#Cricket – Page 5

New Zealand Gatecrashed India’s T20 World Cup Journey

New Zealand razed India by chasing 111 runs in 14.3 overs by 8 wickets. The match was played at the Dubai International Stadium on 31^st October. New Zealand were absolutely brutal with ball & bat as their NRR (Net Run Rate) has peaked and it is +0.765. India now is almost out of the tournament as their fate is in another’s hand (*Afghanistan needs to defeat New Zealand). But first they need to win with huge margin against Afghanistan, Namibia & Scotland. The NRR of India is -1.609 which has put them on the brink of elimination.

SNAPSHOT: Kane Williamson & Virat Kohli playing the game in the right spirit.

New Zealand had won the toss & elected to bowl. India made some serious & controversial changes to their playing 11. They picked Ishan Kishan & Shardul Thakur in place of Suryakumar Yadav & Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Suryakumar was injured. India took a bold decision by opening with Ishan & Rahul. Rohit Sharma was dropped by Adam Milne on 0 on the bowling of Trent Boult. India once again got jolted in the power-play overs. India lost 3 wickets for 35 runs. Rahul & Kishan were pressurized by the immaculate setup of Kiwi’s bowlers.

India didn’t score a single boundary for a span of 70 balls (5.2 to 16.5 overs). The likes of Rishabh Pant & Hardik Pandya were playing too casually as they didn’t take any risks. Somehow in the end Ravindra Jadeja salvaged some pride by putting a score of 110 runs by scoring 26 runs in 19 balls.

The batting scores of India’s batters:

KL Rahul scored 18 runs in 16 balls
Rohit Sharma scored 14 runs in 14 balls
Virat Kohli scored 9 runs in 17 balls
Rishabh Pant scored 12 runs in 19 balls

There was no intent from batters as the passion was seen missing. 8 fours & 2 sixes were hit which is not acceptable at ICC Tournament.

New Zealand’s every bowler exploited the fear. Trent Boult mesmerized via his swing as he took 3 wickets for 20 runs. Ish Sodhi eliminated Virat Kohli & Rohit Sharma the two cannons. It as if looked like New Zealand were playing against a weaker team.

SNAPSHOT: New Zealand’s team pumped up after picking up wickets at regular intervals.

In response to the target of 111 runs New Zealand scored 44 runs for the loss of 1 wicket of Guptill. The unexpected match winner for New Zealand with the bat was Daryl Mitchell as he scored 49 runs in 35 balls. In his knock he smashed 4 fours & 3 sixes. Daryl would rue the that he missed out on a deserving half-century. As calm as ice the skipper Kane Williamson carried out the finishing duties as he scored 33 runs in 31 balls.

SNAPSHOT: Daryl Mitchell anchoring as well as playing the role of enforcer in the run-chase

Jasprit Bumrah was the only bowler who took all the wickets & was economical. The management & skipper Virat Kohli needs to exhibit the team’s performance rather than boasting. Once again, he trusted Varun Chakravarthy instead of Ravichandran Ashwin. There are some serious problems in selection as the openers were changed & most importantly whole-sale changes have become a trend.

SNAPSHOT: Virat Kohli looks distraught & confused as time is running out for team

India needs to have some serious talks & conversations. The brand of Cricket which they are playing can get them completely eliminated by playing against Afghanistan on 3^rd November at Abu Dhabi. The change of venue can change the fortune which the entire billion people would hope of.

New Zealand would be high on confidence as they throwed India out of contention. New Zealand are due to play Scotland & Namibia which would be relatively easier compared to Pakistan & India. New Zealand should be ready for an uphill task as defeating Afghanistan won’t be easy. New Zealand & Afghanistan are alike to each other which will make an even contest on 07^th November at Abu Dhabi.

Jos Buttler Decimated Aussie Bowlers as England Walloped Australia to make it 3 wins out of 3

England thrashed Australia by 8 wickets at Dubai. There was absolute Carnage as Jos Buttler & Co chased down the target of 126 runs with 50 balls left (8.2 overs). England now have a far superior NRR (Net Run Rate) of +3.948.

T20 World Cup 2021, ENG vs AUS (Super 12): England registers 8-wicket win to stay in pole position for semis — SNAPSHOT: David Warner lauding Jos Buttler for his Stupendous Knock

England had won the toss & elected to bowl first. Australia put on an average performance by setting a target of 126 runs. Jos Buttler & Jason Roy negotiated pace bowling for the first 2 overs as the score was 13 runs.

