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Dube powers India to series lead
A calculated innings from Shivam Dube (60* off 40) led India’s chase as the hosts gunned down Afghanistan’s modest total of 158 in the opening T20I in Mohali with 15 balls to spare and six wickets left in the tank.
The hosts did lose their openers inside the powerplay but Dube along with Tilak Verma (26 off 22) led the counterattack while Jitesh Sharma (31 off 20) joined in to bring India closer to the target. Afghanistan were about 20-25 runs short of a par score and the fact that they even got to 158 was largely thanks to Mohammad Nabi (42 off 27) whose counter-punch gave impetus after a slow start.
On a good batting surface with minimal movement upfront and no real signs of spin, Afghanistan were strangely hesitant when it came to their intent in the powerplay. Only 33 runs came in the first six overs without a single wicket lost – a stat that proved to be significant to the eventual result. Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran were both unable to get their tempo going, perhaps trying too hard to force things on a pitch that naturally allowed strokeplay. However, they did stitch a 50-run stand which meant that there was some platform for the rest to launch.
After such a slow start, it was imperative for the openers to kick on but unfortunately for Afghanistan, both fell in quick succession. Gurbaz charged down to Axar Patel to get stumped while Dube picked up the Afghanistan skipper with a slower ball. Debutant Rahmat Shah then chopped one on to the sticks as Afghanistan lost 3/7 across 13 deliveries to find themselves in a hole.
On an easing pitch with his team in trouble, Nabi knew that he had to take the challenge to India and so he did in the company of the impressive Azmatullah Omarzai (29 off 22) as the pair added 68 off just 43 balls with crisp ball-striking. Nabi started the onslaught as peppered the short boundary for sixes while Omarzai also joined in shortly thereafter. When the stand was going great guns, Afghanistan looked set for a total in excess of 160 or even 165.
Mukesh Kumar, though, returned in his final spell to get rid of the two set batters in successive overs. A slower ball took out Omarzai who chopped one on while Nabi holed out to the deep in pursuit of another six. Their dismissals in quick succession robbed some momentum from the innings but Najibullah Zadran and Karim Janat played cameos to ensure that the score ended up close to the 160-run mark
A lot is riding on this series for Rohit Sharma the player but the Indian captain fell to a huge mix up with Shubman Gill, resulting in the former’s run out. The single was on but Gill was ball-watching and it sent a furious Rohit on his way back in the first over of the chase. Just the start Afghanistan were seeking.
The young opener looked in ominous touch at his home ground, stroking some elegant boundaries but a rush of blood saw him getting stumped against Mujeeb-ur-Rahman. At 28/2 in the fourth over with an inexperienced middle order to follow, Afghanistan were sensing an opening to create more pressure. Particularly with the lack of batting depth as well.
The two left-handers (Dube and Tilak) love to be aggressive as it’s their natural game and that’s how they reacted to the pressure situation. Dube took on Nabi for a monstrous six while also collecting boundaries against the pacers. Tilak was equally confident, if not more, as he executed his signature wristy strokes on both sides of the wicket. The 44-run stand came off just 29 balls as the chase got back on track after the initial wobble.
A blinder by Gulbadin Naib at deep square leg ended Tilak’s stay at the crease but the visitors weren’t able to build on that breakthrough as Jitesh Sharma continued to up the tempo. Dube also motored along at the other end, breezing past his fifty. He added 45 off just 31 balls with Jitesh and then stitched an unbroken 42-run stand with Rinku Singh to see India through. Apart from Dube, there weren’t any big scores but consistent partnerships meant that the result was never in doubt.
Brief scores:
Afghanistan 158/5 in 20 overs (Mohammad Nabi 42; Axar Patel 2-23, Mukesh Kumar 2-33) lost to India 159/4 in 18.3 overs (Shivam Dube 60*, Jitesh Sharma 40; Mujeeb-ur-Rahman 2-21) by six wickets
Several tankers carrying Iranian oil have crossed the United States blockade line in the Strait of Hormuz, according to a tracking website, two days before Washington and Tehran are to launch more talks after reaching a framework agreement to end their war.
The TankerTrackers website, which monitors oil shipments and storage, on Wednesday identified Iran’s “first crude oil exports in two months”, citing digital tracking data corroborated by satellite imagery.
The talks on a final settlement to end the war, triggered by US Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28, are to begin on Friday at Switzerland’s Burgenstock mountain resort as news that the Strait of Hormuz will reopen sent world oil prices tumbling.
According to TankerTrackers, two National Iranian Tanker Company (NITC) tankers – the Diona and Hero 2 – carrying a total of 3.8 million barrels of Iranian oil, exited the blockade line on Tuesday while another tanker, Stream, was sailing towards Iranian ports on Wednesday.
