NORTH SOUND, Antigua — Hardik Pandya blasted Bangladesh with a 27-ball half-century and Kuldeep Yadav’s three wickets finished off India’s win at the Twenty20 World Cup on Saturday.
Pandya struck four boundaries and three sixes in an unbeaten 50 to lead India to 196-5.
Yadav then took 3-19 in four overs to limit Bangladesh to 146-8.
India moved to the top of Group 1 in the Super Eight with two wins from two matches. Bangladesh was winless.
Put into bat, India started quick as captain Rohit Sharma scored 23 off 11 balls. Virat Kohli added 37 off 28, hitting three sixes. The duo put on 39 off 22 balls for India’s best opening stand in the tournament.
Sharma was caught in the fourth over off Shakib al Hasan, while Kohli put on another 32 off 27 balls with Rishabh Pant for the second wicket.
Tanzim Hasan Sakib struck twice in the ninth over, getting Kohli and Suryakumar Yadav for 6 as India slumped to 77-3.
But Rishabh Pant anchored one end with 36 off 24, including four fours and two sixes, putting on 31 off 19 balls with Shivam Dube.
Despite Pant’s dismissal in the 12th over, Dube’s prowess against spin came in handy — he hit three sixes, scoring 34 off 24 balls.
But it was Pandya who took charge in the death overs. India scored 62 runs in the last five overs.
Pandya was named player of the match.
“We have played some really good cricket (to win five straight games),” he said. “We have executed our plans well, but as a group we can still improve. We sometimes lose wickets in a bunch, but apart from that things are looking good.”
Bangladesh’s reply made a steady start. Openers Litton Das (13) and Tanzid Hasan (29) added 35 off 27 until Pandya got the breakthrough in the fifth over.
The Tigers were at 66-2 in the 10th over and scoring slower. The chase unravelled when Yadav came on to bowl. He trapped Hasan lbw, and dismissed Towhid Hridoy for 4 and claimed the big wicket of Shakib for 11.
Bangladesh lost three wickets for 32 runs across 24 balls and didn’t recover.
Pace bowlers Jasprit Bumrah (2-13) and Arshdeep Singh (2-30) helped to seal India’s fifth win over Bangladesh in the T20 World Cup.
Australia wins toss, sends Afghanistan in to batAt Kingstown, St. Vincent, Australia captain Mitchell Marsh won the toss and chose to bowl against Afghanistan in their Super Eight Group 1 match.
Australia is unbeaten at the tournament thus far and another victory against Afghanistan will see it advance along with India, which beat Bangladesh earlier Saturday, into the semifinals.
Australia beat Bangladesh by 28 runs under the Duckworth-Lewis system due to rain delays in its opening Super Eight game on Thursday, with Pat Cummins taking the first hat-trick of the tournament.
Afghanistan lost its opening Super Eight match to India by 47 runs and now must beat Australia to stay in contention for the semifinals.
With the pitch at the Arnos Vale Ground expected to help spinners, Australia made one change to its side with Ashton Agar coming in for pace bowler Mitchell Starc.
Afghanistan made two changes with Guldabin Naib and Karim Janat coming in for Najibullah Zadran and Hazratullah Zazai.
The last time these two countries met was at the ODI World Cup in India where Glenn Maxwell smashed an astonishing 201 not out to guide Australia to what appeared a most unlikely victory at Mumbai.
Australia is attempting to add the T20 World Cup to its previous successes in the 50-over World Cup and World Test Championship.
…