Live Score Australia vs England T20 World Cup Today's Match Latest Updates: Roy, Buttler Off to Solid Start - News18 - Zimbabwe Focus | ZimFocus News — SNAPSHOT: Jason Roy & Jos Buttler toying with Australia’s bowlers.

Then both went into ultra attacking mode especially Buttler as England scored 66 runs in the power-play overs. This is the highest power-play overs score in this T20 World Cup. Earlier on 28th October Australia had scored 63 runs against Sri Lanka. Buttler didn’t feared Mitchell Starc as he smacked him for 2 consecutive sixes in the 6th over. Buttler smashed one six at the sight-screen & the other one at long on as he showed how to tackle fast bowlers.

ENG vs AUS Highlights, T20 World Cup 2021: Jos Buttler, bowlers shine as England thumps Australia by eight wickets - Sportstar — SNAPSHOT: Jos Buttler taking Mitchell Starc to cleaners.

Buttler didn’t stopped his rout as he kept on bashing without hesitating. Buttler completed his half-century in 25 balls which is the fastest in this tourney. There was some soothing on the pain of Australia as they took 2 wickets. Adam Zampa & Ashton Agar took a wicket each. Jason Roy played his role perfectly by playing a second fiddle. Roy scored 22 runs in 20 balls which included 1 four & 1 six. Buttler & Bairstow finished the match in style. Jos Buttler blistered a magnificent knock of 71 runs in 32 balls which is insane as he struck 5 fours & 5 sixes with a strike rate of 221. Bairstow played a cameo of 16 runs in 11 balls which included 2 sixes.

Buttler blasts England to crushing win over Australia at T20 World Cup | T20 World Cup | The Guardian — SNAPSHOT: Jos Buttler not even sparing spinners.

The bowling line up of Australia wasn’t a ‘B’ or ‘C’ grade. The fast bowlers where Starc, Cummins, Hazlewood who are by no means inexperienced at the World Stage. England made fun of them as such a devastating performance can shake any team’s morale.

Australia were invited to bat first. England’s fast bowlers rattled the top-order of Australia. In the power-play overs Australia lost 3 wickets & scored only 21 runs. The likes of Warner, Smith & Maxwell were all sent to the pavilion. Chris Woakes & Chris Jordan scalped the wickets. There was hope that Aaron Finch is still present at the crease. Adil Rashid & Liam Livingstone didn’t allowed any batter to change the momentum.

At 12 overs Australia’s score was 51-5 where they were looking dull. Australia somehow crawled their way back by posting 125 overs where they were bowled out. Finch scored 44 runs but he faced 49 deliveries as he crossed the rope(hit fours) only 4 times. There were knocks played by Matthew Wade, Agar, Cummins & Starc but in bits & pieces. There was a complete performance laid out by bowlers. Chris Woakes was at his peak with the new ball. His figures where 2 for 23. The pick of the bowling line up was Chris Jordan who executed his Yorkers next to perfection. His bowling figures where 3 for 17.

England vs Australia Cricket Score T20 World Cup 2021 Match Live Updates: England Ride On Flying Start To Bowl Australia Out For 125 | Cricket News — SNAPSHOT: Chris Woakes pumped up after dismissing David Warner

Jordan and Buttler blow Australia away as England take charge of T20 World Cup group — SNAPSHOT: Chris Jordan thrilled by dismissing Steve Smith

England have got all their bases covered. They would worry that their middle & lower-middle order hasn’t majorly contributed to team’s success. The pitch wasn’t a swing friendly but they bowled accurate lines. England’s next match is against Sri Lanka at 01 November at Sharjah. They as of now have became the front-runners to be the table-toppers.

This is a warning & wake up call for Australia. The pitch was placid & batting friendly where their shot-selection was poor. Dropping Mitchell Marsh & picking Ashton Agar was controversial. Marsh has been recently playing all the bilateral series which were against New Zealand, West Indies & Bangladesh. He was the only positive when Australia was under the radar for the series defeats. Australia’s NRR has taken a huge downfall of -0.627. Their next match is against Bangladesh on 4th November at Dubai. If Australia wants to make it to Semi Finals they have to beat Bangladesh. Australia would have their 4-1 series defeat in their mind.

