ﺍ ﮈﺍﺭ ﮐﯽ آﻝ ﺭﺍﺅﻧﮉ ﮐﺎﺭﮐﺮﺩﮔﯽ ﮐﮯ ﺑﺎﻋﺚ ﭘﺎﮐﺴﺘﺎﻥ ﻧﮯ ﻭﯾﻤﻦ ﭨﯽ ﭨﻮﺋﻨﭩﯽ ﺍﯾﺸﯿﺎ ﮐﭗ ﮐﮯ ﺳﯿﻤﯽ ﻓﺎﺋﻨﻞ ﻣﯿﮟ ﺑﻨﮕﻼﺩﯾﺶ ﮐﻮ ﭼﮫ ﻭﮐﭩﻮﮞ ﺳﮯ ﺷﮑﺴﺖ ﺩﮮ ﺩﯼ
ﻓﺎﺋﻨﻞ ﻣﯿﮟ ﭘﺎﮐﺴﺘﺎﻥ ﮐﺎ ﻣﻘﺎﺑﻠﮧ ﮐﻞ ﺭﻭﺍﯾﺘﯽ ﺣﺮﯾﻒ ﮨﻨﺪﻭﺳﺘﺎﻥ ﺳﮯ ﮨﻮﮔﺎ
ﻓﺎﺋﻨﻞ ﻣﯿﮟ ﭘﺎﮐﺴﺘﺎﻥ ﮐﺎ ﻣﻘﺎﺑﻠﮧ ﮐﻞ ﺭﻭﺍﯾﺘﯽ ﺣﺮﯾﻒ ﮨﻨﺪﻭﺳﺘﺎﻥ ﺳﮯ ﮨﻮﮔﺎ
15:26
Tuesday 30 October 2012
Women's Twenty20 Asia Cup, 2nd Semi-Final:
Women's Twenty20 Asia Cup, 2nd Semi-Final:
Bangladesh Women 82/7 (20/20 ov)
Pakistan Women 83/4 (17.4/20 ov)
Pakistan won by 6 Wickets
Bangladesh Women 82/7 (20/20 ov)
Pakistan Women 83/4 (17.4/20 ov)
Pakistan won by 6 Wickets
15:21
Sunday 28 October 2012
Alastair Cook
It has been almost 30 years since we won in India so that shows the challenge ahead but I am very confident in this squad that we can go out there and do something special," says Alastair Cook
15:04
South Africa beat Pakistan in Hong kong Super sixes Final
South Africa beat Pakistan in Hong kong Super sixes Final.
South Africa scored 142-2. Pakistan scored 105 only in 4.2 overs.
South Africa scored 142-2. Pakistan scored 105 only in 4.2 overs.
15:04
Harbhajan Singh
Harbhajan Singh has just been demoted by the BCCI to a Grade B contract. Is this the beginning of the end for him or will one of Sourav Ganguly's favourite bowlers find his way back to the top of the heap?
12:46
Roger Federer beat Paul-Henri Mathie
World number one Roger Federer beat Paul-Henri Mathieu 7-5 6-4 to reach the final of the Swiss Indoors in Basel.
Federer, a five-time winner of the event, will play Juan Martin del Potro in Sunday's final after the second seed beat Richard Gasquet 6-2 6-2.
Federer, a five-time winner of the event, will play Juan Martin del Potro in Sunday's final after the second seed beat Richard Gasquet 6-2 6-2.
12:40
Friday 26 October 2012
James Anderson
The Mighty Tendulkar is his bunny. And India no longer has Rahul Dravid to keep the England spearhead at bay. That said, will James Anderson be as much of a threat in conditions that don't assist his kind of bowling? India must find a way to neutralise and destroy him, first, if they hope to beat England.
16:00
Highveld Lions book their place in Champions League Twenty20 final
Chris Morris (2-7) and Aaron Phangiso (2-18) helped Highveld Lions book their place in Champions League Twenty20 final as they beat Delhi Daredevils by 22 runs in the first semifinal on Thursday.
15:51
Thursday 25 October 2012
Ajax stunned Manchester City 3-1 in a Champions League group
Ajax stunned Manchester City 3-1 in a Champions League group stage match on Wednesday through goals from Siem de Jong, Niklas Moisander and man of the match Christian Eriksen.
17:46
Arsenal slumped to their first defeat
Arsenal slumped to their first defeat of the season in the Champions league on Wednesday when the London club was outclassed by Schalke 2-0 at Emirates Stadium.
