DHAKA: Zakir Hasan and Najmul Hossain both hit unbeaten half-centuries to guide Bangladesh to 134-1 in their second innings and consolidate the hosts’ control in their one-off Test against Afghanistan in Dhaka on Thursday.
Bangladesh decided against enforcing the follow-on despite taking a 236-run lead in the first innings and were up by 370 at stumps on the second day, with Zakir and Najmul unbeaten on 54 apiece.
The pair added 116 runs in their unbroken second-wicket stand with Mahmudul Hasan (17) the only batsman so far dismissed in the second innings.
Ebadot Hossain returned figures of 4-47 with Bangladesh needing just three overs after tea to wrap up the Afghan innings, with the tourists bowled out for just 146.
Spinners Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Taijul Islam dismissed the final two batsmen, ending with two wickets apiece.
Ebadot and Shoriful Islam reduced Afghanistan to 51-4 shortly after the lunch break, before Nasir Jamal and Afsar Zazai put up some resistance with a 65-run fifth-wicket stand.
Mehidy broke the partnership by trapping Jamal lbw for 35 and Ebadot soon dismissed Afsar for 36 to expose Afghanistan’s tail.
Bangladesh resumed their first innings at 362-5 but were all out for 382 early in the morning as the hosts lost their last five wickets for just nine runs.
Nijat Masood claimed 5-79 on debut for Afghanistan, while pacer Yamin Ahmadzai finished with 2-39.
But Afghanistan then lost three wickets in quick succession to spoil their storming start to the day.
Ibrahim Zadran nicked Shoriful and was out for six, while fellow opener Abdul Malik made 17 before falling to Ebadot, Zakir taking a sharp low catch at third slip.
Rahmat Shah was next to fall after he holed out to Taskin Ahmed at midwicket off Ebadot for nine.
Afghan skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi departed for nine after the break.
The hosts had shown some positive intent to build on their overnight total before their sudden collapse.
Mehidy was unbeaten overnight but flashed a catch to Amir Hamza at gully off Yamin to end his promising innings at 48.
Mushfiqur Rahim (47) and Taijul Islam (0) followed Mehidy in the next over from Nijat, before Yamin dismissed Taskin for two.
Nijat then bowled Shoriful to complete his five-for and wrap up the Bangladesh innings in unexpectedly swift style.
Afghanistan won the only other Test between the two teams when they beat the home side by 224 runs at Chittagong in 2019.
Zakir, Najmul fifties give Bangladesh huge lead over Afghanistan
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Zakir, Najmul fifties give Bangladesh huge lead over Afghanistan
- Bangladesh decided against enforcing the follow-on despite taking a 236-run lead in the first innings and were up by 370 at stumps on the second day
- Zakir and Najmul added 116 runs in their unbroken second-wicket stand with Mahmudul Hasan (17) the only batsman so far dismissed in the second innings
Chahal stars as Punjab defend IPL’s lowest total of 111 in ‘best win’
- Kolkata looked to be cruising at 62-2 before Chahal cut through the chase with his leg-spin, and the side collapsed to 95 all out in 15.1 overs
- Punjab were earlier bowled out for 111 in 15.3 overs but Chahal and company turned the match on its head
CHANDIGARH: Spinner Yuzvendra Chahal returned figures of 4-28 as Punjab Kings defended IPL’s lowest ever total of 111 to down holders Kolkata Knight Riders by 16 runs in a thriller on Tuesday.
Kolkata looked to be cruising at 62-2 before Chahal cut through the chase with his leg-spin, and the side collapsed to 95 all out in 15.1 overs at Mullanpur, near Chandigarh.
Punjab were earlier bowled out for 111 in 15.3 overs but Chahal and company turned the match on its head to better Chennai Super Kings’ record — they defended 116 against them (formerly Kings XI Punjab) in 2009.
Kolkata’s Andre Russell attempted to pull off the chase from 79-8 when he hit two sixes and a four off Chahal but Punjab held their nerve.
Arshdeep Singh sent back Vaibhav Arora and then fellow left-arm quick Marco Jansen bowled Russell to trigger wild celebrations in Punjab’s home ground.
“I have coached a lot of games in the IPL and that might just be about the best win I ever had,” head coach Ricky Ponting said after the close contest.