Wanindu Hasaranga’s Hat-trick in vain as David Miller cruises South Africa to a Spectacular Victory

South Africa vanquished Sri Lanka to register a 4 wicket win with one ball left. This match was played at Sharjah on 30th October. South Africa now have won 2 matches out of 3 with a NRR (Net Run Rate) of +0.210. With two matches left South Africa have got a serious chance to push their case forward.

T20 World Cup: It's great that David came good for us at right time, says Temba Bavuma | Cricket - Hindustan Times — SNAPSHOT: Kagiso Rabada & David Miller ecstatic after pulling out a heist

South Africa had opted to bowl first. Quinton de Kock took a knee in support of BLM (Black Lives Matter) Movement. Earlier he had opted out of the match against West Indies.

South Africa vs Sri Lanka Live Streaming T20 World Cup 2021: How to watch SA vs SL Super 12 Match Online | Cricket News – India TV — SNAPSHOT: Quinton de Kock taking a knee against Racism.

South Africa were set a target of 143 runs which was tricky as the wicket was a bit tacky. Sri Lanka’s fielders were doing ruthless fielding as there were no easy singles. Dushmantha Chameera in the 4th over of the innings removed Quinton & Reeza Hendricks. Chameera was absolutely bowling thunder-bolts as the batters were amazed. In the power-play overs South Africa had scored 40 run for the loss of 2 wickets.

Skipper Temba Bavuma took care of the chase meticulously. At the end of 8th over South Africa were reduced to 49 runs for 3 wickets. Bavuma & Markram tried to put the run-chase back on track. The duo were involved in a partnership of 47 runs. In that partnership the focus was on to rotate the strike as spinners were getting a lot of help out from the pitch. On the last ball of 15th over Hasaranga bowled out Markram as Sri Lanka were right back.

T20 World Cup 2021: Bavuma reveals de Kock controversy was on his mind before Sri Lanka game - Firstcricket News, Firstpost — SNAPSHOT: Temba Bavuma anchoring the run chase

In the last 5 overs South Africa required 47 runs to win. The task was not that arduous but it required calculative approach. In the 18th over Hasaranga got two back-to-back wickets on consecutive balls of Bavuma & Pretorius.

SA vs SL: Wanindu Hasaranga becomes third to take T20 World Cup hat-trick; second in current edition | Cricket - Hindustan Times — SNAPSHOT: Wanindu Hasaranga enthralled after taking a hat-trick

Hasaranga became the 3rd bowler to take a hat-trick in T20 World Cup; as earlier in 2007 Brett Lee had taken hat-trick against Bangladesh, Curtis Campher of Ireland in 2021 ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifiers against Netherlands.

Bavuma played a hard-fought knock of a run a ball 46 runs. Hasaranga finished his spell with the figures of 3 for 20. In the last 2 over South Africa required 25 runs. The only hope for South Africa was David Miller whose companion was the speedster Kagiso Rabada. Chameera gave away 10 runs in the 19th over (*Rabada had hit one six which eased the pressure) as the target for final over was of 15 runs. Chameera finished with the figures of 2 for 27 as his express pace was too hot to handle

Lahiru Kumara was the bowler & he got pummeled by David Miller as he struck 2 humongous sixes. Lahiru Kumara’s error of pitching the ball in the arc costed Sri Lanka the match. Lahiru Kumara was the pick of the bowlers till the last over. Sri Lanka won’t be able to believe that how they lost the match but this is the cruelty of T20 World Cup. David Miller played a colossal cameo as he swung by the pendulum in South Africa’s favor.

South Africa vs Sri Lanka Highlights T20 World Cup: Miller's last-over heroics take SA to dramatic win | Hindustan Times — SNAPSHOT: David Miller smoking the ball out of the park.

Sri Lanka had got off to a decent start in the power-play overs. They managed to score 39 runs for the loss of 1 wicket. Pathum Nissanka was looking in deft touch. The partnership between Pathum & Asalanka was looking scary. South Africa required something from the fielders & it happened. Rabada & de Kock (on the bowling of Keshav Maharaj) knocked out Asalanka by a turbulent piece of fielding. At that point the score was 61-2 in 9 overs.

Pathum Nissanka swings the ball away to the leg side — SNAPSHOT: Pathum Nissanka taking responsibility of setting a target.

Pathum stood tall where at one side all the other batters were transient. Pathum played a sturdy knock of 72 runs in 58 balls which included 6 fours & 3 sixes. Not a single batter scored 30 runs. Tabraiz Shamsi swindled the batters via his variations. His figures were notable as he took 3 wickets & gave away 17 runs. Dwaine Pretorius took 3 wickets in his 3 overs spell & gave away 17 runs. South Africa had bundled out Sri Lanka for 142 runs.

