India extend domination with 9-wicket win in rain-marred tie

Agencies
October 8, 2017

New Delhi: Rain almost ruined the effort of Indian bowlers before letting up just in time to allow the hosts an easy nine-wicket win by D/L method in the first T20I of the five-match series in Ranchi on Saturday.

Clouds opened up when India had crippled Australia, leaving them at 118/8 in the 18.4 overs. But the rain gods showed mercy five minutes before cut-off time to allow India chase a re-worked target of 48 in 6 overs.

India achieved the mark in the last over of their shortened innings in an exciting finish, where they needed six runs to win in six balls. But captain Virat Kohli (22* off 14) didn't allow Australia to take it to the last ball, finishing in style with a boundary off Dan Christian.

Shikhar Dhawan remained unbeaten on 12. Rohit Sharma (11) was the only wicket India lost. He was bowled by Australia's lone wicket-taker Nathan Coulter-Nile.

Earlier, led by Kuldeep Yadav's 2/16 and Jasprit Bumrah's toe-crushing spell of 2/17, India reduced the visitors from 76/3 in 9.5 overs to 114/8 in 18.1.

Barring Aaron Finch's 42 in 30 balls, none of the Australian batsmen could get the measure of either the pitch or the Indian bowlers after Kohli opted to bowl due to overcast conditions.

India welcomed left-handed opener Dhawan back into the eleven, while replacing Axar Patel - who played the fifth ODI - with chinaman spinner Yadav. Dhawan took Rahane's place.

Australia received a blow ahead of the series opener when their regular skipper Steve Smith was ruled out for the rest of the tour with a shoulder injury. He was replaced by David Warner as skipper.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar gave India the perfect start when, after being hit for two consecutive boundaries, he castled Warner (8) who chopped an outswinger onto his stumps.

Finch and a scratchy Glenn Maxwell then added 47 runs for the second wicket. That partnership was ended by the introduction of Chahal, who dismissed the dangerous Australia allrounder for the fourth time on this tour.

Maxwell (17 off 16) hit a rank short ball straight into the hands of Bumrah at short mid-wicket, bringing a wry smile on Chahal's face.

Finch was then joined by Travis Head but the two could take the score only to 76 in the 10th over when Yadav outfoxed Finch with a straight delivery that beat the opener's bat to rattle the stumps.

The innings was then reduced to a procession of batsmen as Moises Henriques (8) and Head (9) fell within the space of two runs.

Wicketkeeper Tim Paine showed some spark hitting a six and a four in his 16-ball 17 but didn't have an answer to death-over specialist Bumrah, who cleaned him up and followed that by Coulter-Nile's (1) wicket.

The two wickets also made him the second highest Indian wicket-taker in T20Is, after off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin.

In all, six of the eight Australian batsmen were bowled.

Bhuvneshwar, Hardik Pandya and Chahal took a wicket each and Australia had Adam Zampa (4*) and Andrew Tye (0*) at the crease when the umpires signalled for the covers to be brought on.

The second T20I will be played on Oct 10 in Guwahati.

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Agencies
June 23,2020

Islamabad, Jun 23: Seven more Pakistan cricketers, including Muhammad Hafeez and Wahab Riaz, selected for the tour of England have tested positive for COVID-19, taking the total to 10, the PCB revealed on Tuesday.

The seven who tested positive on Tuesday are Kashif Bhatti, Muhammad Hasnain, Fakhar Zaman, Muhammad Rizwan, Imran Khan, Hafeez and Riaz. Shadab Khan, Haider Ali and Haris Rauf had returned positive tests on Monday.

“It is not a great situation to be in and what it shows is these are 10 fit and young athletes...if it can happen to players it can happen to anyone,” Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) CEO, Wasim Khan told a media conference.

He said a support staff member, masseur Malang Ali, had also tested positive for COVID-19.

Khan said that the players and officials would now assemble in Lahore and another round of tests would be carried out on June 25 and a revised squad would be announced the next day.

The squad has to leave on June 28 for the series scheduled to be held next month, he said.

“It is a matter of concern but we shouldn’t panic at this time as we have time on our hands,” Khan said.

He said the players and officials would be retested on reaching England.

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News Network
June 20,2020

Jun 20: Bengaluru FC (BFC) have signed Brazilian striker Cleiton Silva for a one-year deal, the ISL club said in a statement on Saturday.

As per the agreement, BFC have the option of extending Silva's contract for another year.

The 33-year-old, who started his career with Brazilian side Madureira, moved to Thailand where he spent the better part of the decade playing for Muangthong United and Suphanburi, apart from stints in Mexico and China.

Silva, who also operates on the wing, became the first foreign player to reach the 100-goal mark in Thailand and finished top scorer of the Thai League 1 for two seasons. He also tops the charts of the all-time leading scorers of the League.

His biggest success came at Muangthong where he racked up 57 goals in 79 appearances and won three major trophies in as many seasons at the club.

The Brazilian, who was in talks with the Blues last season before the deal didn't materialise, said he was glad to have finally made the move.

"I've signed with Bengaluru FC because I want to be a champion and this is a club that is always after titles. I have that opportunity once again at BFC. I want to make the club and its fans happy. I have been following the club for some time now because we were in talks a while ago. And I liked what I saw. I am looking forward to making my way to Bengaluru and am excited to meet my new teammates, the fans and embrace the city," said Silva.

Silva, thus, became BFC's first new foreign signing of the season after the club had handed extended deals with Juanan Gonzalez, Dimas Delgado and Erik Paartalu.

Bengaluru FC coach Carles Cuadrat said Silva's addition was an important one, given his penchant for scoring.

"Cleiton has a proven track record when it comes to scoring and this is an area we needed to strengthen on the squad. The goals aside, he even has an eye for a quality final pass and we're looking forward to working with him," he said.

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News Network
June 3,2020

Colorado, Jun 3: Formula One boss Chase Carey has said that races will go ahead even if a driver tests positive for coronavirus.

His remarks come as organisers revealed a revised 2020 calendar and the schedule for the first eight races was put in the public domain.

"An individual having been found with a positive infection will not lead to a cancellation of a race. We encourage teams to have procedures in place so if an individual has to be put in quarantine, we have the ability to quarantine them at a hotel and to replace that individual," the official website of Formula One quoted Carey as saying.

"Some things we'd have to talk through and work through. The array of 'what ifs' are too wide to play out every one of them, but a team not being able to race would not cancel the race. I do not think I could sit here and lay out the consequences," he said.

Carey added the organisers will be having the necessary procedures in place so that the race does not get cancelled if a driver ends up testing positive for coronavirus.

"But we will have a procedure in place that finding infection will not lead to a cancellation. If a driver has an infection, teams have reserve drivers available," Carey said.

"We would not be going forward if we were not highly confident we have necessary procedures and expertise and capabilities to provide a safe environment and manage whatever issues arrive," he added.

The Formula One 2020 season will be beginning with the Austrian Grand Prix in July.

F1 currently expects the opening races to be closed events but hopes that fans will be able to attend again when it is safe to do so.

The season will kick off with the Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring on July 5, followed a week later by a second race on the same track.

The Hungarian Grand Prix will follow a week after that, before a break. There will be then two back to back races at Silverstone, followed by the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona.

The Belgian Grand Prix will follow that, with the Italian Grand Prix at Monza a week later on September 6.

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