three balls later, he was caught by Rohit, the player of the (Shar)match. Bumrah broke the 74-run stand.

De Silva, whose 36-ball innings included a boundary, scored 29. He was unbeaten. Thisara Perera, who led Sri Lanka in their previous match against the Indians, faced three balls, scoring a couple. Half-a-dozen balls later, he was caught by Pandya. Needless to say, Bhuvneshwar Kumar was in seventh heaven. Udana, who faced a ball, scored a run. He was unbeaten.

India conceded 15 extras. Sri Lanka scored 264 for the loss of seven wickets off 50 overs. Kumar, Yadav, Pandya and Jadeja bowled 10 overs each, picking up a wicket apiece. They conceded 73, 58, 50 and 40, respectively. Bumrah bowled 10 overs, including a couple of maidens. He conceded 37, picking up three scalps.

Sharma, whose 94-ball innings included 14 boundaries and a couple of sixes, scored 103 – his fifth ton at this year’s World Cup. A hundred and eighty-one balls into the chase, he was caught by Mathews. Rajitha broke the 189-run stand. Lokesh Rahul, whose 118-ball innings included 11 boundaries and a six, scored 111. Sixty-five balls later, he was caught by Kusal Perera. Malinga broke the 55-run stand.

Virat Kohli, India’s skipper, scored 34. His 41-ball innings included three boundaries. He was unbeaten. Rishabh Pant faced four balls, scoring as many. His runs came by way of a boundary. Half-a-dozen balls later, he was trapped leg before wicket by Udana, who broke the nine-run stand. Pandya, whose four-ball innings included a boundary, had a reason to be in seventh heaven – he was unbeaten.

Sri Lanka conceded half-a-dozen extras. India, who scored 265 for the loss of three wickets off 43.3 overs, won by seven wickets off 39 balls to spare. It was the perfect gift for Dhoni on the eve of his 38^th birthday (which falls on July 7). De Silva, who bowled half-a-dozen overs, conceded 51. He was wicketless, as was Thisara, who bowled 10 overs, conceding 34.

Rajitha, who bowled eight overs, conceded 47. He picked up a scalp, as did Udana, who bowled 9.3 overs, conceding 50, and Malinga, who bowled 10 overs, including a maiden. He conceded 82.

India will play New Zealand in the semi-final.

India beat Bangladesh and qua(Koh)lify

India made a couple of changes to their playing eleven – Kedar Jadhav and Kuldeep Yadav made way for Dinesh Karthik and Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Bangladesh made five changes to the eleven that last played the Indians – Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Imraul Kayes, Mohammad Mithun, Mahmudullah and Nazmul Islam made way for Tamim Iqbal, Shakib Al Hasan, Mosaddek Hossain, Sabbir Rahman and Mohammad Saifuddin.

On winning the toss, Virat Kohli, India’s skipper, chose to bat. Rohit, the player of the (Shar)match, scored 104. His 92-ball innings included seven boundaries and five sixes. A hundred and seventy-six balls into the match, he was caught by Liton Das. Soumya Sarkar broke the 180-run stand.

Lokesh Rahul, whose 92-ball innings included half-a-dozen boundaries and a six, scored 77. Twenty balls later, he was caught by Mushfiqur Rahim. Rubel Hossain broke the 15-run stand. Kohli, whose 27-ball innings included three boundaries, scored 26. Thirty-four balls later, he was caught by Rubel. Mustafizur Rahman broke the 42-run stand.

Hardik Pandya, who faced a couple of balls, failed to get off the mark. Two dot balls later, he was caught by Sarkar off the bowling of Rahman. Rishabh Pant, whose 41-ball innings included half-a-dozen boundaries and a six, scored 48. Thirty-three balls later, he was caught by Mosaddek. Al Hasan broke the 40-run stand.

Karthik, whose nine-ball innings included a boundary, scored eight. Nineteen balls later, he was caught by Mosaddek. Rahman broke the 21-run stand. Mahendra Singh Dhoni, whose 33-ball innings included four boundaries, scored 35. Thirteen balls later, he was caught by Al Hasan. Rahman broke the run-a-ball stand.