Sri Lanka v South Africa: T20 World Cup 2021 - live coverage and updates from Sharjah | Cricket – Gulf News — SNAPSHOT: Tabraiz Shamsi dismantling the batting line up of Sri Lanka

South Africa’s next match is against Bangladesh on 02nd November at Abu Dhabi. Bangladesh don’t have a promising record against South Africa. South Africa would look to seize that match with a good NRR as tense finishes aren’t that convincing.

Sri Lanka have lost 2 out of their 3 matches. They have a statistical chance to make it to Semis. Their next 2 matches are against England on 01st November at Sharjah & West Indies on 04th November at Abu Dhabi. If they defeat these two teams with a huge margin then only they can qualify. Sri Lanka should emphasize on the line up of bowlers, 3-4 batters must score 30+ runs as building a target requires a team effort & same applies to bowlers for defending.

Asif Ali, Babar Azam & Bowlers Overwhelmed Afghanistan as Pakistan make 3 out of 3

Pakistan won the match by 6 wickets against Afghanistan at Dubai on 29th October. Pakistan won the match with 1 over left. Pakistan’s NRR is +0.638 whereas Afghanistan’s is +3.092 as Afghanistan have advantage given the fact that they have won 1 & lost 1.

ICC Men's T20 World Cup: Pakistan vs Afghanistan | Cricket News | Al Jazeera — SNAPSHOT: Asif Ali & Shadab Khan joyful after winning against Afghanistan

Afghanistan took a bold decision to bat first as dew plays a huge part. Pakistan were set a target of 148 runs. Mujeeb Ur Rahman took burden off by dismissing Rizwan for a paltry 8 runs as he has the knack of staying at the crease. In the power-play overs Pakistan scored 38 runs for the loss of 1 wicket. Mohammad Nabi the skipper took a brave decision by bowling out Mujeeb inside 9 overs as his lightning variations were too hot to handle. Mujeeb had figures of 14 for 1 wicket which increased the scoreboard pressure.

Babar Azam was playing his natural game of rotating strike & rotating strike. While at the other end Fakhar Zaman provided impetus by his aggressive stroke-play. Rashid Khan wasn’t introduced in the 1st 10 overs which was a bit shocking. In the 12th over Nabi provided a crucial break-through of Fakhar. Fakhar scored 30 runs in 25 balls which included 2 fours & 1 six. Boundaries were hard to come as spinners were in ascendancy. At that course of time Pakistan required 73 runs in 8.5 overs. Babar Azam was solid at one end playing cautiously as his wicket was of optimum level. There was a bit of banter going between Rashid & Babar where Babar was sledging Rashid to take his wicket.

Afghanistan vs Pakistan Cricket Score T20 World Cup 2021 Match Highlights: Rashid Khan Removes Babar Azam, Pakistan Edge Closer To Win vs Afghanistan | Cricket News — SNAPSHOT: Babar Azam raising his bat after completing half century

In the last 6 overs Pakistan required 51 runs & then came Rashid who outfoxed Mohammad Hafeez. Afghanistan errored in calculation as in the last 5 overs there was only one over of spin which was of Rashid. The medium pace/ fast bowlers weren’t that much efficacious. Shoaib Malik & Babar played smartly as an odd boundary with 4-5 singles was enough. In the last 4 overs Pakistan required 38 runs & the onus was on Rashid Khan. Rashid almost had the wicket of Babar on 4th delivery but Naveen-ul- Haq didn’t hold on to it. At that time Babar was on 50 runs. Later on the final ball of the over Rashid had the last laugh as he bowled Babar Azam. Babar Azam scored 51 runs in 47 balls as he struck 4 fours.

AFG vs PAK Highlights T20 World Cup 2021: Asif Ali blitz, Babar Azam's 50 take Pakistan to 5-wicket win vs Afghanistan | Hindustan Times — SNAPSHOT: Rashid Khan in a state of merriment after dismissing Babar Azam

In the last 3 overs Pakistan required 26 runs with Malik & Asif Ali at the crease. Naveen bowled a superb 18th over as he not only gave away 2 runs but got the wicket of the Legendary Shoaib Malik. Asif Ali refused to take a single on the final ball when Shadab Khan was on strike. In the last 2 overs Pakistan required not an improbable but challenging 24 runs .Karim Janat had the ball in his hand where he made the mockery of the required runs as Asif Ali smashed 4 sixes in 6 balls as Pakistan won the match.

