FIFA WC: Belgium's 94th-minute winner breaks Japanese hearts

Agencies
July 3, 2018

Rostov-on-Don, Jul 3: World No. 3 Belgium edged past Japan in the dying moments of a five-goal thriller at the Rostov Arena, completing a comeback from a two-goal deficit in the round-of-16 of the ongoing FIFA World Cup 2018.

Substitute Nacer Chadli scored in the 94th minute of injury time to overturn yet another upset in the World Cup, after the Red Devils had nullified Japan's two-goal lead through Jan Vertonghen and Marouane Fellaini, becoming the first team to come from two goals down in a World Cup knockout game since West Germany knocked out England in 1970.

The first half of the match was hardly an indicator for what was to come, with a blocked Axel Witsel effort and a stray Vincent Kompany shot from a Kevin de Bruyne cross the only meaningful chances Belgium managed to create.

The first real scare for Belgium in the goalless first half arrived just before the interval when goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois spilt a tame Yuya Osako effort, although he managed to gather it before it trickled past the goal line.

The second half saw Japan coming out all guns blazing, scoring two brilliant goals within seven minutes of the restart to give them a real chance of making it to their first-ever World Cup quarter-finals.

The first Japanese goals came from a rapid counter-attack that was initiated from the edge of their box after a Belgian attack broke down, with Genki Haraguchi latching onto a Gaku Shibasaki pass and emphatically driving his shot past Courtois.

Belgium almost equalised immediately with Chelsea star Eden Hazard, found by Dries Mertens inside the box, striking his effort against the post.

Japan managed to double their lead in the 52nd minute, as a Shinji Kagawa pass was collected by Takashi Inui just outside the Belgian box, who unleashed a magnificent curler into the bottom right-hand corner beyond an outstretched Courtois.

Romelu Lukaku soon squandered his best chance of the night to draw level with English striker Harry Kane in the race for the Golden Boot, as he headed a Thomas Meunier cross wide from point-blank range.

The Belgians soon initiated their comeback in the 69th minute through Vertonghen, who looped a header from an uncleared corner beyond Eiji Kawashima in goal.

Five minutes later, a dangerous Eden Hazard cross into the box was met by substitute Fellaini, who nodded past Kawashima.

The Japanese keeper then made a string of brilliant saves, with the most noteworthy of them being a double save he pulled off at the 85-minute mark, keeping out headers from Meunier and Lukaku in succession.

However, he was breached in the final minute of stoppage time with a deadly counterattack, started by Courtois after he claimed a Japanese corner.

Kevin de Bruyne slipped in Meunier with a terrific pass, whose low cross was first dummied by Lukaku for substitute Chadli to prod in for the winner.

With the win, Belgium will face tournament favourites Brazil in the quarterfinals on July 6 in Kazan Arena.

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News Network
February 16,2020

Feb 16: Mayank Agarwal finally found some form going his way and Rishabh Pant mixed caution with his customary aggression as India's warm-up fixture against New Zealand XI ended in a draw in Hamilton on Sunday. The match was called off an hour after lunch with India reaching 252 for four just 48 overs into their second innings. Agarwal, who had gone through a wretched period since the second Test against Bangladesh, retired on 81 off 99 balls with 10 fours and three sixes to his name. To the relief of the Indian team management, Pant played in his customary manner to reach 70 off 65 balls, but also showed discretion when the opposition bowlers were in the midst of a good spell.

There were four sixes -- two each off leg-spinner Ish Sodhi and off-spinner Henry Cooper. While Sodhi was hit down the ground, Cooper was dispatched over extra cover on a couple of occasions.

He didn't curb his aggression though; there were times when he was ready defend against the spinners and also leave some of the deliveries that the Kiwi pacers bowled.

Even though Pant is easily the better batsman compared to his senior Wriddhiman Saha, the innings might have come too late in the day considering that the latter is a better keeper and possibly a more responsible batsman in pressure situations.

The biggest positive to have emerged from the second innings is Agarwal's poor run coming to an end.

The Seddon Park track easing out was definitely a factor but Agarwal's footwork was more assured as he played some glorious on-drives and pull-shots off fast bowlers.

Before this game, Agarwal had played 10 competitive games including first-class, ODIs and List A matches and couldn't cross the 40-run mark in 11 completed innings.