17:41
Champions League
Borussia Dortmund top Champions League Group D after an impressive 2-1 victory over Spanish champions Real Madrid.
Robert Lewandowski's opening goal for the German side was quickly cancelled out by Cristiano Ronaldo but Marcel Schmelzer gave Dortmund the win.
Robert Lewandowski's opening goal for the German side was quickly cancelled out by Cristiano Ronaldo but Marcel Schmelzer gave Dortmund the win.
17:40
Wednesday 3 October 2012
Rehman banned for 12 weeks for cannabis use
Abdur Rehman, the Pakistan left-arm spinner, has been banned for 12 weeks by the ECB under its anti-doping rules after testing positive for the recreational drug cannabis during his stint with Somerset in the English domestic season. The penalty is binding on all countries signed up to the World Anti-Doping Code.
Rehman will be suspended until midnight of December 21. He has already been withdrawn from the Sialkot Stallions squad for the Champions League T20, which begins on October 9 in South Africa.
The sample that tested positive for cannabis was provided by Rehman on August 8, during the County Championship match between Somerset and Nottinghamshire. "I apologise to my family, the PCB, the ECB, Somerset County Cricket Club, my team-mates and my fans," Rehman said. "It was an error of judgement on my part that will cost me dearly and I would like it to be a lesson to all others in sports elsewhere.
"I will do my best to stay fit and focussed during my suspension, and, god-willing, will be available for selection for the India series should the PCB see it fit."
Somerset chief executive Guy Lavender said the club supported the ECB's decision. "The club does not condone the use of illegal drugs in any circumstances and all Somerset players are made fully aware of this policy on a regular basis."
Rehman played four Championship matches for Somerset and took 27 wickets, which included 9 for 65 against Worcestershire. He had established himself as a key player for Pakistan over the past year and caused England plenty of problems during the Test series in UAE, where he claimed 19 wickets in three matches. Overall he has 81 wickets in 17 Tests at 28.40 apiece.
Rehman will be suspended until midnight of December 21. He has already been withdrawn from the Sialkot Stallions squad for the Champions League T20, which begins on October 9 in South Africa.
The sample that tested positive for cannabis was provided by Rehman on August 8, during the County Championship match between Somerset and Nottinghamshire. "I apologise to my family, the PCB, the ECB, Somerset County Cricket Club, my team-mates and my fans," Rehman said. "It was an error of judgement on my part that will cost me dearly and I would like it to be a lesson to all others in sports elsewhere.
"I will do my best to stay fit and focussed during my suspension, and, god-willing, will be available for selection for the India series should the PCB see it fit."
Somerset chief executive Guy Lavender said the club supported the ECB's decision. "The club does not condone the use of illegal drugs in any circumstances and all Somerset players are made fully aware of this policy on a regular basis."
Rehman played four Championship matches for Somerset and took 27 wickets, which included 9 for 65 against Worcestershire. He had established himself as a key player for Pakistan over the past year and caused England plenty of problems during the Test series in UAE, where he claimed 19 wickets in three matches. Overall he has 81 wickets in 17 Tests at 28.40 apiece.
23:44
Sri Lanka and Pakistan in familiar territory
Pakistan didn't know until late on Tuesday night whether they'd have to keep their hotel reservations in Colombo for a few more days. But when South Africa's Robin Peterson gloved a ball for a single to take the score to 122 against India, a roar went around the Premadasa. It sounded as though Sri Lanka were playing, but the noise was from a legion of Pakistan fans who were celebrating their team's progress to the semi-finals on net run rate, at India's expense. There wasn't much separating the two sides, but Pakistan were better placed because they got their tactics right and won big against Australia earlier in the evening.
Spin has been Pakistan's strength in this tournament and their captain Mohammad Hafeez used his resources astutely. If that meant giving a rookie spinner the new ball and making the most experienced fast bowler wait till the 18th over, then so be it. The plan was to suffocate the Australians with turn on a sluggish pitch and it worked to such an extent that even Shane Watson had a rare, bad outing. The fielders made Australia's qualifying target of 112 seem distant. As a result, Pakistan play their fourth World Twenty20 semi-final tomorrow, but unlike on Tuesday, they will not have the lion's share of the support.