Nabi’s brave decision of bowling out Mujeeb proved to be costly. Rashid bowled his heart out as he took 2 wickets & gave away 26 runs. Afghanistan need to balance the pace & spin ratio throughout 20 overs as recently their pacers haven’t produced any notable match winning results.

Once again Pakistan’s finishing up duties were performed by Asif Ali. Asif Ali is looking ominous as his devastating cameos are changing momentum within a blink of eye.

AFG vs PAK T20 World Cup highlights: Asif Ali cameo fires Pakistan to win over Afghanistan | Cricket News – India TV — SNAPSHOT: Asif Ali scored 25 runs in 7 balls to clinch the Victory

Opting to bat first Afghanistan had lost 4 wickets in the power-play overs as they scored 49 runs. The batters where just swinging their bat on each ball which resulted in 4 wickets. Afghanistan were reduced to 76-6 in 13 overs where it looked like they will get folded under 110-120 overs.

Skipper Mohammad Nabi & the all-rounder Gulbadin Naib got hold on the innings. They took time to assess the conditions & then went berserk. In the last 7 overs Afghanistan scored 71 runs & put on a below par yet decent score of 147 runs. Nabi scored 35 runs in 32 balls which included 5 fours. Gulbadin Naib scored a quick fire 35 runs in 25 balls which included 4 fours & 1 six. The contributions from lower-middle order showcased how much depth Afghanistan’s batting possesses.

Nabi, Naib lead Afghanistan to 147-6 against Pakistan in Dubai | Arab News PK — SNAPSHOT: Gulbadin Naib & Mohammad Nabi making sure to end the innings on high note.

There was a complete performance from Pakistan’s bowlers where every bowler had pressurized Afghanistan’s batters & also got beaten.

Pakistan vs Afghanistan 2021 Live Telecast T20 World Cup 2021, PAK vs AFG 2021 Live Ten Sports — SNAPSHOT: Pakistan’s entire bowling unit was amongst the wickets.

Pakistan’s bowlers would not like the fact that their 7 overs proved so much expensive. If Afghanistan had got off to a blazing start who knows Pakistan would had a target in excess of 180 runs. Pakistan’s next match is against Namibia on 2nd November at Abu Dhabi. Namibia has given Scotland a heart-attack which sends a message that Pakistan should not take Namibia lightly. Pakistan would hope to be the table-toppers as winning against Namibia would seal that spot.

Afghanistan’s batting costed them & they would hope that they will rectify their mistakes. Afghanistan should keep their heads up as they still have 3 matches left. Their next match is against Namibia on 31st October at Abu Dhabi. Afghanistan should look to disseminate Namibia in their next match .Their next 2 matches are against India on 03rd November & New Zealand on 07th November which could be similar to Pakistan. Afghanistan have a slight advantage as they are going to play all the three matches at Abu Dhabi. If Afghanistan can upset India or New Zealand then the Cricketing World will have a new Semi-Finalists.

Andre Russell, Jason Holder & Nicholas Pooran keep West Indies hopes alive of Semis by winning a thriller against Bangladesh

West Indies won a nerve-wrecking match against Bangladesh by only 3 runs. This match was played at Sharjah on the 29th October .West Indies narrowly avoided embarrassment they are the defending champions & losing 3 matches on trot would have damaged their reputation. There is no significant improvement in the NRR (Net Run Rate) of West Indies as it is -1.598. West Indies have got self belief back that they can advance to the next stage but for that they first of all win the remaining 2 matches[ (Sri Lanka on 4th November at Abu Dhabi) (Australia on 6th November at Abu Dhabi)] & secondly await the results of other teams which may be suspenseful.

T20 World Cup 2021: West Indies virtually knock out Bangladesh with three-run win- The New Indian Express — SNAPSHOT: Andre Russell & Skipper Mahmudullah showing sportsman spirit after a narrow match

Bangladesh had won the toss & elected to bowl first. Bangladesh had to chase down 143 runs to avoid elimination. Dwayne Bravo was the stand in captain for Kieron Pollard (*Kieron Pollard wasn’t rested/dropped). Jason Holder got included into the main squad & in playing 11 (* Holder was kept as a reserve) as a replacement for Obed McCoy who got injured & subsequently was ruled out; Holder along with Russell & Co stranded Bangladesh’s power-play as they lost 2 wickets in which big fish was ‘Shakib’ as Bangladesh managed to score 29 runs.

