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[edit] League matches

[edit] Pakistan beat India

Partha Bhaduri, Oct 25, 2021: The Times of India

And so the inevitable comes to pass. India’s dream run in World Cups against Pakistan, stretching all the way back to 1992, had to end eventually, but what was perhaps unexpected, and will rankle, is the manner of the defeat. It was a capitulation which brought back the ghosts of decades past and will haunt for a while.

Babar Azam’s Pakistan finally chose Sunday night in Dubai for the kind of assured, authoritative performance that can thoroughly deflate an opposition and has eluded Pakistan for decades.

The 10-wicket win, Pakistan’s first in this format and their first victory against India in World Cup in 13 attempts, was engineered with such consummate ease, driven to fruition with such complete mastery, that it has lifted the curtain on a new era in this storied rivalry.

From being masters of the chaotic for decades, Pakistan turned to masters of the clinical in one night.

Azam’s measured masterclass (68 not out off 52 balls; 6x4, 6x2), an exhibition of touch and class, and Mohammed Rizwan’s sparkling, animated 79 not out (55b; 6x4, 3x6) in a pressure chase on a slowish pitch was everything mercurial, chaotic, temperamental Pakistan have not been in World Cup over the years: calm, clever and resolute.

No perfect Pakistan outing, however, is complete without a bit of pace magic. In this game it was the fiery Man of the Match Shaheen Shah Afridi (3/31, accounting for India’s top three) who imposed his presence as soon as the game began and allowed Pakistan to gain the early chokehold. Pakistan simply never let go.

Finding swing with the new ball, Afridi came up with a lethal three-over burst first up (3-0-19-2) that got rid of the openers and sowed the seeds of doubt, perhaps a bit of fear, in India’s mind.

On the same pitch on which West Indies had crumbled for 55 a day before, Afridi, running in after Babar Azam had won the toss and naturally opted to field on a pitch more amenable to batting second, got Rohit Sharma for a first-ball duck with an old bugbear: a full, inswinging delivery at pace.

Sharma’s struggles against this delivery have been well-documented but this was nearly unplayable: searing yorker length, curving in late. Rohit reacted in panic, playing across, trying to guide it through the leg side and being caught plumb in front.

The first ball of the second over, Afridi, now on fire, took KL Rahul out of the equation with a 140-plus monster: this time it was a length ball, again swinging in, and again the batman played across the line. Rahul looked disoriented for just that half-second to allow the ball to clip off the bails. Captain Kohli (57 off 49b; 5x4, 1x6), was, like Azam, the fulcrum as India fought valiantly past the early blows to recover to 151/7 in their 20 overs.

Suryakumar looked in good nick the short while he lasted but Hasan Ali got him with an away-going one to set the stage for Rishabh Pant to light up the proceedings, again briefly.

Kohli had earlier cut through the pressure by either creeping down the pitch to counter the late movement from Shaheen, or, like on one occasion, by staying back and hitting the bowler for a rare, authoritative six. It was Pant, though, who was shaping up to be the biggest threat for Pakistan, hitting the wayward Hasan Ali for two audacious, consecutive, freaky one-handed sixes that jolted India out of a middle-over slump.

But Pant played one shot too many and fell to a wrong one from the canny leggie Shadab Khan (4-0-22-1) in the 13th over.

[edit] New Zealand beats India

Scoreboard, New Zealand vs. India, T20 World Cup, 2021
From: Partha Bhaduri, Nov 1, 2021: The Times of India

See graphic:

Scoreboard, New Zealand vs. India, T20 World Cup, 2021

DUBAI DISASTER

India’s WC Dreams Virtually Over After Another Drubbing

Partha.Bhaduri@timesgroup.com

One more wicket, just one more wicket, guys.” Rishabh Pant’s constant exhortations from behind the stumps lacked the ring of conviction and may as well have fallen on deaf ears.

As New Zealand, without any scoreboard pressure chasing 111, cantered along merrily, with Darryl Mitchell (49 off 35; 4x4, 3x6) at times toying with the much-vaunted attack, India’s shoulders drooped, the faces went grim and their pre-tournament billing appeared manufactured.

New Zealand, all the while, marched inexorably towards victory. When they eventually did so, by 8 wickets with 33 balls remaining, it was a completely dominant and thoroughly clinical performance.

For starters, why were they so diffident with the bat? Having lost the toss again, was it the fear that 14 of the last 18 games in Dubai before this had been won by the chasing side? Did they fumble in trying to reach the 160-170 mark, eventually managing only 110/7? Did the pressure get to them?

