Sports

San Francisco, Dec 3 (IANS) Fans attending the FIFA World Cup in Qatar don't have to miss out on all the player stats as the FIFA+ application will let fans see stats for players on the ground.

The FIFA+ app includes an augmented reality feature that allows fans to see VAR (Video Assistant Referee) replays and different camera angles.

FIFA says that only people who attend live matches will be able to access the FIFA+ Stadium Experience, reports Engadget.

According to a video that has gained traction, users can point their phone's camera at the pitch, then an overlay will pop up which will enable them to tap on a player to see things like their movement speed and individual heatmap.

The VAR replays could be useful for those who are in the stadium but are unsure why the referee made a particular decision, according to the report.

During Japan's winning goal against Spain on Thursday, the ball appeared to be out of play.

The goal was initially disallowed by the referee, but it was overturned after VAR revealed a sliver of the ball remained in bounds, said the report.

The ability to view the VAR replay on their phone may have helped fans in attendance understand the call, particularly if they missed it on the big screen, the report added.

--IANS
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Dhaka, Dec 3 (IANS) With T20 World Cups happening in 2021 and 2022, there was very little focus on ODI cricket. But now with the 2023 ODI World Cup less than 12 months, suddenly the format seems to have gained high importance in the eyes of teams and fans.

After a young side went to New Zealand and lost the only ODI of the series with the next two matches being rain-affected, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and KL Rahul are back as India brace themselves for the challenge from Bangladesh in the series opener on Sunday at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium (SBNCS) in Mirpur, Dhaka.

The ODIs against Bangladesh will also mark the re-uniting of Rohit, Shikhar Dhawan and Kohli as the top three. Since the 2019 World Cup, the trio have featured in just 12 ODIs together.

It remains to be seen if the opening pair of Rohit and Dhawan will be able to give India an aggressive start in the first ten overs and whether Kohli can carry his sizzling T20I form into a format where he has been a master of acing chases.

The focus will also be on India's middle-order, especially on who will bat at four, five and six. Rahul had established himself in the middle-order through stellar performances, and Shreyas Iyer has been consistently impressive in whatever opportunities he has got in absence of star-studded players in the format.

Rishabh Pant offers a left-handed option in the middle-order, but even his ardent fans will agree that he has to get the big runs against Bangladesh to keep himself in the reckoning, especially with contenders like Ishan Kishan and Sanju Samson (who is not a part of this series).

In terms of bowlers, Axar Patel and Washington Sundar are the favourites for the spin combination. As far as fast-bowling is concerned, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Siraj, Deepak Chahar, Kuldeep Sen, and Umran Malik are in the mix. It should be interesting to see what balance India opt for in the ODIs in Bangladesh.

Bangladesh, on the other hand, will be without regular ODI skipper Tamim Iqbal due to a groin injury, and Taskin Ahmed, due to reoccurrence of a back injury. With an experienced opener and pacer gone, stand-in captain Litton Das will have to get the best out of the resources he has.

Litton, who sparkled with 63 against India in T20 World Cup in Adelaide, will need senior players like Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah to step up in their roles. Others like Afif Hossain, Yasir Ali, Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Anamul Haque will be expected to come in and rescue Bangladesh from tough situations.

In the fast-bowling department, left-arm pacer Mustafizur Rahman, who was the breakout star with 13 wickets to give Bangladesh a memorable ODI series win over India in 2015, will be the leader of the bowling attack with Hasan Mahmud and Ebadot Hossain. But with star players back in the mix, India would be hoping to win an ODI series in Bangladesh, something which hasn't happened since October 2016.

Squads

India: Rohit Sharma (captain), KL Rahul (vice-captain), Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Shreyas Iyer, Rahul Tripathi, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Ishan Kishan (wicket-keeper), Shahbaz Ahmed, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Siraj, Deepak Chahar, Kuldeep Sen, and Umran Malik.

Bangladesh: Litton Kumer Das (captain), Anamul Haque Bijoy, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim, Afif Hossain, Yasir Ali Chowdhury, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Mustafizur Rahman, Taskin Ahmed, Hasan Mahmud, Ebadot Hossain Chowdhury, Nasum Ahmed, Mahmud Ullah, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Quazi Nurul Hasan Sohan, and Shoriful Islam.



