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T20 WC: India eye revenge against England in semifinal clash

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The India-England semifinal winner will face South Africa in Saturday’s final at Kensington Oval in Bridgetown

Updated On – 27 June 2024, 09:14 AM


T20 WC: India eye revenge against England in semifinal clash

India’s Rohit Sharma and Kuldeep Yadav during their Super 8 Group 1 match in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, at Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium. — Photo;AP

Georgetown: India’s dogged effort to end an 11-year World Cup title drought will face a watershed moment Thursday when Rohit Sharma’s lineup faces defending champion England in a Twenty20 World Cup semifinal.

The pursuit of a title has become urgent for India and its massive legion of cricket fans since its six-wicket loss to Australia in last year’s 50-overs World Cup final.

India hosted that tournament, and it generated a strong sense of anticipation. India now has the opportunity to atone. The in-form India lineup faces an England team that had to depend on other results to sneak into the second stage and also stumbled in the Super Eights, losing to South Africa.

The India-England semifinal winner will face South Africa in Saturday’s final at Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados. South Africa beat Afghanistan by nine wickets in Wednesday’s first semifinal.

The India players may be strongly preoccupied by their memory of their last meeting with England at this stage of a T20 World Cup. India lost by 10 wickets to England in Adelaide, Australia in a semifinal in 2022 which might mark the lowest point of their World Cup chase.

That loss still rankles. Current England captain Jos Buttler was a key figure in that defeat, making an unbeaten 80 as England chased down India’s 168-6 without the loss of a wicket.

Now England must find a new way to beat an India team which seems in unstoppable form. Rohit has been superb throughout the tournament in the United States and Caribbean, making 92 in India’s latest win over Australia. Jasprit Bumrah has been effective both on pitches in New York and the Caribbean, taking 11 wickets.

India fans are likely to heavily outnumber England fans among the crowd at Providence Stadium, as they often do around the world. That will provide the India team with just a taste of the expectation that follows them in every match, and more now as India fans hunger for World Cup success.

“Wherever we play, whether it’s bilateral series or ICC tournaments, the Indian cricket team is always under pressure,” Rohit said. “That’s the fact. Most of the guys are used to it, so it’s important to have a little bit of calmness in the dressing room.”

Rohit said it was unlikely India would depart from the game plan that it had employed so successfully throughout the tournament, most recently in that 24-run win over Australia on Monday.

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Euro 2024: Belgium advances to knockouts with goalless draw against Ukraine

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Both teams had a tense start at the Stuttgart Arena, with much at stake in the group as all four teams began the evening tied on three points each.

Updated On – 27 June 2024, 03:09 PM


Euro 2024: Belgium advances to knockouts with goalless draw against Ukraine


Stuttgart: Belgium are through to the round of 16 at UEFA EURO 2024 after finishing as Group E runners-up with a 0-0 draw with Ukraine, whose hopes of progress ended with the goalless ending here on Wednesday night.

Both teams made a nervy start at the Stuttgart Arena, with plenty at stake in the group as all four teams began the evening level on three points apiece.

Belgium captain Kevin De Bruyne created the first clear chance of the game, embarking on a mazy run before threading a fine through ball to Romelu Lukaku, who was unable to properly connect with his shot from close range, allowing Ukraine goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin to gather easily.

De Bruyne then went close himself as he attempted to catch Trubin out at his near post with a cheeky free-kick, but his effort whistled narrowly wide.

The Red Devils continued to dominate possession in the second half, yet Ukraine held firm, Lukaku again trying his luck with a curling effort which Trubin saved.

Ukraine needed a goal, and they made a triple substitution in the 70th minute as they threw everything at unlocking the Belgian defence in search of victory. But it was Belgium who still showed the most threat, Yannick Carrasco blasting a shot which was well palmed away.

Artem Dovbyk’s eyes lit up with ten minutes to go as he received the ball in space on the edge of the box, but the Ukraine forward could only fire into the side netting as time began to tick away.

