Sports

Dubai, Sep 5 (IANS) India batter Jemimah Rodrigues, who turned 22 on Monday, has been shortlisted for the ICC Women's Player of the Month award for August 2022, following notable contributions at the crease in her side's surge to clinching a silver medal in women's T20 event of 2022 Commonwealth Games at Edgbaston in Birmingham.

Apart from Jemimah, Australians, all-rounder Tahlia McGrath and batter Beth Mooney have also been nominated for the award due to their starring contributions with bat and ball on the way for the Meg Lanning-led side to win the gold medal in women's T20 cricket's inaugural outing in the multi-nation event.

August was a prolific month for Jemimah, and despite falling agonizingly short at the final hurdle, she played a crucial role in helping her side celebrate silver medal success at Birmingham '22. Her score of 33 in the final got her side within touching distance of the top prize.

But it was perhaps Jemimah's vital contribution of 44 not out against England in the semi-final which was most important during the tournament, ensuring India took to the field in the first-ever appearance of women's T20 cricket at the Commonwealth Games. Overall, Jemimah scored 146 runs in the multi-nation event.

Tahlia was a key member of Australia's gold medal winning team, taking five wickets at an average of 13.40 and scoring 114 runs throughout August. Despite a quiet showing in the final itself despite testing Covid-19 positive, her star performance came in the victory over Pakistan.

In that match, she scored 78 not out, took three wickets and registered a run out. This run of performances also helped her reach her career-high ranking of 12th among all-rounders in the ICC Women's T20I Player Rankings.

Beth's nomination comes following an outstanding array of performances to secure a gold medal for Australia. She registered a remarkable 167 runs in her three T20Is during August, and followed up her half-century in the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup Final victory back in April with a match-winning score of 62 against India in the gold medal match of the Commonwealth Games.

Jemimah, whose time at The Hundred with Northern Superchargers was cut short due to hand injury, may be seen in action when India play England in the first of three T20Is at Durham on Saturday. After three T20Is, three ODIs will follow till September 24.


--IANS
nr/inj

Dubai, Sep 5 (IANS) The cricketing fraternity has come out strongly in support of India's young left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh over his dropped catch of Pakistan batter Asif Ali, who went on to apply the finishing touches for Pakistan in their successful chase of 182 in a thrilling Super Four match here.

In the third ball of the 18th over, when Pakistan needed 32 runs off 15 balls, Ali had slog-swept off leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi. But he got a thick top-edge, which flew towards short third man. Arshdeep, stationed there, put down the sitter as the ball went through his hands. If Arshdeep had taken the catch, Ali would have been out for a duck.

Eventually, Arshdeep trapped Ali lbw in the final over with a pin-point yorker. But by then, he had made 16 runs off eight balls. But with two needed off the last two balls, Pakistan won it as Iftikhar Ahmed got the needed runs with a drive down the ground.

Even before the run was completed, Arshdeep had flicked out the bails at the non-striker's end in disappointment. His team-mates had run in to pat his back and console him after the match ended, where Arshdeep had figures of 1/27 in 3.5 overs. Unsurprisingly, he was viciously trolled on social media due to dropping Ali's catch and it led many people in the cricketing world to tweet out in support of him.

"Stop criticising young @arshdeepsinghh No one drop the catch purposely..we are proud of our boys .. Pakistan played better.. shame on such people who r putting our own guys down by saying cheap things on this platform bout arsh and team.. Arsh is GOLD," tweeted former India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh.

Opener Abhinav Mukund recalled on Twitter how he had felt after dropping Steve Smith on 37 at short-leg during the 2017 Pune Test. Smith went on to hit a match-winning century for Australia. He asked fans to not be harsh on Arshdeep over his dropped catch.

"After dropping steve smith in the pune test, i was absolutely inconsolable for hours alone in my room. I really hope @arshdeepsinghh doesnt feel that way. He will be more gutted than anyone else in our country tonight. Lets cut him some slack!"