The eighth-wicket pair put on three. Kumar, who faced three balls, scored a couple. A couple of balls later, Rahim and Rahman ran him out. Mohammed Shami, who faced a couple of balls, scored a run. The next ball, he was dismissed by Rahman. Jasprit Bumrah, who didn’t face a ball, was unbeaten.

Bangladesh conceded 13 extras. India scored 314 for the loss of nine wickets off 50 overs. Mosaddek, who bowled four overs, conceded 32. He was wicketless, as were Mashrafe Bin Mortaza, the Bangladesh skipper, who bowled five overs, conceding 36, and Saifuddin, who bowled seven overs, conceding 59.

Sarkar, who bowled half-a-dozen overs, conceded 33. He picked up a wicket, as did Rubel, who bowled eight overs, conceding 48, and Al Hasan, who bowled 10 overs, conceding 41. Rahman bowled 10 overs, including a maiden. He conceded 59, picking up five wickets.

Iqbal, whose 31-ball innings included three boundaries, scored 22. Fifty-seven balls into the chase, Shami broke the 39-run stand. Sarkar, whose 67-ball innings included four boundaries, scored 33. Thirty-four balls later, he was caught by Kohli. Pandya broke the 35-run stand.

Rahim, whose 23-ball innings included three boundaries, scored 24. Forty-seven balls later, he was caught by Shami. Yuzvendra Singh Chahal broke the 47-run stand. Das, whose 24-ball innings included a six, scored 22. Forty balls later, he was caught by Karthik. Pandya broke the 41-run stand.

Mosaddek wasn’t in seventh heaven, because he scored just three. Sixteen balls later, Bumrah broke the 11-run stand. Al Hasan, whose 74-ball innings included half-a-dozen boundaries, scored 66. Nine balls later, he was caught by Karthik. Pandya broke the six-run stand.

Rahman, whose run-a-ball innings included five boundaries, scored 36. Fifty-six balls later, Bumrah broke the 66-run stand. Saifuddin, whose 38-ball innings included nine boundaries, scored 51. He was unbeaten.

Mortaza, whose five-ball innings included a six, scored eight. Seven balls later, he was caught by Dhoni. Kumar broke the eighth-wicket stand, which was worth 12. Rubel, whose 11-ball innings included a boundary, scored nine. Twenty-one balls later, Bumrah broke the 29-ball stand. Rahman, who faced a ball, failed to get off the mark. The next ball, Bumrah dismissed him.

India conceded 12 extras. Bangladesh, who were dismissed for 286 off 48 overs, lost by 28 runs. Shami and Kumar bowled nine overs each, picking up a wicket apiece. While the former conceded 68, the latter conceded 51.

The leggie, who bowled 10 overs, conceded 50. He picked up a sC(hah)alp. Pandya, who bowled 10 overs, conceded 60. He picked up three wickets. Bumrah bowled 10 overs, including a maiden. He conceded 55, picking up four scalps.

India became the second team in the tournament to advance to the semi-finals.

  

   

India aren’t K(oh)linical, suffer maidEn(glan)defeat

India made just one change to their playing eleven – Vijay Shankar made way for Rishabh Pant. England made three changes to the eleven that last played the Indians – James Vince, Moeen Ali and David Willey made way for Jason Roy, Chris Woakes and Jofra Archer.

On winning the toss, Morgan, E(oi)ngland’s skipper, chose to bat. Roy, whose 57-ball innings included seven boundaries and a couple of sixes, scored 66. A hundred and thirty-three balls into the match, he was caught by substitute Ravindra Jadeja. Kuldeep Yadav broke the 160-run stand.

Jonny Bairstow, the player of the match, scored 111. His 109-ball innings included 10 boundaries and half-a-dozen sixes. Fifty-seven balls later, he was caught by Pant. Mohammed Shami broke the 45-run stand.

Morgan, who faced nine balls, scored just a run. A couple of overs later, he was caught by Kedar Jadhav. Shami broke the two-run stand. Joe Root, whose 54-ball innings included a couple of boundaries, scored 44. Sixty-three balls later, he was caught by Hardik Pandya. Shami broke the 70-run stand.

