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India and Ireland break new ground in New York
India played two high-profile games at the last T20 World Cup. They won the one where the pitch was tough to bat on and lost the one where it was considerably easier. They will be pleased that the surfaces at this tournament are proving trickier than expected. That means they won’t be bested by the team with the better six-hitting pedigree, like they were in 2016 and in 2022.
Less-than-placid conditions also bring Ireland into the game. Josh Little will be asked to do what other left-arm quicks have done against India in the past. Bowl full and try to get lbws and bowleds, which if he manages to do so will be doubly useful, because India are front-loading at this World Cup. Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Suryakumar Yadav – their three best batters – are likely to be Nos. 1, 2 and 3. Taking them out early might be half the job done.
It’s early days, but so far, discipline more than strength seems to be the necessary ingredient to win at this T20 World Cup, which has taken a leap into the unknown. So watch for Jasprit Bumrah holding his length back and prioritising being unhittable first. And for Paul Stirling to respond with calculated risks to maximise the powerplay. Kuldeep Yadav will make the most of his improved air speed by never giving up the stumps. All of Ireland – particularly their middle order of Harry Tector and Curtis Campher – will have to work together to deny him wickets. It will be hard but that’s what they want. Ireland live for games like these, for occasions like these.
Putting just the jersey back on gave him goosebumps. Imagine how it would feel when Rishabh Pant walks out there to bat. Or even just out there, that first step back on the field for India in an official match at a World Cup no less. He might make the headlines. Or he might not. But the mere fact that he is back and is able to play cricket at this level again after that car accident less than two years ago is huge. The sport is lucky to still have him and his no-look flicks for six.
Harry Tector made his highest T20I score against India, an action-packed 64 off 33 balls, although that was against a decidedly second-string attack. Rather more recently, he stood up to Rashid Khan and Afghanistan with 56 off 34 balls and helped them to a score that eventually proved more than defendable. The middle-order batter stands out for both his power and his temperament and this T20 World Cup might just be his time.
A left-hand batter at the top of the order is a useful advantage and in Yashasvi Jaiswal India have one of the best, but they may forgo that in favour of another left-hand batter with a very different set of skills. Shivam Dube is likely to slot into the middle order and take on the spinners. India’s bowling contains plenty of variety but it is centered around Bumrah and Kuldeep, players with the kind of talent that can dominate whole tournaments, let alone a single match.
India (probable): Rohit Sharma (capt), Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Shivam Dube, Rishabh Pant (wk), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj
Ireland’s batting goes down to No. 8 and it has a reasonable split between power-hitters and shock absorbers. Andy Balbirnie and Lorcan Tucker have the ability to do both of those roles. Their bowling is seam-dominated but left-arm spinner George Dockrell could get an over or two against the more orthodox batters in the Indian line-up.
Ireland (probable): Andy Balbirnie,, Paul Stirling (capt), Lorcan Tucker (wk), Harry Tector, Curtis Campher, George Dockrell, Gareth Delany, Mark Adair, Barry McCarthy, Craig Young, Ben White
[Cricinfo]
Ireland and Zimbabwe continued to zigzag with the flow yet again in Bulawayo but it was the visitors who were better placed at the end of the day. barry McCarthy’s toil and versatility combined with Andy McBrine’s consistency provided them with the hope of capturing a substantial lead.
Blessing Muzarabani thought otherwise. His inspired 67-run stand for the tenth wicket with Trevor Gwandu took Zimbabwe from a position of danger into the comforts of a slender lead. But it was a sign of the pitch easing out, something Ireland’s top order didn’t waste.
Peter Moor dispatched Muzarabani, who didn’t bowl consistent lines, as Ireland raced to 42 for 0 in seven overs. Richard Ngarava got one to angle away to ensure Moor’s 33 didn’t grow to become a good score, but his partner, Andy Balbirnie, joined Curtis Campher to ensure Ireland went to stumps unscathed.
Brief scores:
Ireland 260 and 83 for 1 in 21 overs (Andy Balbirnie 32*, Peter Moor 30; Richard Ngarava 1-25) lead Zimbabwe 267 in 86.1 overs (Nick Welch 90, Blessing Muzarabani 47; Barry McCarthy 4-75, Andy McBrine 3-59) by 76 runs
A painstaking knock of 49 runs by Kaveesha Perera and a valuable half century by Navod Fernando helped St. Sebastian’s College, Moratuwa pull of exciting four wickets victory over St. Anthony’s College Katugastota in the Under 19 Division I Tier ‘A’ cricket quarter-final at Gajaba Regiment Ground Saliyapura, Anuradhapura on Friday.
