Sports
Salman, Rauf too good for Afghanistan in tri-series opener
An unbeaten half-century from captain Salman Agha and a disciplined quartet of bowlers saw Pakistan ease to a 39-run victory in the first game of the tri-series against Afghanistan. After batting first on a surface curiously supportive of quick runs in Sharjah, Pakistan flew out of the blocks before Rashid Khan dragged them back after the powerplay.
But their game plan encourages attack right through the innings, and equipped with a deep batting line-up, they had the ammunition to keep going hard till the end. It was best summed up by their Nos. 6, 7 and 8 – Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Haris and Faheem Ashraf – combining to score 50 runs in 29 balls.
Afghanistan’s pursuit combined purpose with craft, tempering their strokeplay in favour of faithfully tailgating the required rate Rahmanullah Gurbaz had the license to take advantage of the powerplay, but with Ibrahim Zadran and Sediqullah Atal more cautious, it was clear Afghanistan were trusting their lower order to make up if they fell behind.
It worked nicely until the 11th over, but that plan was blown to shreds with a double-wicket maiden from Haris Rauf in the 12th over which triggered an Afghanistan capitulation. It saw them lose five wickets for four runs in 16 balls, and though Rashid gave his side fleeting hope with a delightfully entertaining 16-ball 39, Afghanistan had drifted far out of the game to swim their way back into it.
Afghanistan had the better of all Pakistan batters in the powerplay bar one, and that was the one who counted. Sahibzada Farhan had made up his mind he would take on Fazalhaq Farooqi straight from the outside, the intent crystallised into action when he drove him back over his head off the game’s fourth ball. A four followed that six, before Azmatullah Omarzai was greeted with another piledriver over midwicket.
He was gone by the 15th ball of the game when Omarzai strangled him down leg to short fine, but there had been time enough to smash his way to 21 off 10 balls. Afghanistan’s spinners applied the squeeze effectively for the next eight overs as Pakistan kept losing wickets and scored just 51 in that period, but the buffer Farhan had provided his side meant they hadn’t lost too much ground before the picked up the pace again.
Rashid is arguably the best T20I bowler, while Salman is inarguably not the best T20I batter. However, in this battle of captains, it was the less fancied Pakistan skipper who landed all the telling blows. Having dispatched a couple of boundaries off Fareed Ahmad in the previous over, he took on Afghanistan’s talisman, slapping a couple of on-side sixes in an over that leaked 17.
Mohammad Nawaz, watching from the other end, would join the action when Omarzai returned, taking his captain’s lead and slapping a couple of sixes in that 15th over. Salman continued along, and though that kind of explosiveness wasn’t an ever-present, he still finished with an unbeaten 53 off 36 by the end of the innings; Pakistan scored 99 in the final 9 overs, and it had all begun with Salman’s unlikely takedown of an Afghan superstar.
Well-managed chases are not Afghanistan’s renowned strength, but you could have been fooled for thinking otherwise halfway through the chase. Atal and Darwish Rasooli had struck up a menacing partnership, and Rashid’s side were nicely placed at 93 for 2 with nine overs in which to launch their onslaught.
Until Rauf returned to the attack. A couple of furious hard length deliveries that flirted with the 150kph mark elicited no runs, and as the pressure built, Atal grew desperate. He lashed out at a slower ball only to find Shaheen Afridi at deep third. Karim Janat failed to get bat on ball on the first two deliveries and then smeared one to deep square leg, bringing down the curtain on a double-wicket maiden.
Afghanistan imploded over the next few minutes. Sufiyan Maqeem removed Rasooli the following delivery, and Mohammad Nabi in his next over. Mohammad Nawaz accounted for Omarzai as he charged down the pitch leaving Haris with a straightforward stumping. From the 12th to the 16th over, Afghanistan scored a mere 6 runs in 24 balls and lost five wickets. It left Rashid’s ensuing onslaught as light entertainment in an already lost cause.
Brief scores:
Pakistan 182 for 7 in 20 overs (Salman Agha 53*, Sahibzada Farhan 21, Saim Ayub 14, Fakhar Zaman 20, Mohammad Nawaz 21,Mohammad Harris 15, Faheem Ashraf 14; Mujeeb Ur Rahman 1-22, Azmatullah Omarzai 1-28, Mohammad Nabi 1-18, Rashid Khan 1-26, Fareed Ahmad 2-47) beat Afghanistan 143 in 19.5 overs (Rashid Khan 39, Rahmanullah Gurbaz 38, Sediqullah Atal 23, Darwish Rasooli 21; Shaheen Shah Afridi 2-21, Mohammad Nawaz 2-23, Haris Rauf 4-31, Sufiyan Muqeem 2-25) by 39 runs
[Cricinfo]
B Sai Sudarshan had retired hurt during the first four-day fixture between Sri Lanka A and India A, but returned to action with an unbeaten century on day two of the second game at Galle. He was unbeaten on 104 at stumps, and giving him company was Devdutt Padikkal, who was 94 not out.