Jos Buttler, whose eight-ball innings included a boundary and a couple of sixes, scored 20. Seventeen balls later, he was caught by Shami, who broke the 33-run stand. Woakes, whose five-ball innings included a boundary, wasn’t in seventh heaven. Seven balls later, he was caught by Rohit Sharma. Shami broke the nine-run stand.

Ben Stokes, whose 54-ball innings included half-a-dozen boundaries and three sixes, scored 79. Nine balls later, he was caught by Jadeja. Jasprit Bumrah broke the 17-run stand. Liam Plunkett, who faced four balls, scored just a run. He was unbeaten, as was Archer, who didn’t face a ball.

India conceded eight extras. England scored 337 for the loss of seven wickets off 50 overs. Yuzvendra Singh Chahal and Pandya bowled 10 wicketless overs apiece. While the former conceded 88, the latter conceded 60.

Yadav and Bumrah bowled 10 overs each, picking up a wicket apiece. While the former conceded 72, the latter, whose spell included a maiden, conceded 44. Shami bowled 10 overs, including a maiden. He conceded 69, picking up five scalps.

Lokesh Rahul, who faced nine balls, failed to get off the mark. Fifteen balls into the chase, he was caught by Woakes, who broke the eight-run stand. Virat Kohli, India’s skipper, whose 76-ball innings included seven boundaries, scored 66. A hundred and fifty-five balls later, he was caught by the substitute (Vince). Plunkett broke the 138-run stand.

Sharma, whose 109-ball innings included 15 boundaries, scored 102. Forty-seven balls later, he was caught by Buttler. Woakes broke the 52-run stand. Pant, whose 29-ball innings included four boundaries, scored 32. Three overs later, he was caught by Woakes. Plunkett broke the 28-run stand.

Pandya, whose 33-ball innings included four boundaries, scored 45. Thirty-four balls later, he was caught by Vince. Plunkett broke the 41-run stand. Mahendra Singh Dhoni, whose 31-ball innings included four boundaries and the only six of the innings, scored 42. He was unbeaten, as was Jadhav, who scored a dozen. His 13-ball innings included a boundary.

England conceded seven extras. The Indians, who scored 306 for the loss of five wickets off 50 overs, lost by 31 runs. Stokes, who bowled four overs, conceded 34. He was wicketless, as was Adil Rashid, who bowled half-a-dozen overs, conceding 40.

Mark Wood and Archer bowled 10 wicketless overs apiece. While the former conceded 73, the latter conceded 45. Woakes bowled 10 overs, including three maidens. He conceded 58, picking up a couple of wickets. Plunkett, who bowled 10 overs, conceded 55. He picked up three scalps.

The Indians’ WInning streak Ko(hli)ntinues

While India’s playing eleven remained unchanged, the West Indies made five changes to the eleven that (Nicho)last played the Indians – the Powells (Kieran and Rovman), Marlon Samuels, Keemo Paul and Devendra Bishoo made way for Chris Gayle, Sunil Ambris, Pooran, Carlos Brathwaite and Sheldon Cottrell.

On winning the toss, Virat Kohli, India’s skipper, chose to bat. Rohit Sharma, whose 23-ball innings included a boundary and a six, scored 18. Six overs into the match, he was caught by Shai Hope. Kemar Roach broke the 29-run stand.

Lokesh Rahul, whose 64-ball innings included half-a-dozen boundaries, scored 48. Eighty-eight balls later, Jason Holder, the West Indies’ skipper, broke the 69-run stand. Vijay Shankar, whose 19-ball innings included three boundaries, scored 14. Thirty-three balls later, he was caught by Hope. Roach broke the 28-run stand.

Kedar Jadhav, whose 10-ball innings included a boundary, wasn’t in seventh heaven. Sixteen balls later, he was caught by Hope. Roach broke the 14-run stand. Kohli, the player of the match, scored 72. His 82-ball innings included eight boundaries. Fifty-seven balls later, he was caught by the substitute, Darren. Holder Br(av)oke the 40-run stand.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni, whose 61-ball innings included three boundaries and a couple of sixes, scored 56. He was unbeaten. Hardik Pandya, whose 38-ball innings included five boundaries, scored 46. Ten overs later, he was caught by Fabian Allen. Cottrell broke the 70-run stand.