A third tanker operated by the NITC and carrying 1 million barrels of Iranian crude sailed past the US Navy’s blockade line in the Gulf of Oman on Wednesday, according to TankerTrackers.
In a post on X, the maritime tracking service said the Sonia I “exited the blockade line” at 01:11 GMT.
[Aljazeera]
An ODI between Canada and Netherlamds in King City Toronto on Tuesday was abandoned due to a dangerous pitch. The fixture was part of the ongoing ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2 competition, which is part of the qualification pathway for the 2027 ODI World Cup.
The match was abandoned just 4.1 overs into the Netherlands innings after they had chosen to bat. They were 15 for 1, with Max O’Dowd the batter dismissed for a duck in the second over. The pitch had uneven bounce and the batters were struck several times during the short passage of play.
On June 12, four days before the abandoned match, the ICC had issued a statement saying the pitch at King City that was used for an ODI between USA and the Netherlands on June 8 had been given an “unsatisfactory” rating and one demerit point.
“This was a pitch that fell below the standard expected for this level of cricket,” match referee Phil Thompson had said about the surface for the USA-Netherlands match. “Both captains expressed disappointment with how it turned out, and the match officials assessed it as ‘very poor’. The inconsistent bounce created challenging and potentially unsafe playing conditions. Taking all factors into consideration, I believe the pitch merits an ‘unsatisfactory’ rating.”
According to the ICC’s pitch and outfield monitoring process, pitches that get an “unsatisfactory” rating will be given one demerit point, while an “unfit” pitch rating will result in three demerit points for the venue. Demerit points remain active for a rolling five-year period, and an accumulation of six demerit points will result in the venue being suspended from hosting international matches for 12 months (12 demerit points will lead to a 24-month ban).
(Cricinfo)
Joshua Da Silva and Amir Jangoo have earned recalls to West Indies’ squad for the two-match World Test Championship series at home against Sri Lanka starting later this month, while the two Josephs, Alzarri and Shamar, are back after missing the tours of India and New Zealand late last year because of injuries.
Trevin Imalch had kept wicket when West Indies last played Test cricket, in New Zealand last December, but Da Silva, 33 Test matches old, has returned after scoring 996 runs across the last two seasons of the West Indies Championship. Imlach, who failed with the bat in New Zealand with a total of 81 runs across six innings – after scoring 33 runs in his only Test in India – has been named captain of a West Indies Select XI to play the Sri Lankans in a tour match in Coolidge from June 18 to 21. Roston Chase will continue to captain the Test side.
West Indies vs Sri Lanka Tests
Jangoo, dropped after only one Test appearance, in Multan in January 2025, where he scored 0 and 30, has returned to the side following a fruitful WI Championship in which he scored 411 runs in seven innings. He finished second on the scorers’ table there, only behind Da Silva, who scored 413 in seven outing. The highlight of Jangoo’s season was the 203 not out he scored for Trinidad & Tobago against Leeward Islands
The pair of Alzarri Joseph and Shamar Joseph, meanwhile, last played Test cricket during the home series against Australia in mid-2025.”Every Test series is an opportunity for us to grow as a team and strengthen our identity,” Darren Sammy, the head coach, said in a Cricket West Indies statement. “Sri Lanka are a quality side, so we know we’ll have to be at our best, but we’re excited about the challenge ahead.”For us, it’s about playing with discipline, showing character when the game gets tough, and representing the West Indies with pride. The players have been putting in the work, and we’re looking forward to putting on a strong display for our fans across the Caribbean.”
Some of the squad members are currently participating in a high-performance training camp in Antigua, which began on June 12 and will run till June 22. The members of the Test squad who were also part of the white-ball series against Sri Lanka – West Indies lost the ODIs and won the T20Is – will join the camp on June 15. The Tests will be played in North Sound from June 25 to 29 and July 3 to 7.
“This is a key component of our preparations heading into the series, providing players and coaches with valuable time to enhance and improve the skills we want to see sharpened, based on the areas we need to focus our attention on when facing this opponent,” Sammy said about the camp. “It also gives us the opportunity to put clear objectives and plans in place for the conclusion of the summer against Pakistan.
“Additionally, the four-day warm-up game prior to the series provides the chance for some of our Test hopefuls to play in high-intensity action and create the avenue for more competition within the squad ahead of the upcoming and future series.”
West Indies are currently bottom of the nine-team WTC table, having lost seven of their eight games in the ongoing cycle.
West Indies squad for Test series against Sri Lanka
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