Former India left-arm pacer Irfan Pathan tweeted, "Arshdeep is a strong character. Stay that way boy."

"My request to all Indian team fans. In sports we make mistakes as we r human. Please don't humiliate anyone on these mistakes @arshdeepsinghh," tweeted former Pakistan all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez.

Arshdeep's IPL side, Punjab Kings, also tweeted in support of him. "We are with you Arsh."

India's next Super Four match in Asia Cup 2022 will be against Sri Lanka at Dubai on Tuesday.

--IANS
nr/cs

Dubai, Sep 5 (IANS) Stylish batter Virat Kohli recalled the time when he left Test captaincy in January 2022 after the series against South Africa and said that former Indian skipper MS Dhoni was the only person who texted him after his decision.

"When I left Test captaincy, I received a text from only one person that I have played with earlier, and that is MS Dhoni," Kohli said in a media interaction after the Asia Cup match between India and Pakistan on Sunday.

"Many people have my contact number, and there are many people who keep giving suggestions on TV, but I didn't receive a message from any of them. So when a connection with any person is genuine enough, it comes out in such a manner, because there is a sense of security on both sides.

"Neither I want anything from him, nor does he want anything from me. And neither was I ever insecure of him, nor was he insecure of me about anything," Kohli added.
He further said if someone was actually interested in helping him out, they would have contacted him personally.

"If their criticism was genuine, they could have messaged me in person. The way I live my life with honesty, I would have talked one-on-one with a person that I wanted to help out."

Earlier on Sunday, Kohli equalled the record for most fifties in T20Is against Pakistan. Kohli smashed his 32nd T20I fifty (60 off 44). The half-century was Kohli's fourth against Pakistan in T20Is.

He had also made a half-century against Pakistan in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup match last year at the same venue.

Kohli's impressive run against Pakistan is reflected in his numbers: a total of 406 runs against them, the most by an Indian against Pakistan in T20Is, at an average of 67.66 and a strike rate of 119.06.

--IANS
cs

Dubai, Sep 5 (IANS) India skipper Rohit Sharma admitted that losing wickets of Rishabh Pant and Hardik Pandya in quick succession was something that was not needed for the side at that juncture of the match.

Pushed into batting first, Rohit and K.L Rahul came out all guns blazing in a 54-run opening stand as India reverted back to their aggressive attacking approach. Virat Kohli top-scored for India with 60 off 44 balls, hitting four fours and a six while running hard between the wickets and was superb against pacers.

But Pant and Pandya fell in a span of six balls in a bid to go big. While Pant reverse-swept straight to backward point off Shadab Khan, Pandya, hero of India's five-wicket win over Pakistan in Group A match, punched a cross-seam ball from Mohammad Hasnain straight to a forward diving short mid-wicket to depart for a two-ball duck.

"The form is brilliant (talking about Kohli), there's no doubt about that. Needed someone to bat long when the others were getting out. He batted with that tempo as well. Virat getting that score was crucial from the team's point of view."

"Wickets of Hardik and Rishabh was not needed at that time. But we want to play with an open mindset. While taking that approach you'll not always have success," said Sharma in the post-match presentation ceremony.

Sharma went on to say that despite the five-wicket loss in the Super Four match, India will take a lot of learnings with them in terms of defending totals. "We understand the pitch gets slightly better in the second innings. It's a good learning for us. I thought it was a good score."

"Any pitch, any conditions when you get 180 it's a good score. We got to learn a lot today -- what sort of mindset we need to have when defending a score like that. Like I said you've got to give credit to Pakistan. They've played better than us."

Chasing a competitive 181/7, Mohammad Rizwan anchored the chase with a 51-ball 71. But the game turner was Nawaz's promotion to four, striking 42 off 20 balls, including six fours and two sixes, adding a much-needed impetus to Pakistan's chase with the duo sharing a 73-run stand.