In the final moments, Georgiy Sudakov embarked on a brilliant solo run. The goal seemed there for the taking, yet his shot from just inside the box lacked power, and once again there was no way through for Ukraine.

With Slovakia and Romania drawing 1-1 in the group’s other match, all the teams ended on four points. Belgium finished second to Romania on goals scored, while Ukraine came fourth due to having the worst goal difference.

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T20 World Cup: South Africa reaches final with 9-wicket win over Afghanistan

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Batting first on a tricky surface, Afghanistan struggled and were reduced to 56 for 10 in 11.5 overs.

Updated On – 27 June 2024, 03:12 PM


T20 World Cup: South Africa reaches final with 9-wicket win over Afghanistan


Port of Spain: South Africa defeated Afghanistan by 9-wicket to reach the final of the Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 at Brian Lara Stadium on Thursday.

Earlier, batting first on the tricky surface Afghanistan struggled to put runs on the board and were reduced to 56 for 10 in 11.5 overs. Marco Jansen and Tabraiz Shamsi picked 3-fers each as Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje picked two wickets.

The chase was led by by Reeza Hendricks, who played an innings of 29 off 25 deliveries and was well supported by skipper Aiden Markram, who scored 23 runs as the Proteas men chase down the total in 8.5 overs for the loss of one wicket to enter the maiden ICC final.

Brief scores:

Afghanistan 56 all out in 11.5 overs (Azmatullah Omarzai 10, Rashid Khan 8; Tabraiz Shamsi 3-6, Marci Jansen 3-16) lost to South Africa 60 for 1 in 8.5 overs (Reeza Hendricks 29 not out, Aiden Markram 23 not out; Fazalhaq Farooqi 1-11) by nine wickets.

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Euro 2024: Draw secures next round for Romania and Slovakia

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Razvan Marin’s penalty equalized Ondrej Duda’s goal for Slovakia, allowing both teams to advance. Belgium, following a draw with Ukraine, also finished second and moved to the knockout stage.

Published Date – 27 June 2024, 10:20 AM


Euro 2024: Draw secures next round for Romania and Slovakia


Frankfurt: A goal and a point each was enough as Slovakia and Romania drew 1-1 in the UEFA EURO 2024 Group E game here, with both teams qualifying for the last 16 – Romania as group winners and Slovakia in third place on Wednesday.

A Razvan Marin penalty cancelled Ondrej Duda’s goal for Slovakia as both sides went through while Belgium, after a draw with Ukraine, finished second and also made it to the knockout stage.

All four teams in Group E finished with four points with a win, a draw and a loss each. Romania finished first with a goal difference of 1, the same as Belgium (Romania scored four goals to two by the Red Devils). Slovakia finished third as they had a better goal difference of 0 as compared to -2 of Ukraine.

Slovakia started on the front foot, pressing high up the pitch and giving the Romania backline a tough time. Juraj Kucka had the first sniff of a chance with a header and moments later Dávid Hancko’s shot flew over the bar.

Romania swiftly responded, their first effort on target coming from Andrei Rațiu’s curler, brilliantly saved by Martin Dúbravka. Francesco Calzona’s men then produced their best opportunity yet, a Duda free-kick that sailed narrowly wide. Within a minute, however, the Slovakia midfielder found the back of the net with a perfect header.

Romania’s reaction was another Rațiu strike, again blocked by Dubravka. Parity was restored soon after, though, following a penalty award to Romania for a foul on Ianis Hagi. Răzvan Marin provided the emphatic conversion.

The game continued to ebb and flow. Lukas Haraslin broke from the left but Florin Nița stopped his shot. Next, that man Marin let fly from the edge of the box, only for Dubravka to repel his attempt.

David Strelec also had his chance, Nița being well positioned to save, and Slovakia came again with a Haraslin curler that soared just wide of the target. No matter: a point apiece served to send both sides into the Round of 16, with Romania writing history by winning an EURO group for the first time and the Slovaks finishing third on the same four-point total.

