Women's World T20: Smriti Mandhana hits 83 to set up India's 48 run win over Australia

Agencies
November 18, 2018

Providence (Guyana), Nov 18: Opener Smriti Mandhana smashed a career-best 83 before Indian slow bowlers spun their web against Australia to continue their invincible run with a 48-run win in a group B match of the ICC Women's World Cup here on Saturday.

Mandhana blasted 9 fours and 3 sixes in her 55-ball innings and shared a 68-run third wicket partnership with skipper Harmanpreet Kaur (43 runs off 27) to power India to a competitive 167 for 8 at the Providence Stadium here.

The spinners then got into the act with Anuja Patil (3/15) taking three wickets and Poonam Yadav (2/28), Radha Yadav (2/13) and Deepti Sharma (2/24) snapping two each to restrict Australia for 119-9 in 19.4 overs.

Alyssa Healy was absent hurt following a collision with Megan Schutt in the Indian innings.

India thus notched up their fourth victory in as many match to top group B. They will now take on either England or West Indies in the second semifinals. Both India and Australia were already in the semifinals after winning the first three matches in group B.

Chasing 168 to win, Beth Mooney (19) and Elyse Villani (6) opened the innings after in-form Healy didn't come out to bat following a collision during the Indian innings which left the wicket-keeper batsman with mild concussion.

Mooney and Villani gave Australia a decent start, sharing 27 runs in 4 overs.

However, Deepti Sharma struck twice in successive balls, removing both the openers as Australia slipped to 27 for 2 in 4.2 overs.

A few overs later, Australia lost their skipper Meg Lannings (10) with Krishnamurthy taking a good catch at deep midwicket off Radha Yadav's bowling.

Poonam Yadav then got rid off Ashleigh Gardner (20) with Krishnamurthy taking another catch at long-off when the batsman tried to play another big shot.

India continued to put pressure on the Australians before Perry blasted three boundaries in the 15th over off Harmanpreet to ease the pressure.

Poonam then returned to pick up another wicket when she deceived Haynes with her flight and wicket-keeper Taniya Bhatia did the rest.

The Australia innings crumbled after that even as EA Perry scored an unbeaten fighting 28-ball 39 laced with three fours and a six.

Earlier, Mandhana became the second fastest Indian to compete 1000 runs in T20 internationals after Mithali Raj as she anchored the innings with a superb fifty.

Mandhana gave India a good start after her fellow opening batsman Taniya Bhatia (2) was dismissed in the second over, being caught by Lanning at midwicket off Gardner's ball.

Australia picked up a second Indian wicket in the 7th over when Delissa Kimmince dismissed Jemimah Rodrigues (6).

Skipper Harmanpreet then joined Mandhana in the middle as the duo dominated the bowlers.

Harmanpreet smashed Molineux over midwicket for her first six, while a beautiful-looking sweep shot helped Mandhana to complete her fifty in 31 balls.

Harmanpreet then hoisted one over extra cover off Gardner to pick up her second six as India reached 83 for 2 in 10 overs.

The Indian skipper continued to find boundaries, making life difficult for the Australian bowlers.

In the 14th over, Harmanpreet slapped one over extra cover before depositing a full toss by Kimmince over short fine leg.

However an attempt to go for another big shot proved fatal as she was caught by Haynes to leave India at 117 for 3 in 13.3 overs.

In the next over, Mandhana too was on her way back to the hut when she was adjudged LBW by the on-field umpire but she survived after a video referral showed the ball pitched outside leg.

India however lost a bit of ground in the end following the quick wickets of Veda Krishnamurthy and Dayalan Hemalatha within a space of four balls.

In the 18th over, Mandhana hit a six and a four off Kimmince as India amassed 17 runs but Schutt removed the opener in the next over.

There was also an unfortunate collision between Megan Schutt and wicket-keeper Alyssa Healy as both went for a catch, following a miscued hit by Reddy. Healy then left the field as Beth Mooney took over her duties.

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News Network
January 12,2020

New Delhi, Jan 12: Flamboyant India all-rounder Hardik Pandya was on Saturday pulled out of the India A team's tour of New Zealand after he failed mandatory fitness tests in Mumbai.

The selectors had picked him in the squad without testing him in the Ranji games.

Tamil Nadu captain Vijay Shankar has been drafted into the India A team and he has already boarded the flight to New Zealand where they will play two 50-over warm-up games, three List A games and two four-day 'Tests' against the home A team.

It has been learnt that Pandya failed a couple of mandatory fitness tests and his scores were well below the permissible range suggesting that he is far from being fit for international cricket. In this situation, pulling him out of the India A squad was expected.

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News Network
April 27,2020

Lahore, Apr 27: Pakistan batsman Umar Akmal has been banned from all forms of cricket for three years for failing to report spot-fixing offers, the Pakistan Cricket Board announced Monday.

Umar, who turns 30 next month, pleaded guilty to not reporting the fixing offers which led to his provisional suspension on February 20 this year.

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News Network
January 10,2020

Srinagar, Jan 10: Real Kashmir FC made a strong comeback in the second half to play out a 1-1 draw against former champions Punjab FC in their home I-League match here on Friday.

The 'Snow Leopards' equalised in the 62nd minute through Gnohere Krizo in front of a partisan crowd of 8,500 spectators after Makan Chothe had given Punjab FC the lead in the 21st minute at the TRC ground.

After Thursday's draw, Punjab FC is placed third on the table with 10 points from seven games. Real Kashmir FC remained at eighth with six points from five matches. This was Real Kashmir's third home match on the trot.

The match was a story of two halves as the first belonged to the visitors who enjoyed a 62 per cent possession of the ball, whereas the second belonged to the home side.

Both the teams were looking to gain an early advantage and Punjab FC took the lead after 21 minutes.

Confusion inside the Real Kashmir box because of a long ball from Punjab opened up an opportunity for Chothe and he made no mistake as he smashed the ball at the back of the net.

As the fans cheered on, Real Kashmir created a flurry of chances, but none of the home side players could find the back of the net. Punjab was able to hold on to their slender lead heading into the tunnel.

The second half resumed with Real Kashmir pressing high up the field and pressurising Punjab.

In the 56th minute, Real Kashmir playmaker Kallum Higginbotham cut through two defenders on the left side of the box and the ball fell to Mason Robertson, whose shot was too weak to trouble the Punjab goalkeeper.

Soon after, it was Danish Farooq who tried a curler from a distance but his shot did not have enough bend to trouble the Punjab goalkeeper. The home team's effort finally paid off in the 62nd minute.

A miscalculated header by Danilo Augusto fell at the feet of Gnohere Krizo, who was one-on-one with the keeper. He made no mistake in striking the ball into the opponent's goal to score the equaliser.

Real Kashmir was in their groove now, and Kallum came in from the right with a beautiful low cross across the face of the goal but Mason could not get a touch as the chance went begging.

The duo of Kallum and Mason were proving difficult for Punjab to deal with. In the 82nd minute, a beautiful long ball by Kallum found the head of a towering Mason, but the effort went just over the crossbar.

Within a few moments, Punjab again had another nervous moment as Chesterpoul Lyngdoh's cross from the right side hit the arm of Thoiba Singh but the referee turned down an appeal for penalty.

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