Sports 2 weeks of ICC World T20

[Joyboy32]

Here i am to describe the last 2 weeks of ongoing
"ICC World T20"

Another week has passed and the ICC World T20 in India has thrown up some stunning performances apart from generating a few controversies as well. Takes a look at what made news in the second week of the tournament.

Santner says hello

In the opening match of the tournament proper in Nagpur, New Zealand defied odds to beat India at their own game and extend their win-loss record over their opponents in T20Is to 5-0. A first ball six followed by a wicket and then a reverse-hit for another six in the New Zealand innings set the stage on fire. A stunning start was followed by the spinners taking control and dictating terms on a pitch where they were turning the ball square. In the presence of spinners of the likes of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, unheralded Mitchell Santner made headlines forcing the Indian batsmen dance to his tunes and ran away with the Man of the Match award for his 4 for 11 in four overs to send India crashing to a 47-run defeat. He accounted for Rohit Sharma, Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni and Hardik Pandya. He contributed in the next game against Australia too with 2 for 30. Kane Williamson had rested his frontline pacers for Santner and Ish Sodhi against India and the decision yielded rich dividends. Indeed, a masterstroke.

[Joyboy32]

Afridi hits the right notes

Shahid Afridi's place in Pakistan WT20 squad was vociferously
questioned. Javed Miandad led the chorus by asking "How can you have a
player who no one knows how he will perform?" Afridi's claim that his
cricket team was loved more in India than Pakistan only made the matters
worse. Everything was forgiven and forgotten though when he exploded
against Bangladesh scoring a 19-ball 49 and then taking 2 for 27 as
Pakistan sauntered to a 55-run win. For his performance, Afridi
collected a record 11th Man-of-the-Match award in T20Is. However,
against India he failed, bowling four wicketless overs for 25 runs while
managing just eight off 14 deliveries. Pakistan lost that match and
reports of him being sacked as the T20 captain following the conclusion
of the tournament started doing the rounds in the media. How the tide
changes in a matter of days!

[Joyboy32]

Gayle storm hits England

After India, it was the turn of the Englishmen to take some beating.
However, the wrecker-in-chief was a familiar face unlike the case with
the Indians. A ruthless Chris Gayle clattered 11 sixes and five fours to
knock the wind out of England's sails while breaking his own record for
the fastest century at the WorldT20s. It took him just 47 deliveries to
reach the three figures and stun England while making a mockery of
183-run chase at the Wankhede. Only Chris Jordan escaped his wrath as in
his nine deliveries the Jamaican managed just seven runs. Moeen Ali
bore the maximum brunt, his 14 balls milked for 33 runs including four
sixes. 'He did what he does,' said a dispirited England skipper Eoin
Morgan after witnessing the brutal assault. Truer words were never
spoken.

[Joyboy32]

Root at the heart of a record chase

It would have required something extraordinary to lift England from the
gloom that Gayle had subjected them to in Mumbai. Joe Root stepped up. A
trifecta of half-centuries from Quinton de Kock, Hashim Amla and JP
Duminy took South Africa to a massive 229. Considering England were low
on spirits after their opening match defeat, it looked certain that
another shocker was taking shape. Alex Hales and Jason Roy launched an
all-out attack that saw the new-ball pair of Kagiso Rabada and Dale
Steyn being shredded for eight boundaries and a six in 12 balls.
However, three wickets by the end of Powerplay balanced the equation
with England at 89/3. Enter Root. And he took lead of the chase with
such finesse and class that left the cricketing world questioning how
player of such a temperament could suddenly transform into this
unforgiving run machine while maintaining his poise that defied the pace
with which he was wiping off the arrears. Six boundaries and four sixes
took him to a 44-ball 83 that culminated in England chasing down the
target with two balls remaining to record the highest ever successful
run-chase in WT20s.

[Joyboy32]

Kohli bosses around Pakistan

Virat Kohli is the uncrowned king of chases. Match after match he keeps
on stitching fine innings that are nothing short of a masterclass in
batting. The Pakistan T20I at the Eden Gardens was one such occasion
where he gave a lesson in how to boss around on a difficult batting
surface. India, in their chase of 119 in a rain affected fixture, were
reduced to 23 for 3 in 4.4 overs. The memories of the way New Zealand
rolled them over in the tournament opener were afresh. Then Kohli had
been removed for 23 and India surrendered for 79. Here Kohli was seeking
to make amends. In front of a star-studded Kolkata audience that
counted Sachin Tendulkar, Imran Khan, actor Amitabh Bachchan,
businessman Mukesh Ambani among others, Kohli shone the brightest. He
scored a superb unbeaten fifty, guided India to a dominating victory and
instilled the confidence back in a team that had started the tournament
as overwhelming favourites but were brought down to earth with a
humbling loss. And most importantly, he put India's campaign back on the
track. Just crown him already.

[Joyboy32]

Suspect actions in Bangladesh

Paceman Taskin Ahmed and spinner Arafat Sunny have been barred from
bowling by the ICC after their actions were found illegal. In a
qualifier for the main draw, against Netherlands, the umpires had first
reported the duo for suspect actions. An assessment after the complaint
followed and they failed the test. Bangladesh will surely feel their
absence in the coming fixtures. Spinners Saqlain Sajib and Shuvagata Hom
are expected to be called in as replacements. Bangladesh Cricket Board
has though appealed to the ICC to reconsider lifting suspension on
Taskin.

[Joyboy32]

Shoaib loses his cool

Shoaib Akhtar couldn't keep his composure after Pakistan suffered their
11th defeat at the hands of India in a world cup match. During a
post-match show in a channel where Shoaib has been roped in as an expert
to comment on the ongoing WT20, a snigger from the anchor irked the
former speedster. He asked host Jatin Sapru why he had let out a giggle
while the famous 'Mauka mauka' song was being played in the background.
"Are you sitting here to take opinion or make fun?" a visibly irritated
Shoaib asked. Ouch! Sapru was left red-faced explaining himself and
Kapil Dev intervened to calm down the situation. That must have hurt.

[Joyboy32]

Gayle's no-show

Gayle made headlines in Sunday evening clash between Sri Lanka and West
Indies in Bengaluru. Gayle had declared that Bengaluru is his second
hometown and when the opportunity to bat in front of his 'home fans'
arrived, he was denied. Hamstring injury had forced him out of the play
during Sri Lanka innings meaning he had to spend some time, during the
West Indies' innings, in the dressing room or his side lose five wickets
before he would be allowed to bat. Consequently, he didn't turn out at
the opener's slot drawing boos from the crowd assembled at the M
Chinnaswamy Stadium to witness a Gayle epic. However, after the fall of
Denesh Ramdin in the 13th over, Gayle, already padded up as he waited
frustratingly, started rushing towards the middle. Fourth umpire Ian
Gould stopped him in his tracks signalling there was still some time. He
even jokingly dragged the burly Jamaican back to the dressing room.
West Indies won easily and Gayle was kept out of action. He though came
out later on to express his gratitude to those who had thronged the
stands with the hope of watching his pyrotechnics.

[Joyboy32]

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