"It's a high-pressure game, we know that. You've got to be at it every time. A game like that can take a lot. We were calm even when there was a partnership between Rizwan and Nawaz. But that partnership obviously went a little long and they batted brilliantly," observed Rohit.

For the second time in Asia Cup 2022, an India-Pakistan match went down the wire and the result came in the final over yet again.

"Games like this can bring the best out of them if they deliver. These are the games that can make them. They've done it in the past. There's a class on the other team as well. And we're not surprised with that," concluded Rohit.

--IANS

nr/bsk

Dubai, Sep 5 (IANS) For the second time in a week, an India-Pakistan match went down the wire. For the second time in Asia Cup 2022, the outcome of an India-Pakistan match was decided in the final over.

But this time, Pakistan were on the winning side, defeating India by five wickets, with a ball to spare in the second Super Four stage match at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday. In a match, where fortunes swung wildly, left-arm spin all-rounder Mohammad Nawaz played a decisive role.

With his four overs, Nawaz conceded just 25 runs and took out Suryakumar Yadav in a tight spell which applied brakes on India's innings after Rohit Sharma and K.L Rahul came out all guns blazing in a 54-run opening stand.

Reverting back to their aggressive attacking approach, Virat Kohli top-scored with 60 off 44 balls, hitting four fours and a six, while running hard between the wickets and was superb against pacers in an innings even as others hit boundaries and fell in a bid to go big.

Chasing a competitive 181/7, Mohammad Rizwan anchored the chase with a 51-ball 71. But the game turner was Nawaz's promotion to four, striking 42 off 20 balls, including six fours and two sixes, giving a much-needed impetus to Pakistan's chase.

With 26 runs needed from the last two overs, Khushdil Shah and Asif Ali took 19 runs off Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the 19th over. Arshdeep Singh, who dropped Ali for duck an over earlier, got the equation to two runs off two balls. But Iftikhar Ahmed sealed the match in Pakistan's favour with a ball to spare.

Sharma and Rahul gave India a rollicking start by hitting eight boundaries to get the team fifty in 4.2 overs. Haris Rauf broke the opening stand in the final over of the powerplay, as Sharma mishit a slower ball to point.

India's second wicket fell on the very first ball post-powerplay as Rahul holed out to long-on off Shadab. Kohli began by getting two fours to continue India's high-risk approach. But he ran out of partners from the other end as Nawaz struck in the tenth over, having Suryakumar Yadav slog-sweeping straight to backward square leg.

With Nawaz keeping things tight, Kohli took to taking fours off Shah and Hasnain through pulls and drives. But Rishabh Pant, after hitting two fours, reverse-swept straight to backward point off leggie Shadab Khan. In the next over, Hardik Pandya punched a cross-seam ball from Mohammad Hasnain straight to a forward diving short mid-wicket to depart for a two-ball duck.

Deepak Hooda's first four was driven firmly through the gap between mid-off and extra cover off Rauf. He then arched back to ramp a bouncer from Hasnain over the keeper's head. Kohli got his fifty in 36 balls with some style, whipping Hasnain over deep mid-wicket for six.

The last two overs didn't bring a glorious finish for India as Hooda skied high to long-on off Shah while Kohli fell inches short of his crease while trying to complete the second run. But misfields in the deep on the last two balls gave India back-to-back fours, taking the total above 180.

In defence of 181, leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi struck in his first over as Babar Azam chipped straight to mid-wicket. Rizwan didn't let the tempo down, taking two fours off Pandya's first over and then whipping Arshdeep superbly off his wrists over a backward square leg.

Post power-play, India kept things tight by keeping Fakhar Zaman under check. They were rewarded when an under-pressure Zaman holed out straight to long-on off Yuzvendra Chahal.

Nawaz, promoted to four, began by cutting Chahal past short third man for four. He then clobbered Pandya over long-on for a much-needed six. While Rizwan slog-swept Chahal for six over mid-wicket, Nawaz also nailed the same shot off Bishnoi.