--IANS

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Perth, Dec 3 (IANS) Australia batter Steve Smith has stepped in to captain the side in their ongoing first Test against the West Indies at Perth after regular skipper Pat Cummins did not take the field due to mild quad soreness.

Cummins had claimed 3/34 from 20.2 overs in the first innings of the match, and also reached 200 Test wickets. For the fourth innings of the match, where Australia have set West Indies a target of 498, he was replaced by substitute fielder Scott Boland for the afternoon session on day four.

"Pat Cummins is experiencing some mild right sided quadricep soreness. "He will continue to be monitored by team medical staff and his availability to bowl in the second innings will be assessed on an ongoing basis," said Cricket Australia in a statement on Saturday.

Smith had captained Australia during last summer's Ashes Test against England in Adelaide, when Cummins was ruled out of the match after being deemed a close contact of a Covid-19 positive testing person at a restaurant.

Cummins' absence also leaves Australia without one of their strike bowlers in their experienced bowling line-up as they are hunt in hunt for the ten West Indies wickets to win the match and take a 1-0 lead in the two-match series.

It also means that Australia have to rejig their bowling plans. Fast-bowling all-rounder Cameron Green may be required to contribute more with the ball while part-time spin of Marnus Labuschagne and Travis Head may be needed too.

Cummins declared Australia's second innings at lunch on day four, shortly after Labuschagne made an unbeaten 104, adding to the 204 he smacked in the first innings. It is not yet clear if Cummins is in doubt for the second Test against the West Indies at Adelaide Oval starting from Thursday.



--IANS

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By Atul Aneja
New Delhi, Dec 3: Just before the new Pakistani Army Chief, Asim Munir took over the reins of military power in Rawalpindi, the dreaded terror group, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) terminated its ceasefire with Islamabad.


The group also called 'Pakistan Taliban' demonstrated that the six-month ceasefire was history, by launching a couple of deadly attacks.

A suicide bomber targeted a bus carrying member of the Pakistani constabulary in the Baluchistan's capital, Quetta. This was on November 30. The audacious attack, which was widely reported across the globe, earning TPP several brownie points in the arena of information war, killed six people, including a policeman. https://twitter.com/Bahot_Baluch/status/1597830123696582656?s=20&t=Tx-L0bsFA1TuAfRsUI9xZw

Then on Thursday, the TTP claimed responsibility for ambushing a convoy ferrying Pakistani forces near the army public school in Azam Warsak area of Wana Tehsil of South Waziristan district.

Shaken by the TTP's threat of unleashing fresh violence, Pakistan's Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said on Friday that the rise in terror activities was alarming, but the situation was not out of control. Nevertheless, he roundly blamed the Taliban government in Kabul for being complicit in spawning the crisis. "The TTP is enjoying all sorts of facilities in Afghanistan," the Minister observed.

He lamented that the Afghan government had promised the world that it would not allow the use of its soil for terrorism. "If they follow through with this, it is not only in the benefit of Pakistan but it is also for their own benefit […] Because if the TTP is present there and is carrying out terrorist activities here, their soil is being used (for terrorist activities) contrary to their claims."

Amid the crisis, the Americans, unsurprisingly, have come to Pakistan's support. On Thursday, Washington designated the number two of the TTP, Mufti Hazrat Deroji, also known as Qari Amjad, as a terrorist.

US officials say Deroji has overseen operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, one of two border areas that have borne the brunt of violent attacks, an AFP report said.

The ceasefire between TTP and Pakistan had begun after the Afghan Taliban steamrolled Kabul in the 2021 leading to the humiliating exit of the Americans from Afghanistan. The Afghan Taliban's Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani, mediated these talks with the Pakistanis. Former ISI Chief and then Corps Commander based in Peshawar, Lt. Gen. Faiz Hameed led the talks from the Pakistani side.