West Indies made sure that they aren’t giving any freebies as the required run rate was well in the reach of attaining. West Indies had got rid of the dangerous Mushfiqur Rahim in the 14th over when Bangladesh required 53 runs in 39 balls as at that point Bangladesh were reduced to 90 runs for 4 wickets. In the last 5 overs Bangladesh required 44 runs with Skipper Mahmudullah & the Wicket-keeper Liton Das who was pacing the innings smoothly.

Both the batters were having a hit & miss as in the the last 2 overs Bangladesh required 23 runs. On the last ball of the 19th over Liton Das was caught at Long On by Jason Holder on the bowling off the experienced Campaigner Dwayne Bravo. Liton’s dismissal made the equation trickier as Bangladesh required 13 runs in the final over. Liton Das scored 44 runs in 43 balls which included 4 fours as striking the boundaries was tougher due to the pace variations executed by Bravo, Russell & Holder.

West Indies vs Bangladesh T20 World Cup, Highlights: West Indies Knock Bangladesh Out With Three Run Win — SNAPSHOT: Liton Das anchoring the run chase

Andre Russell was given the duty to restrict the target. Mahmudullah eked out doubles & singles but it wasn’t enough. Bangladesh required 8 runs in 3 balls ; as on the 4th bowl of the over the substitute fielder Andre Fletcher dropped Mahmudullah’s catch. But the equation was 6 off 2 which was gettable yet a long way off as Russell then executed pin point Yorkers to hand Bangladesh defeat as West Indies came out victorious by 3 runs. Mahmudullah gave his all but at the end he was on the losing side; he scored 31 runs in 24 balls which included 2 fours & 1 six.

WI vs BAN Highlights T20 World Cup 2021: Russell bowls magical last over as West Indies edge Bangladesh in thriller | Hindustan Times — SNAPSHOT: Andre Russell defeated 13 runs in the last over

All the pacers Rampaul, Holder, Bravo & Russell bowled with a lot of responsibility even after getting hit for a six as their experience paid off . Akeal Hossain the lone spinner introduced in the attack had put the brakes by not giving more than 6 overs in his 4 over spell. Jason Holder showed his worth by doing acrobatic fielding & impeccable bowling as keeping him on reserves wasn’t a good move.

Bangladesh vs West Indies Highlights, T20 World Cup 2021: WI pips BAN by three runs in nervy finish - Sportstar — SNAPSHOT: Jason Holder celebrating the dismissal of Mohammad Naim

West Indies were off to a horrendous start while batting first. They lost both Chris Gayle & Evin Lewis in the power-play overs as they scored 29 runs only. West Indies were losing the plot as at the end of 12th over West Indies were 61 runs for 3 wickets. In the middle of the 12th over i.e. 12.3 overs the skipper Kieron Pollard left the field by scoring 8 runs in 15 balls. The next ball Russell got run-out by the bower Taskin Ahmed at the bowler’s end as West Indies were in a deep trouble at 64-4 (* 5 wickets as there was uncertainty regarding whether Pollard would come in to bat or not) at the end of 13th over.

In the 14th over Roston Chase was reprieved by Mahedi Hasan when he was on 27 runs, wicket-keeper Liton Das missed a stumping chance of Nicholas Pooran when Pooran was on 2 on the spin bowling of Shakib. Both the opportunities went down irking as at 14 overs West Indies score was 70-4. In the last 6 overs Pooran & Chase went into bang-bang mode. In the last over Jason Holder smacked 2 sixes & to finish the innings on a high note Pollard came up with a maximum. The last 6 overs yielder 72 runs as the destruction was laid out by Nicholas Pooran who scored 40 runs in 22 balls. Chase’s knock of 39 runs in 46 balls was questionable but it gave liberty & freedom to Pooran.

T20 World Cup: West Indies keep title defence alive with three-run win over Bangladesh in Sharjah | Cricket News | Sky Sports — SNAPSHOT: Nicholas Pooran giving nightmares to the bowlers by smashing them all around the park.

Bangladesh saw an anti-climax with ball in hand as they were expecting a target around or less than 130 runs. Mustafizur, Shakib, Mahedi & Co did all the hard work but a short-phase of match proved to be defining.

The unpredictability of batting line up of West Indies needs to get sorted as luckily they got the better of the opponent. There is no room for error as they have to play like Champions of 2016 T20 World Cup.