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T20 WC: England wary of Kohli threat ahead semifinal clash

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England coach Matthew Mott points to Kohli’s tendency to produce his best performances in big matches

Published Date – 27 June 2024, 10:50 AM


T20 WC: England wary of Kohli threat ahead semifinal clash

Virat Kohli

Providence: England coach Matthew Mott is wary of the threat Virat Kohli possesses as his side prepares for a knockout semi-final against India at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.

Kohli is yet to fire at this tournament with a mere 66 runs from six innings, but Mott is expecting the experienced right-hander to lift for the semi-final clash in Guyana.

Mott pointed to Kohli’s tendency to produce his best performances in big matches and knows his team must quell the top-order threat the 35-year-old will carry on Thursday.

“Virat has proven his class over a very long period of time and he is one of the players we’ve prepared well for. We know how he can play; we know how destructive he can be and we also know his game smarts. If the game demands an innings of a different nature, he’s got that skill,” Mott said in the pre-match press conference.

“So, he’s definitely a key player for them and like we’ve said throughout this tournament what’s happened throughout this tournament means nothing tomorrow when we face off against each other – big players step up in the big moments We’re hoping our players do that but you can expect him to do exactly the same,” the head coach added.

The final four clash in Guyana will be a rematch of the 2022 semi-final between England and India and Mott is hopeful of a similar result after his side cruised to a 10-wicket triumph in that contest at the Adelaide Oval.

The conditions teams will face in the Caribbean will be vastly different to the ones they encountered two years ago and for both England and India it will be the first match this tournament they have played at the Guyana National Stadium.

Mott believes both teams will need to adapt to the conditions they face and the team that prevails will be the one that adjusts more quickly. “I don’t think anyone starts at an advantage or disadvantage in a semi-final. I think it’s who adapts (to the conditions) the quickest. I think you can come in with preconceived ideas, but our mantra has always been playing what’s in front of us,” Mott noted.

So, the intel that we can get in those first couple of overs, whether it’s with the bat or the ball, that’s been a real strong suit in this competition, the communication back and forth about what to expect, what ends to maybe target with the wind.

“I’ve arrived today, there’s no wind today, but we can expect that there will be some wind. And probably the key advantage for us is having someone like (former West Indies all-rounder) Kieron Pollard in our camp, whose intel on all the islands and what we can expect has been invaluable. He’s got a great presence within our group and the way he goes about it,” the 50-year-old concluded.

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Kohli’s poor form, rain threat in focus ahead of IND Vs ENG semifinal clash

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There will be no reserve day for the second semifinal. However, an extra 250 minutes worth of time will be given to the match

Published Date – 27 June 2024, 12:51 PM


Kohli’s poor form, rain threat in focus ahead of IND Vs ENG semifinal clash

Virat Kohli

Providence: It will be a battle of T20I titans as Men in Blue will be taking on England in the semifinals of the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup at Guyana on Thursday, which will witness Jos Buttler-led England aim for second successive T20 WC final while Men in Blue will be aiming to avenge a brutal 10-wicket loss to the same opponent in the final four clash of 2022 tournament at Adelaide.

Since that heartbreaking loss at Adelaide, the Men in Blue have made a lot of changes to their white-ball game, introducing a pleothra of young and more explosive talent like Rinku Singh, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tilak Varma, Ruturaj Gaikwad, etc leading upto the tournament.

Though Men in Blue decided to revert back to experienced campaigners skipper Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli after an incredible, record-shattering 50-over World Cup in India, the explosiveness and risk-taking defining the modern T20 cricket still form the heart of India’s approach, as witnessed by the performances of these two legends in the IPL 2024, especially Virat, who turned into a six-hitting, spin-demolishing machine of the older days, abandoning his more conservative and measured approach to the short format.

However, Virat has failed to translate his IPL form into an international arena, scoring just 66 runs in six games at an average of 11.00, with the best score of 37 and two ducks.

Having scored the most runs in T20 Cup history, this campaign has put somewhat of a dent on his legacy as the best batter ever to grace the tournament.