Sri Lanka are familiar opponents for Pakistan. The hosts were the more dominant side when Pakistan visited in June-July. Sri Lanka looked a more settled side in the Super Eights, making heavy weather of the chase against New Zealand (which culminated in a Super Over victory) and trouncing West Indies and England. The return of Ajantha Mendis has given their spin attack more bite and the seamers, Lasith Malinga and Nuwan Kulasekara don't offer respite.
It's ironic though that the semi-final is Sri Lanka's first game in Colombo during this World Twenty20. They love playing at the Premadasa and the pitch - not as quick as the ones Pakistan played on in June - should suit their spinners. Sri Lanka haven't had a world title since 1996. They are two games away from breaking the drought, at home.
Form guide
(completed matches, most recent first)
Sri Lanka WWWLW
Pakistan WLWWW
Watch out for
Spin v spin: Opening with spin has become the norm for Pakistan. Will Hafeez adopt the same tactic against Tillakaratne Dilshan and Mahela Jayawardene, who are fluent players of slow bowling? Hafeez, Hasan and Saeed Ajmal conceded only 53 in 12 overs and took all seven wickets that fell against Australia. The two Mendises - Ajantha and Jeevan - have played vital roles for Sri Lanka as well, and they also possess a largely unknown quantity in Akila Dananjaya.
Something's got to give for Shahid Afridi. He has looked a shadow of his old self with the ball, while as a batsman he remains unreliable. His three wickets in the tournament are at odds with his reputation for running through line-ups. Afridi still gets the odd delivery to grip and beat the bat, but Pakistan need more from him. His star value may not have diminished, but his wicket-taking and match-winning ability has.
Team news
Mohammad Hafeez didn't drop any hints of team changes. Pakistan wouldn't want to disturb their winning combination.
Pakistan (probable): 1 Mohammad Hafeez (capt), 2 Imran Nazir, 3 Nasir Jamshed, 4 Kamran Akmal (wk), 5 Shoaib Malik, 6 Umar Akmal, 7 Abdul Razzaq, 8 Shahid Afridi, 9 Umar Gul, 10 Saeed Ajmal, 11 Raza Hasan.
Mahela Jayawardene stopped short of saying he would captain again after Sri Lanka's smart play-safe approach against England. He didn't hint at team changes either.
Sri Lanka (probable): 1 Mahela Jayawardene (capt), 2 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 3 Kumar Sangakkara (wk), 4 Angelo Mathews, 5 Jeevan Mendis, 6 Lahiru Thirimanne, 7 Thisara Perera, 8 Nuwan Kulasekara, 9 Lasith Malinga, 10 Akila Dananjaya, 11 Ajantha Mendis
Stats and trivia
Sri Lanka have lost all four Twenty20 matches they've played at the Premadasa.
Of the 11 matches at the Premadasa in this tournament, only one has been won by the team winning the toss - by Australia against South Africa.
Quotes
"We may not have won too many finals but getting there itself shows that we have played consistent cricket."
Mahela Jayawardene
"T20 is all about giving surprises every time you play. We are trying to do that, and most of the time, we are getting some success in that. I have no idea what it will be [tomorrow], but you never know."
Mohammad Hafeez.
Spin has been Pakistan's strength in this tournament and their captain Mohammad Hafeez used his resources astutely. If that meant giving a rookie spinner the new ball and making the most experienced fast bowler wait till the 18th over, then so be it. The plan was to suffocate the Australians with turn on a sluggish pitch and it worked to such an extent that even Shane Watson had a rare, bad outing. The fielders made Australia's qualifying target of 112 seem distant. As a result, Pakistan play their fourth World Twenty20 semi-final tomorrow, but unlike on Tuesday, they will not have the lion's share of the support.
Sri Lanka are familiar opponents for Pakistan. The hosts were the more dominant side when Pakistan visited in June-July. Sri Lanka looked a more settled side in the Super Eights, making heavy weather of the chase against New Zealand (which culminated in a Super Over victory) and trouncing West Indies and England. The return of Ajantha Mendis has given their spin attack more bite and the seamers, Lasith Malinga and Nuwan Kulasekara don't offer respite.
It's ironic though that the semi-final is Sri Lanka's first game in Colombo during this World Twenty20. They love playing at the Premadasa and the pitch - not as quick as the ones Pakistan played on in June - should suit their spinners. Sri Lanka haven't had a world title since 1996. They are two games away from breaking the drought, at home.