Bangladesh’s remaining two fixtures : South Africa on 02 November at Abu Dhabi & Australia on 04 November at Dubai is an opportunity to test their bench strength & weaken opponent’s chances as they can’t go all the way which is sad but harsh reality.

Haris Rauf, Malik & Asif Ali Dethroned New Zealand as Pakistan inch closer to the Semi-Finals

Pakistan snatched victory from the jaws of defeat as they outclassed New Zealand & won the game by 5 wickets with 1.2 overs left in the tank. This match of Group 2 was played at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on the 26th of October. Pakistan now have bagged 2 matches out of 2 & now they would be keen to inflict a lot of damage by winning the next 3 matches. New Zealand would hope that this is a passing shower & would reflect the performance as a one-off.

The unbeaten stand between Shoaib Malik and Asif Ali sealed it for Pakistan — SNAPSHOT: Shoaib Malik & Asif Ali taking Pakistan to victory after a hard-fought victory.

Pakistan had won the toss & elected to bowl first. New Zealand had set a a below par yet a challenging total of 135 runs. New Zealand’s bowlers were bang on target with impeccable line & lengths as Pakistan managed only 30 runs for the loss of a mammoth wicket of the skipper Babar Azam who was foxed by Tim Southee in the 6th over where he bowled an off-cutter to thrash his stumps. Mohammad Rizwan then took care of the run chase as he was making sure that he doesn’t consume the balls. Rizwan on one hand was holding the ship while at the other end Mohammad Hafeez & Fakhar Zaman were duped by the spin web of Mitchell Santner & Ish Sodhi; & all of a sudden the required run rate cropped to 8 runs per over as Pakistan were 63 runs for the loss of 3 wickets in 11 overs. Within a blink of eye Rizwan got departed too as he scored 33 runs in 34 balls & it looked like Pakistan won’t make a match out of it. New Zealand’s spinners bowled a lot of disciplined line & lengths as they forced the Pakistan batsmen to press the panic button.

In the last 8 overs Pakistan required 65 runs which was tricky considering the nature of the pitch which was two paced. On the crease was the only Cricketer who has participated in all the 7 ICC T20 World Cup Tournament Shoaib Malik & with him the left arm off spinner Imad Wasim was there. Malik & Imad were cautious as they were taking absolutely no risks & focusing on rotating the strike. Trent Boult was introduced in the 14th Over & he got rid of Imad Wasim & in the last 5 overs Pakistan required 44 runs to win with Malik & Asif Ali at the crease. In the 17th over there was carnage as Asif Ali hit 2 consecutive sixes to Tim Southee & all of a sudden Pakistan were bossing the game as Pakistan required 24 of 3 overs. Asif Ali & Shoaib Malik wasted no more time as they wrapped up the match as Pakistan won by 5 wickets. New Zealand need to quickly sort out their bowling combination as specific roles should be given promptly to the likes of Boult & Southee as their job is to take wickets.

SNAPSHOT: Haris Rauf elated after knocking out the stumps of Martin Guptil.

New Zealand were asked to bat first. New Zealand got to a steady start but just at the brink of the power-play overs Martin Guptill was bowled out at 17 runs by Haris Rauf. Daryl Mitchell was promoted up the order as an opener & he somewhat made the most of the opportunity by scoring a quick fire cameo of 27 runs in 20 balls. Kane Williamson resurrected the innings along with Devon Conway. At 13 overs the score of New Zealand was 90 runs for the loss of 3 wickets & it looked like they can put a competitive total of more than 150 runs; but Hasan Ali the fast bowler got better of Williamson as he was run out by a turbulent piece of fielding. The dismissal of Williamson proved to be the turning point as in the next 7 overs New Zealand managed to score only 44 runs. Haris Rauf the speedster was the wrecker in chief as he took 4 wickets & gave away only 27 runs whereas the rest of the bowling line up supported each other throughout the match.

Hasan Ali was confident after getting in a direct hit — SNAPSHOT: Hasan Ali celebrating the wicket of Kane Williamson after running him out.

New Zealand may have made a mistake by not opening the batting with Tim Seifert who is a basher who can cut the opponent in half in the initial stages of the match; keeping him at no.7 was doing a bit injustice to his potential & talent.

Pakistan would hope that they avoid collapses as this nemesis is been there since ages. Asif Ali made a statement that he can be a finisher on the given day irrespective of his previous performances as he was initially not named in the squad & the same applied to Shoaib Malik.