Sai Sudharsan and Padikkal’s partnership was unbroken on 181 for the second wicket, leaving India A only another 119 runs behind Sri Lanka A’s first-innings total of 366.
India A had started positively, with Sai Sudharsan and his opening partner Aman Mokhade bringing up their half-century stand off just 63 balls. While Sai Sudharsan had hit five boundaries until that stage, Mokhade had hit four. But offspinner Keshara Nuwantha broke the stand at 66 when he had Mokhade caught for 38.
Despite the loss, Sai Sudharsan and Padikkal kept India A going by steadily chipping into the hosts’ total. The runs kept coming at a steady pace for the visitors, who had, earlier in the day, bagged the last five Sri Lanka A wickets for just 61 runs.
Sri Lanka A had resumed on 288 for 5, with their captain Sahan Arachchige unbeaten on 83. He hit the second ball of the day, bowled by Gurnoor Brar, for four, but the fast bowler broke the sixth-wicket partnership on 35 when he had Chamika Gunasekara caught behind for 13 in the 92nd over. Arachchige, meanwhile, reached his century in the 94th over. He kept Sri Lanka A ticking in a steady eighth-wicket stand with Dilum Sudeera after Saransh Jain got Nuwantha for 1.
Sudeera contributed a handy 20 before Jain had him lbw in the 109th over, before Grunoor wrapped up the innings in the next over. He dismissed Arachchige for 127 and last batter Asanka Manoj two balls later to bowl Sri Lanka A out in 110 overs. That was lunch, and both Gurnoor and Jain finished with four wickets each. India A then carried the momentum into the next two sessions of the day.
Scores:
India A 247 for 1 in 63 overs (B Sai Sudharsan 104*, Devdutt Padikkal 94*; Keshara Huwantha 1-63) trail Sri Lanka A 366 in 110 overs (Nuwanidu Fernando 44, Sahan Arachchige 127, Anjala Bandara 42; Gurnoor Brar 4-77, Saransh Jain 4-92, Yash Thakur 2-46) by 119 runs
[Cricinfo]
Sri Lanka won the toss and made the surprise call to bat first on a North Sound surface with a fair covering of grass. West Indies lead the two match series 1-0.
Dhananjaya de Silva’s focus at the toss was on picking up 20 wickets and Sri Lanka’s inability to do so in the first Test, which he cited as a primary reason for their heavy defeat. Roston Chase was quite happy to bowl first, stating that it was what he would have done had he won the toss.
There were changes for both teams, with several of those injury-enforced. West Indies welcomed back Shai Hope with Joshua Da Silva making way. Kemar Roach also missed out with an injury, with Anderson Phillip replacing him to keep four pacers in the playing XI.
Sri Lanka made three changes, as Pathum Nissanka, Lahiru Kumara and Kasun Rajitha missed out. Nissanka underwent a wrist surgery, while Kumara suffered a hamstring injury in the first Test. Lahiru Udara, Prabath Jayasuriya and debutant pace-bowling all-rounder Isitha Wijesundera all came in.
With the pitch described as even, with a fair covering of grass with a tinge of green on it, Sri Lanka’s decision to bat first caught a few off-guard. West Indies’ four-pronged pace attack will once more look to test the Lankan top order – particularly in the first hour of play. The pitch was also expected to show some uneven bounce with a few cracks on it. Sri Lanka do have the extra spinner in their lineup, and will be hoping that when it comes time for them to bowl there will be some assistance for the slower bowlers.
The weather remained dry, but there was some forecast for rain.
West Indies: John Campbell, Brandon King, Kavem Hodge, Amir Jangoo Shai Hope (wk), Roston Chase (capt), Justin Greaves, Jayden Seales, Alzarri Joseph, Shamar Joseph, Anderson Phillip
Sri Lanka: Lahiru Udara, Nishan Madushka, Dinesh Chandimal, Kamindu Mendis, Dhananjaya de Silva (capt), Kusal Mendis (wk), Sonal Dinusha, Prabath Jayasuriya, Milan Rathnayake, Isitha Wijesundara, Asitha Fernando
(Cricinfo)
The much anticipated Juventus Training Camp organized by the Colombo Kickerz Football Academy will take place from 6th to 10th July at the CR&FC Grounds Colombo.
The Camp will be conducted by two official Juventus Academy coaches from Italy, and will provide 50 young footballers from across the country to participate in an intensive program based on the renowned Juventus methodology, focusing on technical development, tactical understanding, team work, discipline and personal growth.
Romario de Silva CEO of Colombo Kickerz Football Academy said that the objective of the Academy was to provide young footballers with access to world class coaching and international development opportunities.
He added that the Training Camp was made possible through the valued support of Hilton Colombo Residencies, Aitken Spence travels, The Pappare and Lady J.
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