Rizwan, who was once at 13 off 14, got his fifty in 37 balls while Nawaz hammered Arshdeep down the ground and slammed fours off Pandya throu'h cover and over the keeper's head to keep Pakistan in the match.

Nawaz then capitalised on Chahal's loose deliveries by placing fours through leg-side, before Rizwan cut through backward point to pick the third four in a 16-run 15th over. Bhuvneshwar broke the 73-run stand in the 16th over by having the dangerous Nawaz give a comfortable catch to long-off on an off-cutter. Pandya's strategy to bowl outside off worked when Rizwan lofted a slower ball straight to long-off.

Ali survived a tight caught behind call off Bishnoi in the 18th over and got a reprieve on the very next ball as Arshdeep dropped a sitter at short third man. With the equation at 26 off 12 balls, Ali, Shah and Ahmed managed to complete a terrific chase for Pakistan.

Brief Scores: India 181/7 in 20 overs (Virat Kohli 60, Rohit Sharma 28; Shadab Khan 2/31, Mohammad Nawaz 1/25) lost to Pakistan 182/5 in 19.5 overs (Mohammad Rizwan 71, Mohammad Nawaz 42; Ravi Bishnoi 1/26, Bhuvneshwar Kumar 1/40) by five wickets

--IANS

nr/bsk

Ahmedabad, Sep 4 (IANS) Union home minister Amit Shah on Saturday declared that the city of Ahmedabad would soon be developed into the biggest sports city in the world.

Speaking at the unveiling function of the anthem and mascot for the 36th National Games at the EKA Arena, TransStadia here in Ahmedabad, Shah, said: "Ten years ago, when Modiji was the chief minister here, he started the Khel Mahakumbh. At that time Gujarat was nowhere in sports on the global map.

"Now, we have the Narendra Modi Stadium, the largest stadium in the world, and very soon we will have the world's biggest sports city too," Shah said, addressing over 10,000 people at the majestic venue.

The Home Minister, who is also the MP from Gandhi Nagar, led a power-packed audience at the glittering curtain-function, including Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Anurag Thakur. The country's grandest sporting extravaganza will take place in six cities of Gujarat, from September 29 to October 12.

"Once upon a time, we Gujjus were mostly seen as just businessmen. But Modiji started Khel Mahakumbh 11 years back and that event has become so big that as many as 55 lakh youngsters took part in this edition. We even offered a whopping Rs 29 crore as prize money to the winners," Gujarat chief minister Bhupendra Patel said.

"We are delighted that the National Games are back after 7 years and this one will be the biggest and grandest ever," Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur said.

"It normally takes years to organise an event of this scale but Gujarat did this in less than three months. It is all thanks to the efforts of the CM, with IOA supporting our initiative in a big way. Over 12,000 athletes, officials and support stage will enjoy not only the sporting extravaganza but also the Garba here," he added.

Top dignitaries from the world of politics and sport were present on the occasion.

Aptly titled Saavaj, lion in Gujarati, the mascot represents India's cultural heritage while also giving a glimpse of a rapidly growing India which is set to become a global leader again.

The anthem of the Games, encapsulating the philosophy of Judega India, Jitega India, has been rendered by Bollywood star singer Sukhwinder Singh.

The lyrics of the national sports festival's theme song inspire the youth of the country to connect and conquer historic places like the Statue of Unity and Sabarmati. Embellished with impressive sports scenes, the theme song captures the heart of how athletes triumph despite adversity.

--IANS

bsk

Dubai, Sep 4 (IANS) Virat Kohli slammed his second consecutive fifty in as many matches as India posted a competitive 181/7 against Pakistan in the second Super Four match of Asia Cup 2022 at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday.

Pushed into batting first, Kohli top-scored with 60 off 44 balls, hitting four fours and a six, while running hard between the wickets and was superb against pacers in an innings where India reverted back to its aggressive attacking approach.