In hindsight, the dialogue for a patch up was bound to fail. The Pakistanis wanted the Afghan Taliban to handover to them TTP kingpins based in Afghanistan who had ordered terror attacks inside Pakistan. But the Afghan Taliban refused to comply, spotlighting close bonds between fellow Pashtuns who have operated on either side of the disputed Durand Line -- the colonial era border between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Buying time, the TTP took the ceasefire opportunity to recoup and re-organise themselves for a fresh onslaught. When they ended the ceasefire, it was carefully timed to Gen. Munir's elevation to the post of Chief of Army Staff (COAS). Apart from the military transition, the ceasefire ended when the former Pakistani Prime Minister's Long March had driven deep divisions within Pakistan's elite and rattled the country's societal cohesion. The Pakistan economy had also hit rock bottom, making a robust counter-campaign by the military in the badlands of South Waziristan prohibitively expensive.

The US decision to support Pakistan is not surprising. The Afghan Taliban had alienated the Pakistanis and the Americans who had to beat an undignified retreat from Afghanistan once the Taliban established control in Afghanistan. With the Afghan Taliban alienating both Washington and Islamabad, the two appeared to have joined forces to pressure Kabul. In late July, the US apparently flew its drone that killed Al Qaeda Chief Ayman Al Zawahiri in a Kabul safehouse, over Pakistani air space.

Former Pakistani Army Chief Qamar Javed Bajwa played a pivotal role in the Islamabad-US reset. In tune with Al Zawahiri's killing, Bajwa had spoken to US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, requesting her to use her good offices to secure Pakistan a badly-needed IMF loan. The jury is now out on whether Gen. Asim Munir will follow in Gen. Bajwa's footsteps to further consolidate the Pakistan-US relationship.

(The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com)

--indianarrative

Abu Dhabi, Dec 3 (IANS) The T10 format is considered to be the fastest in the sport of cricket, with many players calling it a more batter friendly format. Be that as it may, a few of the bowlers have really left their mark on the sixth season of Abu Dhabi T10, with Australian Andrew Tye being one among those.

After 7 matches, Tye, who turns out for the Team Abu Dhabi, has bagged 10 wickets, the second highest in the tournament, and is one behind the Morrisville SAMP Army's Wayne Parnell with 11 scalps.

Speaking about the format, Tye said, "The format can go both ways really, with the batters looking to attack, there will always be chances for the bowlers to pick wickets. And given that they're always on the attack due to the reduced number of overs, if you bowl to a plan, there's a good chance to pick a wicket and restrict teams. The best way to stop teams from scoring is to get new batters out there."

Team Abu Dhabi will be eying a berth in the final, and Tye feels they're not done as yet in the tournament. Tye, who hopes that they can eventually finish with the trophy, said, "We've been executing our plans as a bowling unit quite well in the sixth season. Peter Hatzoglou's been doing well with the ball as well. We are setting clear and simple plans and we are sticking to that."

Tye also added, "A big part of our plans is to pick early wickets, that's why we have been able to restrict the other teams. I think we have some of the most prolific bowlers in the competition. If you're taking wickets and testing the opposition's batting order, you're going to have success."

Speaking about adjusting and adapting further to the shortest format in the game, Tye explained that it's about keeping the pressure on the opponents.

"Yes, there are lesser overs, but our plans are to keep the batters in check, get more dots than to give away boundaries. We are doing our homework well and putting in place plans that are simple and executing them well. Once we get a few dots, the pressure is on the batters, and they have to up the ante more because they fall behind and then that creates more chances for us."

"Everyone's doing a good job in the field as well and it's actually overall pretty simple in terms of our plans."

Tye also touched upon the importance of a bowler's role in the shorter formats. "In the shorter formats, batters will win you games, but the bowlers will win you the tournaments," he signed off.

--IANS

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Mumbai, Dec 3 (IANS) Tearaway fast bowler Umran Malik on Saturday was named as a replacement for injured senior pacer Mohammed Shami in India's ODI squad for the upcoming ODI series against Bangladesh.

An official statement from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Jay Shah said Shami sustained a shoulder injury during a training session in the lead up to the ODI series against Bangladesh.

He is currently under the supervision of the BCCI Medical Team at the NCA, Bengaluru and will not be able to take part in the series against Bangladesh. It is not yet clear if Shami will be fit in time for the two Tests against Bangladesh, starting from December 14 in Chattogram.