Also, India’s experiments at the top of the order went completely awry. Rohit Sharma was demoted to No. 3, just the third time that the team management has chosen to do so since 2013 in T20Is. Ishan Kishan, drafted in place of Suryakumar Yadav, was pushed to open alongside KL Rahul. The results weren’t quite as dramatic, or as successful, as India expected.

New Zealand were in control throughout and every change captain Kane Williamson made came off. So completely dominant were the bowlers, right from the Powerplay on, that for the first time in this World Cup, there was no boundary hit between overs 7-15.

When Hardik Pandya finally hit one off past backward point off Boult in the last ball of India’s 17th over, it broke a 71-ball barren run without a boundary. The match was effectively lost there itself.

Both Kiwi new-ball bowlers, Trent Bout (3/20) and Tim Southee, took a leaf from England’s approach on the same pitch the other night and bowled those awkward 6-8 metre Test-match lengths.

It wasn’t by any means a big-turning surface but the spinners, Man of the Match Ish Sodhi (2/17) and Mitchell Santner, then got their lines right and bowled cleverly restrictive lengths. Among India’ top guns, Rohit, dropped first ball, shone all too briefly, and Kohli managed 9 off 17.

The experienced batting lineup came a cropper and the inability to get the spinners away raises another question: did they miss Suryakumar, a good player of spin, who was out with back spasm, and even Shikhar Dhawan? With the ball, did they err in not picking Yuzvendra Chahal? Where were the wicket-takers to back up Bumrah?

[edit] India beats Afghanistan

K ShriniwasRao, Nov 4, 2021: The Times of India

Scoreboard, Afghanistan vs. India, T20 World Cup, 2021
From: K ShriniwasRao, Nov 4, 2021: The Times of India

India breathe to live another day. They’ve beaten Afghanistan by 66 runs. They’ll now need similar, massive wins against Scotland and Namibia over the coming week. They’ll then have to wait for Afghanistan to beat New Zealand and alternately keep working on their run-rate. Then, who knows?

The Indian team, for the first time in this World Cup showcased what they are potentially capable of. At the Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi, they had a great start to their door-die clash against Afghanistan. Most things went right, starting with the toss. They lost it again and Afghanistan, instead of sticking to what had worked for them in the tournament, that is batting first, chose to field, keeping the dew factor in mind.

A 66-run win is keeping them in right stead for the moment. Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul – back to opening the innings after the debatable change in the match against New Zealand – scored half-centuries to give India the kind of momentum up the order which they’ve missed out on so far. The boundaries and the sixes finally started coming in, although not so effortlessly except during moments. Sharma appeared like he was putting in brute strength initially to clear the ropes and Rahul kept shuffling constantly to come in line with the ball. It was an indication of India’s top batsmen not being in the kind of touch they’re usually expected to be in, in this tournament.

Although, the India vice-captain later said, “it was a good pitch to bat on”.

Afghanistan left out off-spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman for the game as he was not fit. His six wickets from two matches in Group 2, at an economy rate of just 4.25, had been a high point of his team’s run. Instead, the attack that Afghanistan went in with was feasted upon. Every single bowler who bowled two or more overs ended up giving runs between eight and 15 runs per over.

As Sharma and KL crossed their respective half-centuries and India went past 120 without losing any wicket, the onus remained on whether or not they would end up putting 200-plus runs on board. A 63-run partnership between Rishabh Pant and Hardik Pandya ensured that in just 21 balls.

India’s four batsmen put together blasted 10 sixes and 19 fours – a total of 136 runs coming from the big shots.

Afghanistan would eventually begin on a flash, flinch, lose wickets, lose some more, and eventually lose their way. This was a Team India show all the way.

To play for a win or hold on to the run-rate was possibly the only question on Afghanistan’s mind, and eventually that mindset resulted in them being able to hold on to neither. They allowed India to score at 10.50 runs per over and then capitulated for a mere 144 runs.

R Ashwin remained the pick of the bowlers with just 14 runs and two wickets from his four overs. Reunited with his old bowling partner Ravindra Jadeja after four years – the two last bowled together in a white-ball game back in 2017 – the two spinners put the brakes on Afghanistan each time they ran in to bowl.

[edit] India beats Scotland

K ShriniwasRao, Nov 6, 2021: The Times of India

Scoreboard, Scotland vs. India, T20s World Cup, 2021
From: K ShriniwasRao, Nov 6, 2021: The Times of India

India continued from where they had left against Afghanistan, except this time the bowlers too joined the party as the ‘hosts’ unleashed fury on Scotland at the Dubai Sports City Stadium.