Kohli's knock came after the opening pair of captain Rohit Sharma and K.L Rahul came out all guns blazing in a 54-run opening stand. For Pakistan, spinners Mohammad Nawaz (1-25) and Shadab Khan (2-31) bowled eight overs between themselves and conceded just 56 runs. Pacers Naseem Shah, Mohammad Hasnain and Haris Rauf had a wicket apiece.

Sharma gave India a rollicking start, dancing down the pitch to lift Shah over cover for four and ended the 10-run opening over with a pulled six over deep mid-wicket. He then elegantly lofted Hasnain for another four over mid-off.

Rahul joined the boundary-hitting party with a brace of sixes off Shah in the third over. A beautiful lofted off-drive went over wide long-off while a flicked loft off the wrists was slammed straight down the ground.

Sharma's carnage continued as he crunched a drive past cover for four and pulled Rauf on the very next ball over deep mid-wicket for six. Rahul got India's fifty in 4.2 overs by dancing down the pitch to hammer Nawaz down the ground for four.

Rauf broke the 54-run opening stand in the final over of the powerplay, as Sharma mishit a slower ball to point. India's second wicket fell on the very first ball post-powerplay as Rahul holed out to long-on off Shadab.

Suryakumar Yadav and Kohli got two fours each to continue India's high-risk approach. But Nawaz struck in the tenth over, having Suryakumar slog-sweeping straight to backward square leg.

With Nawaz keeping things tight, Kohli took to taking fours off Shah and Hasnain through pull and drive. Rishabh Pant hoicked hard off Shah and had an outer edge on a slog off Shadab for a brace of fours.

But the leg-spinner had the last laugh as Pant reverse-swept straight to backward point. In the next over, Hardik Pandya punched a cross-seam ball from Hasnain straight to a forward diving short mid-wicket to depart for a two-ball duck.

Deepak Hooda's first four was driven firmly through the gap between mid-off and extra cover off Rauf. He then arched back to ramp a bouncer from Hasnain over the keeper's head. Kohli got his fifty in 36 balls with some style, shuffling towards off-side and whipping Hasnain over deep mid-wicket for six.

The last two overs didn't bring a glorious finish for India as Deepak Hooda skied high to long-on off Shah while Kohli fell inches short of his crease while trying to complete the second run. But misfields in the deep on the last two balls gave India back-to-back fours and took the total above 180.

Brief scores: India 181/7 in 20 overs (Virat Kohli 60, Rohit Sharma 28; Shadab Khan 2-31, Mohammad Nawaz 1-25) against Pakistan

--IANS

nr/bsk

New Delhi, Sep 4 (IANS) The All India Football Federation (AIFF) President Kalyan Chaubey, on Sunday stressed on the importance of engaging in dialogue and finding solutions in order to prepare and implement a "time-based roadmap" for Indian Football.

"India is a diverse country and therefore, the solutions for the betterment of football must be specific as per our need. No cut and paste clarification is available for that. Therefore, the most important part is to engage in inclusive dialogues to identify usable solutions for our own football-centric challenges," Chaubey said.

The newly-elected AIFF president Chaubey was speaking at the three-day third edition of Global Soccer Conclave jointly organised by Sports Tech giants, Tech Mahindra, Amazon, Government of Odisha, FICCI and sports edtech leader, Sportz Next in Mumbai.

"AIFF will facilitate the process and ultimately strategise a time-based roadmap to ensure empowerment of football ecosystem in every state," he added. "Youth development, quality human resources, and above all accountability can ultimately bring winning performance inside the pitch as well as outside."

Chaubey said that the newly-elected committee has the necessary experience to take up the challenges and reach the destination.

"The challenges can be tough, but the newly-elected committee has the necessary experience to take up the challenges and reach the destination. The problems don't have quick-fix answers. But I can promise that there will be sustainable solutions, and they will bring results. I assure you that we have already started moving towards that direction by creating various high-power committees to suggest the solutions that we are looking for," he said.