It was a huge turnaround for the Sebs after conceding a first innings deficit of 51 runs. Tournament’s highest wicket taker, Malintha Silva’s six wicket haul in the second innings was the turning point as Sebs dismissed St. Anthony’s for 103 runs. Malintha collected a match bag of ten wickets.
Chasing 149 runs for victory St. Sebastian’s lost three wickets for 40 runs but Navod Fernando’s 58 runs and Kaveesha’s 131-ball 49 helped them ease nerves and reach the target with a session to spare.
Now St. Sebastian’s will meet the winners of the match between St. Joseph’s and St. Peter’s in the semi-final on 12, 13 and 14 at Samadi Ground Anuradhapura.
In the other quarter-final, first innings points were enough for Royal to advance to the semi-final.
Despite having a huge first innings lead, Royal decided not to enforce the follow-on. They posted 248 runs thanks to an unbeaten 122 runs by Vimath Dinsara. In their second essay S. Thomas’ were 186 for three wickets at close.
Now, Royal will wait for a decision by a SLSCA committee to see who would be their semi-final opponents from the Mahanama-Trinity match. The quarter-final between Mahanama and Trinity did not last the full distance after Mahanama disputed a move by the ground staff to roll the wicket earlier than the scheduled time and pulled out. Trinity were ahead in the first innings. The committee were scheduled to meet in the morning on Saturday (8) to take a decision.
Match Details
At Gajaba Regiment Ground Saliyapura, Anuradhapura
Scores
St. Anthony’s 204 all out in 70 overs (Sanuka Kalpana 41, Charuka Ekanayake 24, Kevan Fernando 89n.o.; Risinu Prabesh 2/21, Malintha Silva 4/60) and 103 all out in 35.4 overs (Okitha Fernando 29, Charuka Ekanayake 21, Kevan Fernando 28; Malintha Silva 6/54, Shenas Hashein 3/23)
St. Sebastian’s 159 all out in 67 overs (Ushen Silva 33, Ryan Dissanayake 33, Navod Fernando 34; Charuka Ekanayake 3/66, Dinura Ganegoda 3/20, Kevan Fernando 2/09) and 00 for 1 overnight 149 for 6 in 51.1 overs (Kaveesha Perera 49, Navod Fernando 58; Charuka Ekanayake 2/33, Ryan Gregory 2/24, Sadew Amarakoon 2/22)
At Samadi Ground Anuradhapura
Scores
Royal 301 all out in 102.4 overs (Hirun Liyanarachchi 22, Rehan Peiris 82, Ramiru Perera 81, Yasindu Dissanayake 58; Kavindu Dias 2/69, Abheeth Paranawidana 2/66, Minon Warnasuriya 2/37) and 50 for 2 overnight 248 all out in 63.5 overs (Isula Geeganage 47, Vimath Dinsara 122n.o, Ramiru Perera 25; Abheeth Paranawidana 3/63, Aaron de Silva 3/48)
S. Thomas’ 120 all out in 58.2 overs (Dineth Goonewardene 28, Sachitha Gunasinghe 33; Sehandu Sooriyaarachchi 5/31, Ranuka Malaviarachchi 2/39) and 186 for 3 in 39 overs (Sadew Soysa 57, Jaden Amaraweera 46, Dineth Gunawardana 44n.o., Mithila Charles 34n.o.)
A comprehensive discussion regarding the progress of the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) agreed with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) took place on Thursday (06) at the Presidential Secretariat, between President Anura Kumara Disanayake and the IMF delegation.
The current government has already reached a staff-level agreement with the IMF on the third review regarding the extended arrangement under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) of USD3 billion.
The details of this review are expected to be presented to the International Monetary Fund’s Board of Directors by the end of this month. In this regard, discussions were held regarding the progress and the government’s involvement in continuing the program moving forward.
Once the approval is granted by the IMF Executive Board, Sri Lanka is expected to release the fourth tranche of the extended loan, amounting to 333 million dollars.
The discussion was also attended by IMF Executive Director Dr. Krishnamurthy Subramanian, Alternate Executive Director Dr. P. K. G. Harischandra, Deputy Minister of Economic Development Dr. Anil Jayantha Fernando, Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, Secretary to the Ministry of Finance Mahinda Siriwadana, and Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe.
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