Mohammed Shami, who faced a couple of balls, didn’t get off the mark. Three balls later, he was caught by Hope. Cottrell broke the two-run stand. Although Kuldeep Yadav, who faced a ball, didn’t get off the mark, he was unbeaten. The West Indies conceded seven extras. India scored 268 for the loss of seven wickets off 50 overs.

Brathwaite, who bowled three overs, conceded 33. He was wicketless, as were Oshane Thomas, who bowled seven overs, conceding 63, and Allen, who bowled 10 overs, conceding 52.

Cottrell and Holder bowled 10 overs each, picking up a couple of wickets apiece. While the former conceded 50, the latter, whose spell included a couple of maidens, conceded 33. Roach, who bowled 10 overs, conceded 36. He picked up three scalps.

Gayle, whose 19-ball innings included a boundary, scored half-a-dozen. Twenty-nine balls into the chase, he was caught by Jadhav. Shami broke the 10-run stand. Hope, whose 10-ball innings included a boundary, scored five. A couple of overs later, Shami broke the second-wicket stand, which was worth half-a-dozen.

Ambris, whose 40-ball innings included a couple of boundaries, scored 31. Sixty-seven balls later, he was trapped leg before wicket by Pandya, who broke the 55-run stand. Pooran, whose 50-ball innings included a couple of boundaries, scored 28. Sixteen balls later, he was caught by Shami. Yadav broke the nine-run stand.

Holder, who faced 13 balls, scored half-a-dozen. Twenty-one balls later, he was caught by Jadhav. Yuzvendra Singh Chahal broke the 18-run stand. Brathwaite, who faced five balls, scored just a run. Sixteen balls later, he was caught by Dhoni. Jasprit Bumrah broke the nine-run stand.

The next ball, Allen, who faced it, departed without opening his account. He was trapped leg before wicket by Bumrah. Roach, whose 21-ball innings included three boundaries, scored 14. He was unbeaten.

Shimron Hetmyer, whose 29-ball innings included a boundary, scored 18. Thirteen balls later, he was caught by Rahul. Shami broke the five-run stand. Cottrell, whose eight-ball innings included a boundary and the only six of the islanders’ innings, scored 10. Eight balls later, he was trapped leg before wicket by Chahal, who broke the 12-run stand.

Thomas, whose 11-ball innings included a boundary, scored half-a-dozen. Twenty-seven balls later, he was caught by Sharma. Shami broke the last-wicket stand, which was worth 19. The Indians conceded 18 extras. The West Indies, who were bundled out for 143 off 34.2 overs, lost by 125 runs.

Jadhav, who bowled a wicketless over, conceded just four. Pandya, who bowled five overs, conceded 28. He picked up a wicket, as did Yadav, who bowled nine overs, including a maiden. He conceded 35.

Bumrah bowled half-a-dozen overs, including a maiden. He conceded nine, picking up a couple of wickets. Chahal, who bowled seven overs, conceded 39. He picked up a couple of wickets. Shami, who bowled 6.2 overs, conceded 16. He picked up four scalps.

India pull off (Afghanist)anarrow Vi(ra)(c)tory

India made just one change to the playing eleven – Mohammed Shami replaced the injured Bhuvneshwar Kumar.

Afghanistan (Moham)made a couple of changes to the eleven that last played the Indians – Shahzad and Javed Ahmadi made way for Hazratullah Zazai and Ikram Alikhil.

On winning the toss, Virat Kohli, India’s skipper, chose to bat. Rohit, who faced 10 balls, scored just a run. Twenty-six balls into the (Shar)match, he was dismissed by Mujeeb Ur Rahman. Needless to say, he was in seventh heaven.