New Zealand are slated to play next against the hosts India at 31st October at the Dubai International Stadium. That clash could be decisive as it is a virtual knock out match; whereas Pakistan are going to play Afghanistan on 29th October at Dubai International Stadium. Both India & Pakistan played their inaugural match at Dubai in which Pakistan bamboozled India.

New Zealand & India need to pull up their socks as one more match could weaken their chances of Semi Finals whereas Pakistan would hope that they don’t prolong their qualification.

Markram, Rassie & Bowlers Stunned West Indies as the Defending Champions are in a Disarray

South Africa opened their account in the ICC T20 World Cup 2021 by defeating West Indies by 8 wickets at the Duai International Cricket Stadium on the 26th of October. Both South Africa & West Indies had lost their opening match against Australia & England respectively. The defeat for West Indies is a wake up call not because they have lost 2 matches back-to-back but their NRR (Net Run Rate) has taken a major jolt by -2.55. South Africa would breath a sigh of relief as their team is not star-studded & just before the start of the match Quinton De Kock had opted out due to the BLM (Black Lives Matter) Movement which is open to debate especially the history which CSA (Cricket South Africa) has.

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West Indies had posted a below par target of 144 runs. South Africa were not only with the services of De Kock but also in the first over their skipper Temba Bavuma got dismissed as he was undone by the athleticism of Andre Russell. Reeza Hendricks & Rassie van der Dussen made sure that they don’t throw the game. The power-play for South Africa was a decent one as they scored 42 runs for the loss of 1 wicket. Rassie was playing the role of anchor while at the other end Reeza was punishing the bowlers as an odd boundary was also scored which was ample. Reeza & Rassie were involved in a 57 runs partnership & the dismissal of Reeza just gave a slight thin ray of hope to West Indies as the Cricketing World is evident that South Africa have fallen like a pack of cards.

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The time Aiden Markram came into the crease South Africa required 78 runs in last 10 overs. Markram had another ideas as he played a blistering knock of 51 runs in just 26 balls in which he had hit 4 humongous sixes & 2 fours which is scintillating. Markram was the assassiner as he not spared even the likes of Dwayne Bravo, Kieron Pollard & Andre Russell. At the other hand Rassie scored 43 runs in 51 balls which is & may be a little bit more deliveries according to the standards of T20 World Cricket but in this circumstances his knock was a invaluable. Markram made a statement that an opening batter can also fit in the middle order & play according to the situation.

Invited to bat first West Indies had a moderate power-play as they scored 43 runs for no wickets in which Lendl Simmons the experienced campaigner & veteran was seen struggling so much badly as he did not hit a single boundary. The onus was on Evin Lewis & he took the responsibility as he played a furious knock of 56 runs in 35 balls in which there were 6 sixes & 3 fours. Simmons continued to struggle & at the end he scored 16 runs in 35 balls which is by no means acceptable at this level given the exposure & experience he has had. At 15 overs West Indies were 95 runs for the loss of 3 wickets while Pollard & Chris Gayle were present at the strike.

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West Indies pressed the 5th gear but it was a bit too late as batters were coming & seen going within a blink of eye. Pollard scored 26 runs in 20 balls while the other batters didn’t last long enough. Dwaine Pretorius the all-rounder proved to be the uninvited wicket-taker as he took 3 wickets that were of Pollard & Gayle. Keshav Maharaj the left-arm off spinner who is a tyro in International Cricket T20 is playing mind games through his TEST match bowling & while doing so he got 2 wickets of Evin Lewis & Nicholas Pooran. South Africa are hunting in a pack as they are not reliant on a single bowler as the duo of Rabada-Nortje are proving to be too hot to handle & the secret weapon of spin is mind-boggling.

Group 1 is on knife edge as of now South Africa are with 2 points from 2 matches whereas England, Australia & Sri Lanka have 2 points in 1 match. West Indies is going to face Bangladesh on 29th October at Sharjah whereas South Africa’s next match is against Sri Lanka on 30th October at Sharjah. The change of venues can bring change of fortunes for both these teams as they have sufficient time to regroup.

West Indies need to regroup & talk regarding the playing positions as well as regarding their role as chopping & changing from now onwards would be their exit from the tournament.

South Africa needs to move on if Quinton de Kock doesn’t want to play as a player is no bigger than the team & nation whether he is a prolific or star cricketer.