Kolkata skipper Ajinkya Rahane and impact substitute Angkrish Raghuvanshi put on 55 runs for the third wicket when Chahal broke through to get the captain back in the pavilion lbw.
Ball tracker suggested the ball was outside the off stump, but Rahane did not take the review.
“Pretty disappointed with the effort,” said Rahane. “I’ll take the blame, played the wrong shot, although it was missing.”
Chahal, with his tail now up, got Raghuvanshi caught out in the next over for 37 and the Punjab were in the game when Glenn Maxwell had Venkatesh Iyer lbw for seven.
Chahal then got two in two — Rinku Singh stumped and Ramandeep Singh out for a golden duck — before Harshit Rana avoided the hat-trick ball.
But the day belonged Chahal and Punjab who moved into the top four of the 10-team table with their fourth win in six matches.
Ponting said Chahal, who was named player of the match, had a fitness test before the game for a shoulder injury he picked in his previous outing.
Earlier, Rana rattled the Punjab top-order after a brisk start by the openers and returned figures of 3-25 from his three overs.
New batting sensation Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh made the hosts race to 39 in 3.1 overs, before Rana struck to send back the left-handed Arya caught at fine leg for 22.
Rana got one more wicket two balls later when Ramandeep pulled off a stunning catch in the deep to dismiss skipper Shreyas Iyer, for a duck.
Spinner Varun Chakravarthy joined forces in the next over to have Punjab’s England import Josh Inglis bowled for two.
Prabhsimran, who made 30, attempted to hit back with two sixes off Rana but the bowler had the last laugh with Ramandeep once again taking a catch at point.
Chakravarthy and fellow spinner Sunil Narine kept striking regular blows as Punjab’s batting faltered only for their bowlers to ultimately save the day.
Dhoni snaps Chennai’s five-match IPL losing streak
- Chasing a tricky 167, Chennai rode on an unbeaten stand of 57 between Shivam Dube, who hit 43, and Dhoni to achieve their target
- Result snapped Chennai’s streak of losses but they still remain bottom of the 10-team table with two wins in seven matches
LUCKNOW: Former India captain M.S. Dhoni rolled back the years with an unbeaten 26 as Chennai Super Kings bounced back from five losses to down Lucknow Super Giants by five wickets in the IPL on Monday.
Chasing a tricky 167, Chennai rode on an unbeaten stand of 57 between Shivam Dube, who hit 43, and Dhoni to achieve their target with three balls to spare at Lucknow’s Ekana Stadium.
The 43-year-old Dhoni, who took over as captain from the injured Ruturaj Gaikwad in their previous defeat, strode in at number seven and smashed four fours and a six in his 11-ball knock to silence suggestions that he had lost his touch as a master finisher.
The left-handed Dube, who came in as an impact substitute for the five-time champions, got the winning boundary in his 37-ball knock.
The result snapped Chennai’s streak of losses but they still remain bottom of the 10-team table with two wins in seven matches.
They started strongly with openers Shaik Rasheed and New Zealand’s Rachin Ravindra, who hit 37, putting together a 52-run partnership inside five overs.
Pace bowler Avesh Khan struck first to cut short Rasheed’s knock on 27 and Lucknow’s ploy to bring in part-time spinner Aiden Markram worked when the South African dismissed the left-handed Ravindra.
Impact substitute Ravi Bishnoi struck with two key blows as he caught and bowled Rahul Tripathi for nine and then had Ravindra Jadeja taken at long-on for seven to dent Chennai’s chase.
But Dube took charge and took Chennai over the line alongside Dhoni who walked in to loud cheers from the Lucknow crowd largely supporting Chennai.
Lucknow suffered their third loss in seven matches but can take consolation from skipper Rishabh Pant’s back-to-form 63 in their 166-7 after being invited to bat first.
Wicketkeeper-batsman Pant, who had scores of 0, 15, 2, 2, 21 in his previous five innings, started cautiously with Lucknow on 23-2.
The swashbuckling left-hander played six dot balls to Afghanistan left-arm wrist spinner Noor Ahmad in the middle of his knock but finished with four fours and fours sixes in his 49-ball stay.