--IANS

inj/bsk

Dubai, Sep 4 (IANS) Former India head coach Ravi Shastri believes talismanic batter Virat Kohli looks a lot calmer after returning from the one-and-a-half break to return for Asia Cup 2022. Shastri added that the break taken by Kohli after India's tour of England ended was a much-needed one.

Kohli, in a prolonged lean patch seen from him not scoring a century in international cricket since November 2019, began Asia Cup 2022 with a crucial 35 in the thrilling five-wicket win over Pakistan in India's first Group A match. He then scored an unbeaten 59 in India's second Group A win over Hong Kong.

"Virat Kohli looks a lot calmer, he needed that break. When you are mentally tired, you are fighting against yourself. Your body tells you something to do, your mind tells you something to do, but you can't take it. The break could have helped him. The fact that he spent some time on the field would also help him," said Shastri ahead of India's Super Four match against Pakistan at the Dubai International Stadium.

Meanwhile, former Pakistan left-arm pacer Wasim Akram urged fans from both teams to not go overboard irrespective of what the result is at the end of the match. "And that's where we experts have to suggest to fans from both India and Pakistan. The teams will compete, and they will give their 100 percent, day in and day out. But in the end, it's a game of cricket. Somebody has to win, somebody has to lose.

"Any team loses, just say 'bad luck, well tried, better luck next time'. Whichever team wins, 'well played'. We (fans) just go overboard, we players, once the game is finished, we move on very quickly. We have to motivate ourselves again. So that's very important for cricket fans, both sides."

Shastri agreed with Akram's comments, conceding the India-Pakistan contest is totally "over-hyped" from the outside. "It's over-hyped from the outside. There is no love lost. The players will go at each other's throats on the field. That's how it should be."

"There's a great rivalry. It's the biggest box office when it comes to a game of cricket. You look at the first game of the Asia Cup, every time these two teams play, it's massive."

--IANS

nr/bsk

Dubai, Sep 4 (IANS) Pakistan captain Babar Azam has won the toss and elected to bowl first against India in the second Super Four match of Asia Cup 2022 at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday.

India have brought in Hardik Pandya (rested from the previous match against Hong Kong), Deepak Hooda and Ravi Bishnoi in their playing eleven in place of injured Ravindra Jadeja (out of the tournament due to right knee injury), Dinesh Karthik and Avesh Khan, meaning Rishabh Pant will keep wickets.

Pakistan, on the other hand, got in pacer Mohammad Hasnain in their playing eleven, replacing fellow fast bowler Shahnawaz Dahani, who is out due to a suspected side strain.

"The dew could be a factor, that's the reason we're bowling first. We had a lot of positives from the last match against India. The message is to play positively," said Azam after winning the toss.

In the last meeting between these two teams in Group A match last Sunday, on the back of Hardik Pandya's 3/25 and unbeaten 33 off 17 balls, with contributions from Jadeja (35 off 29 balls) and Bhuvneshwar Kumar (4/26), India won in thrilling fashion by five wickets and two balls remaining.

India skipper Rohit Sharma said he would have opted to bowl first too. "But now we need to play freely and assess a good score on this pitch. Momentum counts in this format, you've to be on the money from the start, not worry about external pressures. Injury is something we can't control, Jadeja has been ruled out and he's back home. It was a headache to select the playing XI."

Before the toss, Sanjay Manjrekar said the pitch has an even covering of grass and expected it to play true, instead of two-paced. Wasim Akram, on the other hand, felt there should be more carry for the fast bowlers and that opting to bowl first after winning the toss should be ideal.

Playing XIs:

India: K.L Rahul, Rohit Sharma (c), Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wk), Deepak Hooda, Hardik Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ravi Bishnoi, Yuzvendra Chahal and Arshdeep Singh

Pakistan: Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Fakhar Zaman, Iftikhar Ahmed, Khushdil Shah, Shadab Khan, Asif Ali, Mohammad Nawaz, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah and Mohammad Hasnain

--IANS

nr/bsk