Malik had debuted in ODIs against New Zealand at Auckland on November 25, picking 2/66 and then took 1/31 in a washed-out match at Christchurch on November 30. He now joins Mohammed Siraj, Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar and uncapped Kuldeep Sen to form the fast-bowling attack for the three-match ODI series against Bangladesh, starting from Sunday.

Shami, 33, is a pivotal figure in India's scheme of things, especially with the ODI World Cup less than 12 months away. Moreover, if he is not fit in time for the Tests against Bangladesh, it will be a huge blow to India's quest for making the final of the World Test Championship in June 2023.

If he isn't fit, then India can look towards pacers Navdeep Saini and Mukesh Kumar, who are currently in Bangladesh with the India A side playing two four-day matches against Bangladesh A team. While Saini took four wickets in the first four-day match, Mukesh took three. Mukesh is uncapped at the Test level while Saini has two appearances for India in the format.

The first two ODI matches between Bangladesh and India will take place on December 4 and 7 at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium (SBNCS) in Mirpur, Dhaka. The third ODI, which was previously scheduled to be held at Dhaka, will now take place at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium (ZACS) in Chattogram on December 10.

All the ODI matches, which are not a part of the ODI World Cup Super League, will be day-night affairs starting from 12pm local time. The tour will also have two Tests under the ICC World Test Championship cycle, at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium (ZACS) in Chattogram from December 14 to 18, and then at the Sher-E-Bangla National Cricket Stadium (SBNCS), Mirpur, Dhaka from December 22-26.

India's squad for Bangladesh ODIs: Rohit Sharma (C), KL Rahul (VC), Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Shreyas Iyer, Rahul Tripathi, Rishabh Pant (WK), Ishan Kishan (WK), Shahbaz Ahmed, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Mohd. Siraj, Deepak Chahar, Kuldeep Sen, and Umran Malik.



--IANS

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Al Khor (Qatar), Dec 2 (IANS) Germany head coach Hansi Flick has blamed a late lapse against Japan in their opening match for his team's early World Cup elimination. Kai Havertz scored twice as Germany beat Costa Rica 4-2 in their last group match on Thursday, but Japan's 2-1 win over Spain meant Hansi Flick's side finished third in Group E, behind Spain on goal difference.

Flick said his team had paid the price for a poor performance in the first group fixture against Japan when Ritsu Doan and Takuma Asano scored in the last 20 minutes to give the Samurai Blue a 2-1 win.

"Our downfall didn't happen today, but in 20 minutes against Japan," Flick said, reports Xinhua. "We could have won against Spain with a bit more efficiency. Nevertheless, the disappointment is huge."

Germany had 32 shots on goal on Thursday, 11 of which were on target, while Costa Rica had seven attempts and five that forced goalkeeper Manuel Neuer into action.

"I'm not speechless. I was already disappointed and angry with the team in the first half," Flick said. "We brought the opponent into the game through mistakes and carelessness."

He added: "We missed a lot of chances in the first half and tried to do better in the second half. We can blame ourselves for the fact that we're going home. My disappointment is huge, and my coaching staff feels the same way."

Germany's forward Thomas Muller described his team's early elimination from the World Cup as an "absolute catastrophe" and hinted he might have played his last international match.

"It's unbelievably bitter for us because we thought our result would have been enough," Muller said. "It's a feeling of powerlessness."

It marks the second consecutive time that Germany have failed to reach the World Cup knockout stage following their dismal showing in Russia four years ago when they finished last in their group as defending champions.

Muller, who has scored 10 goals across four World Cup editions, did not guarantee he would continue in the national team.

"For me personally, this is an absolute catastrophe. If this was my last game, it was a huge pleasure," the 33-year-old said. "We experienced incredible moments together. In every game, I tried to leave my heart on the pitch. I've done it with love."

--IANS

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By Armstrong Vaz
Doha (Qatar), Dec 2 (IANS) Germany defeated Costa Rica 4-2 in their concluding Group E match of the FIFA World Cup but that was not enough for Die Mannschaft to qualify for the knockout stage of the tournament.