Lokesh Rahul, whose 53-ball innings included a couple of boundaries, scored 30. Ten overs later, he was caught by Zazai. Mohammad Nabi broke the 57-run stand. Vijay Shankar, whose 41-ball innings included a couple of boundaries, scored 29. Seventy-one balls later, he was trapped leg before wicket by Rahmat Shah, who broke the 58-run stand.

Kohli, whose 63-ball innings included five boundaries, scored 67. Twenty-six balls later, he was caught by Shah. Nabi broke the 13-run stand. Mahendra Singh Dhoni, whose 52-ball innings included three boundaries, scored 28. Fourteen balls later, he was stumped by Alikhil. Rashid Khan broke the 57-run stand.

Hardik Pandya, who faced nine balls, wasn’t in seventh heaven. Twenty-five balls later, he was caught by Alikhil. Aftab Alam broke the run-a-ball stand. Shami, who faced a couple of balls, scored a run. Five balls later, Gulbadin Naib, the Afghan skipper, broke the run-a-ball stand.

Kedar Jadhav, whose 68-ball innings included three boundaries and the only six of the innings, scored 52. A couple of balls later, he was caught by the substitute, Noor Ali Zadran. Naib broke the one-run stand. Kuldeep Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah, the player of the match, faced a ball each, scoring a run apiece. They were unbeaten.

Afghanistan conceded seven extras. India scored 224 for the loss of eight wickets off 50 overs. Shah, who bowled five overs, conceded 22. He picked up a wicket, as did Alam, who bowled seven overs, including a maiden. He conceded 54.

Mujeeb and Khan bowled 10 overs each, picking up a wicket apiece. While the former conceded 38, the latter conceded 26. Naib and Nabi bowled nine overs each, picking up a couple of scalps apiece. While the former conceded 51, the latter conceded 33.

Zazai, whose 24-ball innings included a boundary, scored 10. Thirty-nine balls into the chase, Shami broke the 20-run stand. Naib, whose 42-ball innings included a couple of boundaries, scored 27. Sixty-two balls later, he was caught by Shankar. Pandya broke the 44-run stand.

Shah, whose 63-ball innings included three boundaries, scored 36. Seventy-one balls later, he was caught by Yuzvendra Chahal. Bumrah broke the 42-run stand. Hashmatullah Shahidi, whose 45-ball innings included a couple of boundaries, scored 21. A couple of dot balls later, he was caught by Bumrah off his own bowling.

Asghar Afghan, who faced 19 balls, scored eight. Six overs later, Chahal broke the 24-run stand. Najibullah Zadran, whose 23-ball innings included a couple of boundaries, scored 21. Thirty-nine balls later, he was caught by Chahal. Pandya broke the 36-run stand.

Khan, whose 16-ball innings included a boundary, scored 14. Twenty-five balls later, he was stumped by Dhoni. Chahal broke the 24-run stand. Although Alikhil, who faced 10 balls, was unbeaten, he wasn’t in seventh heaven.

Nabi, whose 55-ball innings included four boundaries and the only six of the innings, scored 52. Twenty-three balls, he was caught by Pandya. Shami broke the run-a-ball stand. The next ball, Shami dismissed Alam, who faced it. The next ball, Mujeeb, who faced it, was dismissed by Shami.

India conceded 17 extras. Afghanistan, who were dismissed for 213 off 49.5 overs, lost by 11 runs. Yadav, who bowled 10 wicketless overs, conceded 39. Chahal, who bowled 10 overs, conceded 36. He picked up a couple of wickets.

Pandya and Bumrah bowled 10 overs, including a maiden, each. While the former conceded 51, the latter conceded 39. They picked up two wickets apiece. Shami bowled 9.5 overs, including a maiden. He conceded 40, picking up four scalps. He became the second Indian to pick up a hat-trick at the World Cup.

It was India’s 50^th win in the premier One-day International tournament.

 

The Indians notch uP(akist)another Vi(ra)(c)tory

India made just one change to their playing eleven – Vijay Shankar replaced the injured Shikhar Dhawan. Pakistan (Moham)made three changes to the eleven that last played the Indians – Asif Ali, Nawaz and Shaheen Shah Afridi made way for Mohammad Hafeez, Imad Wasim and Wahab Riaz.