He even bagged a pair against New Zealand A in an unofficial Test match. Once he had got his form back, he didn't come out to bat after lunch giving Saha an opportunity to score an unbeaten 30, his runs coming mostly against non-regular bowlers.

The Agarwal-Pant pair added 100 runs in 14.3 overs and it also helped that part-timers like Cooper was introduced into the action. In the morning, Prithvi Shaw (39 off 31 balls) was bowled through the gate by Daryl Mitchell as the batsman left a gaping hole between his bat and pad.

Shaw, though, seemed to have done enough during his brisk 72-run stand with Agarwal, which could put an end to the debate around the opening slot even though the tracks in Wellington and Christchurch could be a test of technique for the flamboyant Mumbaikar.

It was a match that Shubman Gill would perhaps like to forget in a hurry as he was dismissed cheaply for the second time in a row. He scored 8 before Daryl Mitchell trapped him leg before.

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News Network
February 11,2020

Mt. Maunganui (New Zealand), Feb 11: KL Rahul struck a combative 112 but New Zealand completed a 3-0 whitewash of India by winning the third ODI by five wickets, here on Tuesday.

Rahul helped India recover from a shaky start to post a challenging 296 for 7 but the Kiwis overhauled the target with 17 balls to spare.

This is the first whitewash that India has suffered in an ODI series in more than a decade.

Sent in to bat, India were down 62 for 3 in the 13th over after the dismissals of Mayank Agarwal (1), captain Virat Kohli (9) and Prithvi Shaw (40) but Rahul got a useful ally in in-form Shreyas Iyer (62) to take India to a competitive total.

Rahul, who hit nine fours and two sixes during his 113-ball innings, and Iyer stitched exactly 100 runs from 18.2 overs for the fourth wicket to revive the Indian innings.

After the end of the promising innings of Iyer, Rahul shared another 107 runs for the fifth wicket with Manish Pandey (42).

The Kiwis were off to a confident start in their chase with Martin Guptill (66) and Henry Nicholls (80) and putting on a 106-run stand. However, wrist spinner Yuzvendra Chahal took three wickets to bring India back in the game.

Colin de Grandhomme (58) and Tom Latham (32), though, took their side past the finish line with an unbeaten 80-run partnership.

Brief Scores:

India: 296 for 7 in 50 overs (KL Rahul 112, Shreyas Iyer 62; Hamish Bennett 4/64).

New Zealand: 300 for 5 in 47.1 overs. (H Nicholls 80, M Guptill 66; Y Chahal 3/47).

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News Network
February 17,2020

Hamilton, Feb 17: Mayank Agarwal found form on his birthday and Rishabh Pant mixed caution with his customary aggression as India’s warm-up fixture against New Zealand XI ended in a draw here on Sunday.

The match was called off an hour after lunch with India reaching 252 for four just 48 overs into their second innings.

Agarwal, who had gone through a wretched period since the second Test against Bangladesh, retired on 81 off 99 balls with 10 fours and three sixes to his name.

To the relief of the Indian team management, Pant played in his customary manner to reach 70 off 65 balls, but also showed discretion when the opposition bowlers were in the midst of a good spell. There were four sixes -- two each off leg-spinner Ish Sodhi and off-spinner Henry Cooper.

While Sodhi was hit down the ground, Cooper was dispatched over extra cover on a couple of occasions. He didn’t curb his aggression, though, there were times when he was ready defend the spinners and also leave some of the deliveries.

Even though Pant is considered a better batsman than Wriddhiman Saha, the innings might have come too late in the day considering that the latter is a better keeper and possibly a more responsible batsman in pressure situations.

The biggest positive to have emerged from the New Zealand second innings is Agarwal’s poor run coming to an end. The Seddon Park track easing out was definitely a factor but Agarwal’s footwork was more assured as he played some glorious on-drives and pull-shots off fast bowlers.

Before this game, Agarwal had played 10 competitive games including first-class, ODIs and List A matches and couldn’t cross the 40-run mark in 11 completed innings. He even bagged a pair against New Zealand A in an unofficial Test match.

Once he had got his form back, he didn’t come out to bat after lunch giving Saha an opportunity to score an unbeaten 30, his runs coming mostly against non-regular bowlers.

The Agarwal-Pant pair added 100 runs in 14.3 overs and it also helped that part-timers like Cooper was introduced into the action.

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