Pant’s innings involved key stands, adding 50 with Mitchell Marsh, who hit 30 on his return after he missed the previous match, and 53 with Abdul Samad, who made 20.
Pant finally fell to Sri Lanka pace bowler Matheesha Pathirana, who took two wickets in the 20th over.
Jadeja stood out with figures of 2-24 in his three overs of left-arm spin.
Afghanistan women’s team gets funding from the International Cricket Council
- The International Cricket Council released a statement late Sunday saying it reached an agreement with the sport’s national associations in Australia, India and England to support the displaced Afghan women’s players
- An Afghanistan Women’s XI played a Cricket Without Borders XI at Melbourne’s Junction Oval in an exhibition match supported by the Australian government in January
MELBOURNE: Afghan women cricketers will finally get high-level support in a bid to rejoin international competition after the sport’s world governing body created a taskforce to coordinate direct funding, elite coaching and facilities for displaced players.
Dozens of players from Afghanistan’s national women’s team relocated to Australia after the Taliban retook control of the country in 2021 and enforced bans on women’s sports. The players have been seeking official support ever since.
The International Cricket Council released a statement late Sunday saying it reached an agreement with the sport’s national associations in Australia, India and England to support the displaced Afghan women’s players.
ICC chairman Jay Shah said his organization is “deeply committed to fostering inclusivity and ensuring every cricketer has the opportunity to shine, regardless of their circumstances.”
“The ICC believes this (support fund) will not only help preserve the sporting careers of Afghan women cricketers but also reinforce the sport’s role as a unifying force that transcends borders and adversity,” he said.
An Afghanistan Women’s XI played a Cricket Without Borders XI at Melbourne’s Junction Oval in an exhibition match supported by the Australian government in January, bringing together 21 female players who were formerly contracted to the Afghanistan Cricket Board.
Since leaving Afghanistan many of the women cricketers have been based in the Australian capital and in Melbourne and playing for club teams in local competitions.
Firooza Amiri said ahead of that exhibition match in January that her team “represents millions of women in Afghanistan who are denied their rights.”
Amiri fled her home country with her family and first traveled to Pakistan before being evacuated to Australia.
Under Taliban rule, the Afghanistan Cricket Board cannot field a national women’s team because the country’s laws forbid women from playing sport, studying and medical education, moves that have been criticized by world groups including the International Criminal Court.
Afghanistan is a full member of the International Cricket Council and a condition of that status should require it to have a women’s national team.
England and Australia have refused to participate in direct series against Afghanistan in protest, but continue to play against the Afghan men in ICC events.
It was the Afghanistan men’s historic run to the semifinals of the Twenty20 World Cup last year that sparked the women’s team members to again approach the ICC about funding.
The group first approached the ICC in 2023, asking for support for a refugee team based in Australia to rejoin international cricket.
Abhishek plunders 141 as Hyderabad pull off second-highest IPL chase
- 24-year-old Abhishek put on the best stand so far this season of 171 with opening partner Travis Head
HYDERABAD: Abhishek Sharma lit up the IPL on Saturday with a spectacular 141 off 55 balls to steer Sunrisers Hyderabad to the second-highest successful chase in tournament history of 246 as they downed Punjab Kings by eight wickets.
Earlier, Nicholas Pooran continued his incredible form with 61 to help Lucknow Super Giants end Gujarat Titans’ winning streak of four matches, coming out on top by six wickets.
The 24-year-old Abhishek put on the best stand so far this season of 171 with opening partner Travis Head, who hit 66, in a chase achieved with nine balls to spare.
“We didn’t talk (about) anything,” Abhishek said of the mood ahead of the chase. “It was just natural play for us. The partnership boosted me up.”
Punjab hold the record winning chase of 262 against Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens last year.
Abhishek’s individual score is the third highest in IPL history behind Chris Gayle (175 not out for Bengaluru) and Brendon McCullum (158 not out for Kolkata) and the largest in 12 years.
“This one is very special, because I wanted to break that losing streak,” added Abhishek. “Losing four matches back to back was very tough. But we never talked about it in the team.”
Shreyas Iyer’s 82 and a late blitz of 34 by Marcus Stoinis steered Punjab to 245-6, but the total proved inadequate as the Sunrisers openers took their team off the bottom of the 10-team table with just a second win in six matches.