Form guide
(completed matches, most recent first)
Sri Lanka WWWLW
Pakistan WLWWW
Watch out for
Spin v spin: Opening with spin has become the norm for Pakistan. Will Hafeez adopt the same tactic against Tillakaratne Dilshan and Mahela Jayawardene, who are fluent players of slow bowling? Hafeez, Hasan and Saeed Ajmal conceded only 53 in 12 overs and took all seven wickets that fell against Australia. The two Mendises - Ajantha and Jeevan - have played vital roles for Sri Lanka as well, and they also possess a largely unknown quantity in Akila Dananjaya.
Something's got to give for Shahid Afridi. He has looked a shadow of his old self with the ball, while as a batsman he remains unreliable. His three wickets in the tournament are at odds with his reputation for running through line-ups. Afridi still gets the odd delivery to grip and beat the bat, but Pakistan need more from him. His star value may not have diminished, but his wicket-taking and match-winning ability has.
Team news
Mohammad Hafeez didn't drop any hints of team changes. Pakistan wouldn't want to disturb their winning combination.
Pakistan (probable): 1 Mohammad Hafeez (capt), 2 Imran Nazir, 3 Nasir Jamshed, 4 Kamran Akmal (wk), 5 Shoaib Malik, 6 Umar Akmal, 7 Abdul Razzaq, 8 Shahid Afridi, 9 Umar Gul, 10 Saeed Ajmal, 11 Raza Hasan.
Mahela Jayawardene stopped short of saying he would captain again after Sri Lanka's smart play-safe approach against England. He didn't hint at team changes either.
Sri Lanka (probable): 1 Mahela Jayawardene (capt), 2 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 3 Kumar Sangakkara (wk), 4 Angelo Mathews, 5 Jeevan Mendis, 6 Lahiru Thirimanne, 7 Thisara Perera, 8 Nuwan Kulasekara, 9 Lasith Malinga, 10 Akila Dananjaya, 11 Ajantha Mendis
Stats and trivia
Sri Lanka have lost all four Twenty20 matches they've played at the Premadasa.
Of the 11 matches at the Premadasa in this tournament, only one has been won by the team winning the toss - by Australia against South Africa.
Quotes
"We may not have won too many finals but getting there itself shows that we have played consistent cricket."
Mahela Jayawardene
"T20 is all about giving surprises every time you play. We are trying to do that, and most of the time, we are getting some success in that. I have no idea what it will be [tomorrow], but you never know."
Mohammad Hafeez.
23:43
Tuesday 2 October 2012
Pakistan beats Australia by 32 Runs, Pakistan and Australia qualifies for Semi Final.
ICC World Twenty20, Super 8: Pakistan beats Australia by 32 Runs, Pakistan and Australia qualifies for Semi Final.
22:33
ICC T20 World Cup 2012: Determined India face stern South Africa test
Their campaign is back on track after the morale-boosting win over Pakistan but India can hardly afford to relax as they take on an erratic but still quite intimidating South Africa in their final Super Eight match for a place in the semifinals of the ICC World Twenty20 here at R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Tuesday.
The fight for the second semi-final slot from group-2 is indeed intriguingly poised as both India and Pakistan have a fair chance of making the cut although Australia seems favourite at the moment.
India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni admitted that devising a strategy without knowing the result of the Australia versus Pakistan game will be foolhardy as that will help them chart their course of action.
In case Pakistan (-0.426), who are a shade better than India (-0.452) in terms of net run-rate happen to win against Australia, Dhoni and his men will then have to win comprehensively against the South Africans in order to make it to the last four.
If Australia maintain a clean slate in the 'Super Eight' by beating Pakistan, the equation will be a lot easier for India as a win will be good enough. Even in case of a defeat against South Africa, India should ensure that they don't lose by a big margin as the net run rate will come into play with three teams tied with one win each.
South Africa have lost both their matches in contrasting manners -- a close defeat against Pakistan and a comprehensive one against Australia.
AB de Villiers and Co. will now want to end the tournament on a respectable note and think of an outside chance of qualifying although their net run-rate might prove to be a deterrent.
On Tuesday, the Indian team will not only have to deal with a South African team that is keen to maintain its reputation as a world class outfit but also have to counter the threat of a man who knows about them like the back of his hand.
Gary Kirsten, inarguably India's most successful cricket coach, is now in the opposition ranks and will play a key role in trying to plot the downfall of the 'Men in Blue'.
Spin will again play a key role in the match and it will be interesting to see whether Dhoni would go for a second spinner in Harbhajan Singh by dropping senior pro Zaheer Khan.