Sarfaraz Ahmed, Pakistan’s skipper, won the toss, inserting the Indians. Lokesh Rahul, whose 78-ball innings included three boundaries and a couple of sixes, scored 57. A hundred and forty-three balls into the match, he was caught by Babar Azam. Riaz broke the 136-run stand.

Rohit, the player of the (Shar)match, scored 140. His 113-ball innings included 14 boundaries and three sixes. Eighty-seven balls later, he was caught by Riaz. Hasan Ali broke the 98-run stand. Hardik Pandya, whose 19-ball innings included a couple of boundaries and a six, scored 26. Thirty-three balls later, he was caught by Azam. Mohammad Amir broke the 51-run stand.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who faced a couple of balls, scored just a run. Eight balls later, he was caught by Ahmed. Amir broke the 13-run stand. Virat Kohli, India’s skipper, scored 77. His 65-ball innings included seven boundaries. Fifteen balls later, he was caught by Ahmed. Amir broke the 16-run stand.

Shankar, whose run-a-ball innings included a boundary, scored 15. He was unbeaten, as was Kedar Jadhav, who scored nine. His eight-ball innings included a boundary. Pakistan conceded 11 extras. India scored 336 for the loss of five wickets off 50 overs. Shoaib Malik and Hafeez bowled a wicketless over each, conceding 11 apiece.

Shadab Khan, who bowled nine wicketless overs, conceded 61. Wasim, who bowled 10 wicketless overs, conceded 49. Hasan Ali, who bowled nine overs, conceded 84. He picked up a wicket, as did Riaz, who bowled 10 overs, conceding 71. Amir bowled 10 overs, including a maiden. He conceded 47, picking up three scalps.

Rain resulted in the revision of Pakistan’s target to 302 off 40 overs. Imam-ul-Haq, whose 18-ball innings included a boundary, scored seven. Twenty-nine balls into the chase, he was trapped leg before wicket by Shankar, who broke the 13-run stand.

Azam, whose 57-ball innings included three boundaries and a six, scored 48. A hundred and fifteen balls later, he was trapped leg before wicket by Kuldeep Yadav, who broke the 104-run stand.

Fakhar Zaman, whose 75-ball innings included seven boundaries and a six, scored 62. Eight balls later, he was caught by Yuzvendra Chahal. Yadav broke the nine-ball stand. Hafeez, whose seven-ball innings included a six, scored nine. Nine balls later, he was caught by Shankar. Pandya broke the three-run stand.

Malik, who faced a ball, failed to get off the mark. The next ball, he was dismissed by Pandya. Ahmed, who faced 30 balls, scored a dozen. Forty-three balls later, Shankar broke the 36-run stand. Wasim, whose 39-ball innings included half-a-dozen boundaries, scored 46. He was unbeaten, as was Khan, who scored 20. His 14-ball innings included a boundary.

The Indians conceded eight extras. Pakistan, who scored 212 for the loss of six wickets off 40 overs, lost by 89 runs. Bhuvneshwar Kumar bowled 16 wicketless balls, conceding eight before getting injured. Chahal, who bowled seven overs, conceded 53. He was wicketless, as was Jasprit Bumrah, who bowled eight overs, conceding 52.

Shankar, who bowled 32 balls, conceded 22. He picked up a couple of scalps, as did Pandya (who bowled eight overs, conceding 44) and Yadav (who bowled nine overs, including a maiden, and conceded 32). 

Having never lost a World Cup match to the Pakistanis, the Men in Blue were undoubtedly in seventh heaven.  

RaIn(di)abandoNZ match Vi(ra)thout the toss

The match between India and New Zealand, the current table-toppers, was abandoned (Ki)without a ball bowled. There was no toss, and the teams, who are unbeaten so far, took a point apiece.

India are Vi(ra)(c)torious over Australia

While India fielded an unchanged playing eleven, Australia made four changes to the team that last played the Indians – Peter Handscomb, Ashton Turner, Jhye Richardson and Nathan Lyon made way for David Warner, Steven Smith, Nathan Coulter-Nile and Mitchell Starc.