At the Bayt Stadium in Al Khor what went against the four-time champions was the match result from Group E's other finale between Spain and Japan at Khalifa International Stadium, where Japan defeated the European giants 2-1 to make it to the next stage as group winners.

The Samurai Blues which began with a 2-1 win over the former champions lost to Costa Rica 1-0 and finished their league engagements with 2-1 win over yet another former champions Spain.

Germany's exit meant they crashed out of the world at the group stage for the second successive time having suffered the same fate at Russia 2018. Costa Rica was also eliminated, with Japan and Spain moving on.

Germany's simplest path to the knockout stage was a win over Costa Rica coupled with a Spain win over Japan, but it also would have advanced with a Spain-Japan draw after its multi-goal win. Japan's 2-1 win over La Roja spelled elimination for Die Mannschaft, which had an uphill road to climb after its upset loss to Japan in the opener.

Spain had started their Qatar campaign with 7-0 drubbing of Costa Rica and followed it up with a one-all draw with Germany and finished with a 2-1 loss to the Asian side.

Germany dominated Costa Rica in the first half, with Serge Gnabry giving Germany a 1-0 lead in the 10th minute with a glancing header off a cross from David Raum. Manuel Neuer, making his World Cup record 19th start in goal, denied a close-range shot by Costa Rica's Keysher Fuller just before the break.

Costa Rica, which needed a win to advance, scored the equalizer - the first of five second-half goals between the teams - in the 58th minute, when Yeltsin Tejeda buried a rebound into the back of the net. Juan Pablo Vargas gave Los Ticos a 2-1 lead in the 70th minute, but Germany's Kai Havertz answered with the first of his two goals three minutes later. Niclas Füllkrug provided the final tally.

Germany's failure to advance for the second straight World Cup is a remarkable fall for a national team that won the event in 2014, finished third in 2010 and 2006 and was the runner-up in 2002.

On Thursday, both Group E and Group F had surprising group winners. Group E champion Japan will face Croatia in the round of 16 on Monday. Group F winner Morocco will face Spain on Tuesday.

The World Cup continues Friday, when the round of 16 will be set after the finales in Group G and Group H.

--IANS
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Mumbai, Dec 2 (IANS) The big names of modern-day cricket like England Test captain Ben Stokes, all-rounder Sam Curran, Australian all-rounder Cameron Green, and New Zealand captain Kane Williamson are among the players with the maximum reserve price of INR 2 crore as a total of 991 players including 714 Indian and 277 overseas have registered to be part of the IPL 2023 Player Auction, which is set to take place on December 23 in Kochi.

Apart from Stokes, Curran, Green and Williamson, the likes of Nicholas Pooran, Chris Jordan, Rilee Rossouw, and Rassie van der Dussen are the other noticeable names among 21 players, who have been included in the highest bracket.

A notable exclusion from the overall list is veteran Australian pacer Mitchell Starc who hasn't registered. On the other hand, Australia's Test and ODI captain Pat Cummins had earlier pulled out citing workload issues.

The IPL Player Registration closed on November 30, 2022, and the long list includes 185 capped, 786 uncapped and 20 players from associate nations.

As per a BCCI release, the players have been divided into various categories -- capped Indian (19 players), capped international (166), associate (20), uncapped Indians who were a part of previous IPL seasons (91), uncapped international who were a part of previous IPL seasons (3), uncapped Indians (604 players), uncapped Internationals (88 players).

Notably, if every franchise were to have a maximum of 25 players in their squad, 87 players are available to be bought in the auction (of which up to 30 players can be overseas players).

In what is a first, not one Indian player is listed in the highest reserve price band of Rs 2 crore. Amongst the Indian players registered, those with a base price of Rs 1 crore are Mayank Agarwal, Manish Pandey and Kedar Jadhav.

Indian national players like Ajinkya Rahane, and Ishant Sharma, who are not in the scheme of things as of now, have reduced their prices for the auction. Rahane's base price this time is Rs 50 lakh while Ishant, who had gone unsold in 2022, is asking for Rs 75 lakh.