All would be forgiven, however, if Virat returned to his clutch ways in knockouts. Notably, Virat has smacked a half-century in every T20 World Cup knockout game, including 72* (2014 semifinal), 77 (2014 final), 89* (2016 semifinal) and 50 (2022 semifinal).

The semifinal will be a battle of two high-octane opening pairs, India’s ‘Ro-Ko’ pair against England’s Buttler (191 runs in six innings) and Phil Salt (183 runs in six innings). This pair has managed to put up 286 runs together in six innings this tournament at an average of 57.20, with their best partnership being a 117-run effort.

Men in Blue on the other hand, have everything going right for them, except Virat’s form maybe. Undefeated, they have registered comprehensive wins while chasing and defending alike and their campaign has been an incredible team effort.

However, the pressure of playing in knockouts becomes a different kind of beast for India, who have fallen inches short of an ICC trophy nearly every year after a semifinal/final qualification. Rohit attributes India’s recent knockout performances both to fear of failure and bad luck.

Though the clash looks extremely promising, a rain threat looms over this 2022 T20 World Cup rematch. As per World Weather, it is currently partly cloudy and 24 degrees celsius in Georgetown, Guyana. At 9 am local time, before the 10:30 am start, light and patchy rain is likely to occur in Guyana.

Light rains are forecast for every hour till 4 pm, after which the weather will remain partly cloudy for the remainder of the day. India has been allocated the Guyana semifinal due to match timings, as the 10:30 am local time slot, as per Indian Standard Time, is a much more TV-friendly slot of 8 pm.

The final, to be held in Bridgetown, Barbados, on June 29, will take place at 10 am local time, and happen at 7:30 pm in India, as per ESPNCricinfo. There will be no reserve day for the second semifinal.

However, an extra 250 minutes worth of time will be given to the match. This extra time has been added since the tournament schedule does not allow for a reserve day. If reserve day was given for semifinal two, it would have meant just a day’s worth of gap for recovery and practice between that game and the final.

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Entire T20 World Cup tournament planned to favour India, claims Vaughan

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Says Afgahnistan’s final should have been scheduled in Guyana, where India will take on defending champions England later in the day

Published Date – 27 June 2024, 01:48 PM


Entire T20 World Cup tournament planned to favour India, claims Vaughan


New Delhi: Former England captain Michael Vaughan criticised the scheduling of the T20 World Cup semifinals, alleging that the whole tournament is planned to favour India and is “unfair” to other teams.

In the first semifinal of the tournament in Tarouba on Thursday, South Africa outclassed Afghanistan by nine wickets to cruise to the finals, ending their historic campaign in the tournament.

Vaughan claimed that Afgahnistan’s final should have been scheduled in Guyana, where India will take on defending champions England later in the day.

“Surely this Semi should have been the Guyana one .. but because the whole event is geared towards India it’s so unfair on others..,” Vaughan wrote on X.

 

Vaughan earlier stated that Afghanistan did not get enough time to prepare for their first-ever semi-final due to the flight delay and travelling. “So Afghanistan qualify for the WC semi winning in St Vincent on Monday night .. 4 hr flight delay on Tues to Trinidad so no time to practice or get accustomed to a new venue .. utter lack of respect to players i am afraid.. #T20WorldCup2024” he posted on X.

Afghanistan batters faltered against Proteas’ formidable bowling attack led by pacers Marco Jansen (three wickets), Kagiso Rabada (two wickets) and Anrich Nortje (two wickets) while Tabraiz Shamsi returned with the figures of 3-6 in his 1.5 overs to bundle out Afghanistan for 56/10 in 11.5 overs.

In the chase, Reeza Hendricks (29*) and captain Aiden Markram (23*) steered their side to a convincing nine-wicket win to book a title clash with the winner of the second semi-final between India and England at Providence Stadium. Unbeaten South Africa have the chance to lift their first limited-overs World Cup title in Bridgetown on Saturday, June 29 (IST).