With the seven-batsman policy paying results and a theory that Dhoni believes in, it remains to be seen whether he would rejig his bowling resources or stick to the winning formula.
The South African batsmen looked distinctly uncomfortable against the off-spin of Mohammed Hafeez and Saeed Ajmal in the match against Pakistan.
Even left-arm slow orthodox bowler Xavier Doherty troubled the Proteas in the last match which will certainly encourage Yuvraj Singh, who has turned into a utility 'bowling all-rounder' in this edition of the World T20.
The big question will be whether the Indian skipper will bring in Harbhajan who can be effective considering the South African line-up features two left-handers in Jean-Paul Duminy and Robin Peterson.
The opening woes, however, is a cause of concern for Dhoni as both Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir have been scratchy in the tournament.
Sehwag, who was brought back for the Pakistan match, showed his intent to stay at the wicket and should be praised for playing an ideal second fiddle to Virat Kohli during the defining 74-run second wicket partnership.
But at the same time, the senior opener frittered away a good start to get out at a time when he looked good for his first half century of the tournament.
Gambhir made a useful contribution in India's victory against England but otherwise has had a very quiet tournament.
It will again boil down to the performance of Kohli, who has been the most consistent among the Indian top-order batsmen. The team management also requires Yuvraj Singh to make a significant contribution with the bat as he has been consuming way too many deliveries.
An interesting battle will would be on display when the Indians tackle the fiery pace of Dale Steyn and the disconcerting bounce that Morne Morkel will generate.
In all a mouth-watering clash is on the cards on the final day of the Super Eights.
Teams (from):
India: MS Dhoni (c), Gautam Gambhir, Ravichandran Ashwin, Lakshmipathy Balaji, Piyush Chawla, Ashok Dinda, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Virat Kohli, Irfan Pathan, Suresh Raina, Virender Sehwag, Rohit Sharma, Manoj Tiwary, Yuvraj Singh.
South Africa: A.B. de Villiers (c), Hashim Amla, Farhaan Behardien, Johan Botha, JP Duminy, Francois du Plessis, Jacques Kallis, Richard Levi, Albie Morkel, Morne Morkel, Justin Ontong, Wayne Parnell, Robin Peterson, Dale Steyn, Lonwabo Tsotsobe.
Their campaign is back on track after the morale-boosting win over Pakistan but India can hardly afford to relax as they take on an erratic but still quite intimidating South Africa in their final Super Eight match for a place in the semifinals of the ICC World Twenty20 here at R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Tuesday.
The fight for the second semi-final slot from group-2 is indeed intriguingly poised as both India and Pakistan have a fair chance of making the cut although Australia seems favourite at the moment.
India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni admitted that devising a strategy without knowing the result of the Australia versus Pakistan game will be foolhardy as that will help them chart their course of action.
In case Pakistan (-0.426), who are a shade better than India (-0.452) in terms of net run-rate happen to win against Australia, Dhoni and his men will then have to win comprehensively against the South Africans in order to make it to the last four.
If Australia maintain a clean slate in the 'Super Eight' by beating Pakistan, the equation will be a lot easier for India as a win will be good enough. Even in case of a defeat against South Africa, India should ensure that they don't lose by a big margin as the net run rate will come into play with three teams tied with one win each.
South Africa have lost both their matches in contrasting manners -- a close defeat against Pakistan and a comprehensive one against Australia.
AB de Villiers and Co. will now want to end the tournament on a respectable note and think of an outside chance of qualifying although their net run-rate might prove to be a deterrent.
On Tuesday, the Indian team will not only have to deal with a South African team that is keen to maintain its reputation as a world class outfit but also have to counter the threat of a man who knows about them like the back of his hand.
Gary Kirsten, inarguably India's most successful cricket coach, is now in the opposition ranks and will play a key role in trying to plot the downfall of the 'Men in Blue'.
Spin will again play a key role in the match and it will be interesting to see whether Dhoni would go for a second spinner in Harbhajan Singh by dropping senior pro Zaheer Khan.
With the seven-batsman policy paying results and a theory that Dhoni believes in, it remains to be seen whether he would rejig his bowling resources or stick to the winning formula.
The South African batsmen looked distinctly uncomfortable against the off-spin of Mohammed Hafeez and Saeed Ajmal in the match against Pakistan.
Even left-arm slow orthodox bowler Xavier Doherty troubled the Proteas in the last match which will certainly encourage Yuvraj Singh, who has turned into a utility 'bowling all-rounder' in this edition of the World T20.