Virat Kohli, India’s skipper, chose to bat on winning the toss. Rohit, whose 70-ball innings included three boundaries and a six, scored 57. A hundred and thirty-five balls into the (Shar)match, he was caught by Alex Carey. Coulter-Nile broke the 127-run stand.

Shikhar Dhawan, the player of the match, scored 117. His 109-ball innings included 16 boundaries. Eighty-seven balls later, he was caught by Lyon, the substitute. Starc broke the 93-run stand.

Hardik Pandya, whose 27-ball innings included four boundaries and three sixes, scored 48. Fifty-three balls later, he was caught by Aaron Finch, the Australian skipper. Pat Cummins broke the 91-run stand.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni, whose 14-ball innings included three boundaries and a six, scored 27. Twenty balls later, he was caught by Marcus Stoinis, who broke the 37-ball innings. Kohli, whose 77-ball innings included four boundaries and a couple of sixes, scored 82. Four balls later, he was caught by Cummins. Stoinis broke the 10-run stand.

Lokesh Rahul, whose three-ball innings included a boundary and a six, scored 11. He was unbeaten, as was Kedar Jadhav, who didn’t face a ball. Australia conceded 10 extras. India scored 352 for the loss of five wickets off 50 overs. 

Adam Zampa, who bowled half-a-dozen overs, conceded 50. He was wicketless, as was Glenn Maxwell, who bowled seven overs, conceding 45. Starc, Coulter-Nile (whose spell included a maiden) and Cummins bowled 10 overs, picking up a wicket each. They conceded 74, 63 and 55, respectively. Stoinis, who bowled seven overs, conceded 62. He picked up a couple of scalps.

The Aussie openers put on 61. Finch, whose 35-ball innings included three boundaries and a six, scored 35. Seventy-nine balls into the chase, Jadhav and Pandya ran him out. Warner, whose 84-ball innings included five boundaries, scored 56. Sixty-nine balls later, he was caught by Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Yuzvendra Singh Chahal broke the 72-run stand.

Usman Khawaja, whose 39-ball innings included four boundaries and a six, scored 42. A dozen overs later, Jasprit Bumrah broke the 69-run stand. Smith, whose 70-ball innings included five boundaries and a six, scored 69. Three overs later, he was trapped leg before wicket by Kumar, who broke the 36-run stand.

Stoinis, who faced a couple of balls, failed to get off the mark. A couple of dot balls later, he was dismissed by Kumar. Maxwell, whose 14-ball innings included five boundaries, scored 28. Four balls later, he was caught by Ravindra Jadeja, the substitute. The leggie broke the sixth-wicket stand, which was worth (Cha)half-a-dozen.

Carey, whose 35-ball innings included five boundaries and a six, scored 55. He was unbeaten. Coulter-Nile, who faced nine balls, scored four. Twenty-five balls later, he was caught by Kohli. Bumrah broke the 39-run stand. 

Cummins, whose seven-ball innings included a boundary, scored eight. Thirteen balls later, he was caught by Dhoni. Bumrah broke the 17-run stand. The ninth-wicket pair put on 13. Starc faced three balls, scoring as many. Seven balls later, Vijay Shankar, the substitute, and Kumar ran him out.

Zampa, who faced three balls, scored just a run. He was caught by Jadeja. Five balls later, Kumar broke the three-run stand. India conceded 14 extras. Australia, who were dismissed for 316 off 50 overs, lost by 36 runs. Jadhav, who bowled a wicketless over, conceded 14.

Kuldeep Yadav, who bowled nine wicketless overs, conceded 55. Pandya, who bowled 10 wicketless overs, conceded 68. Chahal, who bowled 10 overs, conceded 62. He picked up a couple of wickets. Bumrah (whose spell included a maiden) and Kumar bowled 10 overs each, picking up three scalps each. While the former conceded 61, the latter conceded 50.  





  

  

  

  

India StArt campaign with (Vir)atriumph

India made four changes to the eleven that played its last One-day International – Rishabh Pant, Vijay Shankar, Ravindra Jadeja and Mohammed Shami made way for Lokesh Rahul, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Hardik Pandya and Yuzvendra Singh Chahal.