Against Afghanistan, the batters had taken the initiative. Against Scotland, the bowlers wreaked havoc. Ravindra Jadeja and Mohammed Shami shared the leading spoils with three wickets each. Jasprit Bumrah snapped up two and Ravi Ashwin took one as India won yet another one-sided game by eight wickets.

This is the kind of fury that was expected from India coming into the World Cup, one that got completely overshadowed by the brilliance of Pakistan and the consistency of New Zealand.

It has been a matter of great debate over the last 72 hours if it will indeed matter should India make it to the knockouts. Given the caliber of this Indian team and the noise it makes globally, better was expected and rightly so.

Nonetheless, they live and continue to breathe in this World Cup and next in line to face their wrath are Namibia. However, let us not forget that none of this will matter should Afghanistan fail to beat New Zealand. India will play their last Group 2 match.

Between now and these matches, India can breathe a sigh of relief, for whatever little it may mean. This is not how Virat Kohli’s India would have envisaged carving their way forward, especially in a format that sees India running the hottest cricket league in the world.

KL Rahul got another half-century and Rohit Sharma a quick 30 as India chased a paltry 85 set by Scotland batting first. By the time the openers left, the match was sealed.

Kohli, for a change, won the toss and put Scotland to bat first. The wicket would certainly ease out yet not the victory but the margin of victory alone would matter to him and his team.

India have bettered their net run rate in the tournament and will look at bettering it even further against Namibia.

Should Afghanistan do what is presently being seen as impossible, it’ll change the entire focus of this World Cup once again.

[edit] India beat Namibia

K ShriniwasRao, Nov 9, 2021: The Times of India

Only if India’s World Cup scheduling had been done the other way – starting with Namibia, Scotland and Afghanistan, and then followed by New Zealand and Pakistan. It’s one among the many thoughts that the Indian team will find themselves overburdened with as they now get ready to take the flight from UAE back home.

On the road since August 2020, when they first travelled to UAE for the IPL in 2020, followed by the tour of Australia for a four Test series, four Tests against England at home, the first-leg of IPL, the World Test Championship final in June, the four Test matches on the tour of England, the second-leg of the IPL and eventually the T20 World Cup – it’s been a long and arduous 15 months for a majority of top India cricketers.

As coach Ravi Shastri mentioned after the match against Namibia on Monday, for the amount of time this team had ended up staying in a bio-secure bubble over the last year-and-a-half, the ‘bubble had to burst’ at some time.

Compare that to New Zealand who played the WTC final against India. Between December 2020 and June 2021, Kane Williamson’s team played just six Tests, four of those at home.

Compare that to Pakistan, who don’t participate in the IPL and saw their home series against New Zealand and England getting cancelled for reasons that are still being debated.

It’ll be top on the minds of cricketers who’ll be ruing another missed shot at an ICC trophy, especially considering that India were the hosts of this tournament.

On Monday evening, like they had trampled Afghanistan and Scotland last week, India came down heavily on Namibia too, winning the one-sided encounter by nine wickets. It was the third time in three matches – all backto-back that either the Indian batsmen or the bowlers finished matches even before the opposition settled into the game. Rohit Sharma, the new captain waiting to replace Virat Kohli immediately now – TOI had first reported this on September 13 – was in top form, leading the way for his team.

But all of this has happened too late after New Zealand had beaten Afghanistan in a game India would’ve wanted the latter to win.

A fresh, cyclical journey is waiting to begin now with a new captain coming on board with a new coach. This script, we last saw, was written when India exited the 2007 ICC World Cup under Rahul Dravid’s captaincy in the first round itself. Dravid quit from his role a few months later, coach Greg Chappell quit immediately, and a new chapter began.

As India’s final encounter got over and both teams shook hands, it was one final goodbye from Shastri – the man who was this team’s backbone over the last four years. “What I want to do is give every player a chance. Then it’s also up to them to see what they make of it,” he had said in his initial months as coach after taking over for the second time in 2017. In doing so, he’s leaving behind a vast pool, one that Rahul Dravid will look to fine-tune going forward.

[edit] India is Knocked out of the T20 World Cup

After the ODI World Cup and the World Test Championship, New Zealand once again officially ended India’s disappointing T20 World Cup campaign, beating Afghanistan by 8 wickets.