Abhishek started as he meant to go on, reaching his fifty in 19 balls.
Australia’s Head fell to leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal after hitting nine fours and three sixes in his 37-ball knock.
But Abhishek raised his century in only 40 balls as he roared, punched the air and waved a piece of paper with a message reading “this one for the orange army,” referencing the Sunrisers fans.
Arshdeep Singh eventually dismissed Abhishek, who hit 14 fours and 10 sixes, with 24 to win and Heinrich Klaasen saw Hyderabad home with an unbeaten 21 off 14 balls.
Earlier in Lucknow, opener Aiden Markram, who hit 58, and the in-form Pooran set up the home team’s chase of 181 before they secured victory over Gujarat with three balls to spare.
Markram shared partnerships of 65 with fellow opener Rishabh Pant and 58 with Pooran, who struck his fourth half-century of the campaign to go past Gujarat opener Sai Sudharsan as the leading runscorer this season with 349, at a remarkable strike-rate of 215.
“I think one thing is for sure is that we are happy to have Nicholas Pooran in our team,” said Pant of the West Indies star.
“You want someone like him on your side and not batting against you. The way he is reading the game right now, the way he is batting is phenomenal.”
Gujarat lost top spot in the 10-team table, with Lucknow behind in third with four wins from six matches.
South Africa’s Markram stepped up in the absence of his in-form opening partner Mitchell Marsh, who missed the match due to the illness of his daughter.
Skipper Pant was promoted to open but failed to strike form despite an early reprieve when Gujarat wicketkeeper Jos Buttler dropped a catch down the leg-side.
Pant hit four boundaries before he lofted fast bowler Prasidh Krishna to deep third man, falling for 21 from 18 balls.
Pant is still waiting to justify his record auction price of $3.21 million and has only managed 40 runs in five innings.
Pooran hammered his fifty in 23 balls before falling to Afghanistan leg-spinner Rashid Khan.
But he had already done the damage with one four and seven sixes in his 34-ball blitz.
Impact substitute Ayush Badoni hit an unbeaten 28 and sealed the win with a four and six after a late wobble.
Rahul shines as Delhi Capitals bag fourth straight win in IPL
- Delhi now sit second in the table while Bengaluru are third in the 10-team competition
BENGALURU: KL Rahul smashed an unbeaten 93 as Delhi Capitals beat Royal Challengers Bengaluru by six wickets to maintain their winning streak in the Indian Premier League on Thursday.
Rahul, 32, hit six sixes and seven fours in his scintillating 53-ball knock to help Delhi overhaul Bengaluru’s 163-7 with 13 balls to spare at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
Tristan Stubbs chipped in with 38 not out and shared 111 runs with Rahul off just 56 balls to steer Delhi to their fourth consecutive win.
Delhi now sit second in the table while Bengaluru are third in the 10-team competition.
Bengaluru bowlers picked some early wickets but ran into the in-form Rahul who batted with composure and ease.
Delhi had a wobbly start, losing openers Faf du Plessis and Jake Fraser-McGurk cheaply with just 10 runs on the board.
Captain Axar Patel tried to steady the innings but holed out to Tim David off impact sub Suyash Sharma for 15.
Stubbs said the win was “really satisfying.”
“I came in a tricky situation, but the run-rate never got out of hand,” he said.
“I did not need to do much — KL played the way he did.”
Earlier, Bengaluru were off to a flier, with openers Virat Kohli and Phil Salt taking the attack to the opposition.
The duo smashed 30 runs in the third over off Mitchell Starc before guiding Bengaluru to the fastest team 50 of the season.
The batting assault ended when Salt (37) was run-out after a mix-up and Kohli (22) lobbed a catch to Starc who dived forward to take a fine catch at long-off.
Salt hit three sixes and four fours in his 17-ball knock.
Bengaluru lost regular wickets after the twin setbacks, with Delhi left-arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav picking two, including the scalp of captain Rajat Patidar for 25.
David provided a late flourish with an unbeaten 20-ball 37, studded with four sixes and two fours.
Patidar conceded his team did not bat well despite showing “nice intent.”
“We were lacking in assessing the conditions and the situation. (But) the way David accelerated at the end, it was really amazing,” he said.