South Africa made seven changes to the team that last played the Indians – Aiden Markram, AB de Villiers, Khaya Zondo, Heinrich Klaasen, Farhaan Behardien, Morne Morkel and Lungi Ngidi made way for Hashim Amla, Quinton de Kock, Faf du Plessis (who was leading the team), Rassie van der Dussen, David Miller, Jean-Paul Duminy and Kagiso Rabada.

On winning the toss, du Plessis, chose to bat. Amla, whose nine-ball innings included a boundary, scored half-a-dozen. Twenty balls into the (Shar)match, he was caught by Rohit, the player of the match. Jasprit Bumrah broke the 11-run stand.

De Kock, whose 17-ball innings included a boundary, scored 10. Fifteen balls later, he was caught by Virat Kohli, India’s skipper. Bumrah broke the 13-run stand. Van der Dussen, whose 37-ball innings included a boundary, scored 22. Eighty balls later, Chahal broke the 54-run stand.

Du Plessis, whose 54-ball innings included four boundaries, scored 38. Five balls later, Chahal broke the fourth-wicket stand, which was worth just a couple. Duminy, who faced 11 balls, scored just three. Three overs later, he was trapped leg before wicket by Kuldeep Yadav, who broke the nine-run stand.

Miller, whose 40-ball innings included a boundary, scored 31. Seventy-five balls later, he was caught by Chahal, who broke the 46-run stand. Andile Phehlukwayo, whose 61-ball innings included a couple of boundaries and a six, scored 34. Four overs later, he was stumped by Dhoni. Chahal broke the 23-run stand.

Chris Morris, whose 34-ball innings included a boundary and a couple of sixes, scored 42. Fifty-nine balls later, he was caught by Kohli. Bhuvneshwar Kumar broke the 66-run stand. Rabada, whose 35-ball innings included a couple of boundaries, scored 31. He was unbeaten.

Imran Tahir, who faced a couple of balls, didn’t open his account. Four balls later, he was caught by Kedar Jadhav. Kumar broke the three-run stand. India conceded 10 extras. South Africa scored 227 for the loss of nine wickets off 50 overs.

Jadhav bowled four overs, conceding 16. He was wicketless, as was Pandya, who bowled half-a-dozen overs, conceding 31. Yadav bowled 10 overs, conceding 46. He picked up a wicket.

Kumar and Bumrah bowled 10 overs each, picking up a couple of wickets apiece. While the former conceded 44, the latter, whose spell included a maiden, conceded 35. The leggie bowled 10 overs, conceding 51. He picked up four sC(hah)alps.

Shikhar Dhawan, whose 12-ball innings included a boundary, scored eight. Thirty-one balls into the chase, he was caught by de Kock. Rabada broke the 13-run stand. Sharma, whose 144-ball innings included 13 boundaries and a couple of sixes, scored 122. He was unbeaten.

Kohli, whose 34-ball innings included a boundary, scored 18. Sixty-two balls later, he was caught by de Kock. Phehlukwayo broke the 41-run stand. Rahul, whose 42-ball innings included a couple of boundaries, scored 26. Sixteen overs later, he was caught by du Plessis. Rabada broke the 85-run stand.

Dhoni, whose 46-ball innings included a couple of boundaries, scored 34. Eighty-eight balls later, he was caught by Morris, who broke the 74-run stand. Pandya, whose seven-ball innings included three boundaries, scored 15. He was unbeaten.

South Africa conceded seven extras. India, who scored 230 for the loss of four wickets off 47.3 overs, won by six wickets with 15 balls to spare. Tabraiz Shamsi bowled nine overs, conceding 54. He was wicketless, as was Tahir, who bowled 10 overs, conceding 58.

Phehlukwayo bowled 8.3 overs, conceding 40. He picked up a wicket, as did Morris, who bowled 10 overs, including three maidens. He conceded 36. Rabada bowled 10 overs, including a maiden. He conceded 39, picking up two scalps.