The big question will be whether the Indian skipper will bring in Harbhajan who can be effective considering the South African line-up features two left-handers in Jean-Paul Duminy and Robin Peterson.
The opening woes, however, is a cause of concern for Dhoni as both Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir have been scratchy in the tournament.
Sehwag, who was brought back for the Pakistan match, showed his intent to stay at the wicket and should be praised for playing an ideal second fiddle to Virat Kohli during the defining 74-run second wicket partnership.
But at the same time, the senior opener frittered away a good start to get out at a time when he looked good for his first half century of the tournament.
Gambhir made a useful contribution in India's victory against England but otherwise has had a very quiet tournament.
It will again boil down to the performance of Kohli, who has been the most consistent among the Indian top-order batsmen. The team management also requires Yuvraj Singh to make a significant contribution with the bat as he has been consuming way too many deliveries.
An interesting battle will would be on display when the Indians tackle the fiery pace of Dale Steyn and the disconcerting bounce that Morne Morkel will generate.
In all a mouth-watering clash is on the cards on the final day of the Super Eights.
Teams (from):
India: MS Dhoni (c), Gautam Gambhir, Ravichandran Ashwin, Lakshmipathy Balaji, Piyush Chawla, Ashok Dinda, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Virat Kohli, Irfan Pathan, Suresh Raina, Virender Sehwag, Rohit Sharma, Manoj Tiwary, Yuvraj Singh.
South Africa: A.B. de Villiers (c), Hashim Amla, Farhaan Behardien, Johan Botha, JP Duminy, Francois du Plessis, Jacques Kallis, Richard Levi, Albie Morkel, Morne Morkel, Justin Ontong, Wayne Parnell, Robin Peterson, Dale Steyn, Lonwabo Tsotsobe.
01:09
Monday 1 October 2012
Resilient Pakistan pips Indian Women by 1 run
Resilient Pakistan pips Indian Women by 1 run
Jhulan Goswami's all-round effort went in vain, with Nida Rashid's triple-strike giving Pakistan a thrilling win
01 October 2012 - 01:16pm IST by Shashank Kishore in Galle
It wasn't a contest billed as the mother of all battles, nor was it one with too much fanfare and build-up. But despite all that, it was still an India-Pakistan clash, and reason enough for both sides to try their best. At the end of it all, Pakistan’s women did what the men could not, beating India by a run in Galle on Monday (October 1).
Chasing 99, India ended on 97 for 8 from its 20 overs. It was its third loss in as many matches in the tournament. Pakistan was on the receiving end till about five overs into India's chase, but the turnaround was scripted by Nida Rashid, the off-spinner, whose triple strike saw off India's middle order and induced panic in the ranks.
India, which was cruising along at 44 for one in the tenth over, suddenly lost three wickets in two overs, with both Mithali Raj (16) and Harmanpreet Kaur (5) back in the pavilion. Reema Malhotra tried to hit her way out of trouble and was bowled by Sana Mir, Pakistan’s captain, for just 7.
Jhulan Goswami was the only batter who seemed capable of striking the big blows needed towards the end. But, Bisma Maroof dismissed Goswami (21) and Amita Sharma (7) in the same over to leave India with 14 to get off the final one. But Mir held her nerve and India managed only 12 as Pakistan squeezed home by the narrowest of margins.
Rashid was the pick of the Pakistan bowlers with figures of 3 for 12 in four overs. She exhibited tremendous control and wasn't afraid to flight the ball even to the experienced Indian batters.
Earlier, India looked sharp and disciplined as it restricted Pakistan to 98 for 9. Mir, who opened the batting, top-scored with 26. Although cautious initially, she was in fine nick and looked for a big score before she was sent back by Rasanara Parwin, the debutant, in the tenth over.
A lot was expected from Nain Abidi, Pakistan's most prolific run-scorer on the recent tour of Ireland. While she appeared well set, the Indian spinners did well to build pressure from the other end. With the run-rate languishing around four, Abidi had to go after the bowling and she was eventually out to Goswami for 25. Goswami was India's best bowler, with figures of two for 16 from four overs.
Maroof and Javeria Khan failed and the lower middle order was exposed to the Indian spinners – Anuja Patil and Parwin – who had combined figures of four for 31 from six overs.
Pakistan started the tournament ranked below India, but after a determined defence of a small target, it was they that walked away from the competition with heads high. For India, semi-finalists in 2009 and 2010, there was no consolation.
17:37
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
