India outclass Afghanistan
PROVIDENCE, Guyana, May 1 (Reuters) - India opened their Twenty20
World Cup campaign with a comfortable seven-wicket win over debutants
Afghanistan on Saturday. The part-timers from Afghanistan were
outclassed in every department but posted a respectable total of 115 for
eight thanks to 50 from opener Noor Ali and 30 by Asghar Stanikzai.
Despite losing three wickets, India had few problems reaching their
target with 31 balls to spare. Murali Vijay top-scored with a brisk 48
that featured three sixes.
India play their next Group C match against South Africa on Sunday
while Afghanistan meet the South Africans on Wednesday.
The top two teams advance.
Noor Ali made an even fifty as Afghanistan made 115 for eight off
their 20 overs against India in the teams' World Twenty20 opener here on
Saturday.
The qualifiers, making their debut in the competition, lost the toss
and were in trouble at 29 for three.
Both Karim Sadiq and Mohammad Shahzad were caught behind trying to
pull Ashish Nehra and captain Nowroz Mangal also fell cheaply.
But a fourth-wicket stand of 68 between the stylish Ali, who showed
his class early on by square-driving Praveen Kumar for four, and the
aggressive Ashgar Stanikzai, who hit three sixes in his 30, rebuilt the
innings.
Left-arm quick Nehra led the bowling with three wickets for 19 runs
in his four overs. ST LUSIA, AFP
AFGHANISTAN
NOOR ALI c Dhoni b Nehra 50 KARIM SADIQ c Dhoni b Nehra 00 MOHAMMAD SHAHZAD c Dhoni b Nehra 06 NOWROZ MANGAL c Gambhir b Jadeja 05 ASHGAR STANIKZAI c Khan b Kumar 30 MOHAMMAD NABI c Dhoni b Kumar 00 RAEES AHAMADZAI not out 05 SSAMIULLAH SHENWARI run out(Jadeja/Dhoni)07 HAMID HASSAN c Nehra b Khan 06 SHAPOOR ZADRAN not out 00 Extras (lb3, w3) 06 Total (8 wkts, 20 overs) 115
Did not bat: Dawlat Ahmadzai
Fall of wickets: 1-6 (Sadiq), 2-22 (Shahzad), 3-29 (Mangal), 4-97 (Ali),
5-97 (Stanikzai), 6-97 (Nabi), 7-107 (Shenwari), 8-114 (Hassan). Bowling: Kumar 3-0-14-2; Nehra 4-0-19-3; Khan 3-0-24-1 (1w); Jadeja
4-1-15-1; Yuvraj 1-0-4-0; Harbhajan 4-0-24-0 (1w); Pathan 1-0-12-0 (1w)
INDIA INNINGSG. GAMBHIR c Mohammad Nabi b Dawlat Ahmadzai 04 M. VIJAY c Shapoor Zadran b Hamid Hassan 48 S. RAINA lbw b Samiullah Shenwari 18 YUVRAJ SINGH not out 23 MS DHONI not out 15 EXTRAS (lb-1, w-3, nb-4) 08 TOTAL (three wkts; 14.5 overs) 116
FALL OF WICKETS: 1-19 2-46 3-101 BOWLING: Dawlat Ahmadzai 2-0-21-1 (1nb), Shapoor Zadran 2-0-6-0 (1w), Mohammad Nabi 3-0-33-0 (1nb), Samiullah Shenwari 2-0-11-1 (1w), Karim Sadiq 2-0-22-0 (2nb, 1w), Hamid Hassan 3-0-8-1, Nowroz Mangal 0.5-0-14-0.
Umpires: Aleem Dar (PAK) and Marais Erasmus (RSA)
TV umpire: Simon Taufel (AUS)
Match referee: Ranjan Madugalle (SRI) |