Left-arm fast bowler Jaydev Unadkat, who has been among the highest-paid players at IPL auctions, has listed his base price at Rs 50 lakh. Unadkat, who has been in great form having led Saurashtra to the Vijay Hazare Trophy final, where he is the leading wicket-taker, was released by Mumbai Indians, who had bought him for Rs 1.3 crore in 2022.

Last month, franchises had announced the list of their retained and released players and the Sunrisers had the largest purse (Rs 42.25 crore) for the auction, followed by Punjab (Rs 32.20 crore), Lucknow (Rs 23.35 crore), Mumbai (Rs 20.55 crore), Chennai (Rs 20.45 crore), Delhi (Rs 19.45 crore), Gujarat (Rs 19.25 crore), Rajasthan Royals (Rs 13.2 crore), RCB (Rs 8.75 crore) and KKR (Rs 7.05 crore).

The Rs 2 crore list: Nathan Coulter-Nile, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Chris Lynn, Tom Banton, Sam Curran, Chris Jordan, Tymal Mills, Jamie Overton, Craig Overton, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Ben Stokes, Adam Milne, Jimmy Neesham, Kane Williamson, Rilee Rossouw, Rassie van der Dussen, Angelo Mathews, Nicholas Pooran and Jason Holder.

The Rs 1.5 crore list: Sean Abbott, Riley Meredith, Jhye Richardson, Adam Zampa, Shakib Al Hasan, Harry Brook, Will Jacks, Dawid Malan, Jason Roy, Sherfane Rutherford

The Rs 1 crore list: Mayank Agarwal, Kedar Jadhav, Manish Pandey, Mohammad Nabi, Mujeeb ur Rahman, Moises Henriques, Andrew Tye, Joe Root, Luke Wood, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Martin Guptill, Kyle Jamieson, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Heinrich Klaasen, Tabraiz Shamsi, Kusal Perera, Roston Chase, Rakheem Cornwall, Shai Hope, Akeal Hossein, David Wiese

--IANS

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Doha (Qatar), Dec 1 (IANS) The 2018 runners-up Croatia survived some anxious moments in their Group F goalless draw against Belgium but made it to the Knockout stage of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

At the Ahmad bin Ali Stadium in Al Rayyan, Croatia made it to the last 16 stage as group runners-up while the draw meant World No.2 side Belgium had to make an early exit from the football showpiece event.

The disappointment of the tournament were Belgium which only had four points from three matches, winning one, losing one and drawing one and crashing out of the tournament.

Group F runners-up Croatia go through to play the winners in Group E in the last 16, while Morocco qualify for the knockout stage for the first time in 36 years, emerging as group winners. They will meet the runners-up of Group E, which contains Costa Rica, Germany, Japan and Spain, in the last 16.

The Atlas Lions started their Qatar campaign with a 0-0 draw against Croatia and added another feather in the cap by defeating Word No.2 Belgium 2-0 a few days ago. With Thursday's win, their second in the group, they finished with seven points and topped the group.

Croatia finished second in the group with one win and two draws collecting five points and will face Group E winners, which are most likely to be Spain.

Among the teams which had already qualified for the World Cup on Wednesday were Australia, France, Portugal, Brazil, Senegal, The Netherlands, Argentina, Poland, USA and England.

The opening half produced next to nothing in the way of notable action -- save for a penalty awarded to Croatia but overturned by the VAR, who detected Dejan Lovren stepping marginally offside prior to Yannick Carrasco's foul on Andrej Kramaric.

Romelu Lukaku, who replaced Dries Mertens at half-time, came into the game with intent and immediately brought additional energy to the Belgium side.

But his missed opportunities in the second half proved costly, with each one bringing an audible collective groan from the stands and Inter Milan striker punched the dugout in frustration after the final whistle.

Croatia were unconvincing -- they had a penalty ruled out by VAR due to an offside in the build-up in the first half -- but did enough to secure progression.

However, they looked a level below what they showed to reach the final in Russia four years ago and their celebrations were fairly subdued after scraping through.

The golden Belgian generation led by Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku probably missed the last chance of winning a World Cup after they failed to break the deadlock against Croatia despite several clear chances in the second half.

--IANS

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