Category: Games

Dubai, November 08, 2021 (PPI-OT):After the curtain came down on his four-year stint coaching India, Ravi Shastri suggested the side were one of cricket’s all-time great teams.

Fresh from seeing his men finish their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 campaign with a nine-wicket win over Namibia, the outgoing coach – who was first involved with the squad as a director in 2014 – praised his team’s all-conquering past despite a disappointing end to their time in the UAE.

New Zealand’s victory over Afghanistan on Sunday secured the Black Caps’ progression and ended India’s hopes of making the semi-finals before Monday’s clash against Namibia but they remained resolutely professional in their performance against the Eagles.

Spinners Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin took three wickets apiece to limit Namibia to 132 for eight before half centuries from openers Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul helped their side cruise home, not only sending Shastri off with a win but also Virat Kohli in his final game as T20 captain.

Shastri said: “The performances are there for everyone to see over the last five years across all formats.

“When you perform in that fashion where you go across the globe and beat teams in all formats, then you know you are part of one great cricket team.

“I’m not saying a great Indian cricket team, I’m saying one of the great cricket teams in the history of the game.

“Because if you look at those kind of performances, they don’t happen often. You’ve got to have a bunch of players who are fit, hungry, fearless, have the quality, have the belief, and then to stay fit so you can play those five years together and go across the globe and perform everywhere.”

Shastri pulled no punches in his assessment of India’s campaign, as defeats to Pakistan and New Zealand in their first two games ultimately left them with too much to do to make the last four.

And although he will no longer be steering the ship, Shastri hopes the side will “kick butt” at next year’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022.

He added: “Let’s be honest, I’m not here to make any sort of excuses. We lacked the daring in the second game against New Zealand.

“I know the toss was important, and as you’ve seen in the last three games how important it is. And I do feel it will continue to be important though not as much now as the weather has cooled down a bit.

“But still, it’s something for the boys to learn. They’ll get an opportunity again next year. It’s not often you have World Cups in 12 months. So hopefully, they’ll go and kick some butt there.”

Namibia bowler Ruben Trumpelmann revealed his side succeeded by showcasing what they are made of to the rest of the world having made the Super 12s on their tournament debut, despite suffering a defeat in their final outing.

He said: “We didn’t come here to play second fiddle, we wanted to express ourselves.

“We had this one opportunity and we wanted to use it to the best of our ability to show the world what we are made of as Namibians, and I think we did that.

“We always knew we were going to come hard against all the teams and luckily for us the hard work paid off.

“We did all the extra backyard training through the lockdown and Covid and that came through for us and gave us the mental strength to push through harder times.”

For more information, contact:
Headquarters,
International Cricket Council (ICC)
Street 69, Dubai Sports City,
Sh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road, Dubai, UAE
Phone: +97-143828800
Fax: +97-143828600
E-mail: enquiry@icc-cricket.com
Website: www.icc-cricket.com

Dubai, November 08, 2021 (PPI-OT):Namibia may have been well beaten by India in the final Super 12s game of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021, but it is the Africans who leave the UAE with their reputation greatly enhanced.

A nine-wicket triumph for India will do little to soften the blow of missing out on the semi-finals after losing their opening two games to Pakistan and New Zealand, the two sides to progress from Group 2.

Virat Kohli’s reign as T20 skipper came to an end with a victory but his opposite number Gerhard Erasmus and his side have come out better from their stint in the Middle East.

Namibia made history by making the Super 12s after beating Ireland in the first round on their maiden World Cup appearance.

The impressive results did not stop there for the debutants as Scotland – who had blitzed the first round, beating Bangladesh – fell to a four-wicket defeat against them.

Namibia had an off day against Afghanistan but showed some real fighting spirit against Pakistan, the outstanding team of the tournament so far.

The bowlers had worked well to restrict Pakistan to 59 runs from the first 10 overs before an avalanche of late hitting saw them post 189.

In reply, Namibia were always a long shot but they showed great pride to bat the full 20 overs, making a very respectable 144 for five and earning them plenty of new fans.

Coach Pierre de Bruyn believes his side have “won a lot of hearts” during an “emotional rollercoaster” of a tournament and it would be hard to disagree with him.

A country that boasts just nine cricket pitches across the whole nation have admirably refused to be blown away by the cricketing might of the world’s best.

At 94 for seven against India today, it would have been easy for Namibia to fold without having anything to bowl at.

But a spirited rearguard effort, 37 runs coming from the final four overs, gave India something to think about.

And although classy 50s from openers Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul saw India comfortably home it did little to undermine what has been a resounding success of a campaign for Namibia, who came in 19th in the MRF Tyres ICC Men’s T20I rankings.

Things also could have been very different if Michael van Lingen had not dropped Rohit Sharma on nought at fine leg but unlike the other teams who failed to make the semi-finals, Namibia should not fixate on the ifs, buts and maybes.

Their impact has been far greater than solely winning games of cricket with hopefully a new wave of cricketers to come from the country and by virtue of reaching the Super 12s their place at next year’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup is already secure.

Erasmus summed it up best after the game when he said: “We can take a lot of positives individually and as a team we’ll take this experience as a whole.

“It’s a good foundation for us if we want to make the next step [at next year’s T20 World Cup], that’s another awesome thing for us to look forward to.

“We’ve probably inspired the next generation of cricketers in Namibia.”

Playing with such pride, passion and emotion, Namibia have caught the eye on the big stage and proven to be a team far greater than the sum of their parts, especially when faced with the best individuals the sport has to offer.

Only time will tell how far they can go from this springboard.

For more information, contact:
Headquarters,
International Cricket Council (ICC)
Street 69, Dubai Sports City,
Sh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road, Dubai, UAE
Phone: +97-143828800
Fax: +97-143828600
E-mail: enquiry@icc-cricket.com
Website: www.icc-cricket.com

Dubai, November 08, 2021 (PPI-OT):India rounded off the Super 12s stage of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 with a resounding nine-wicket victory over Namibia in Group 2.

Both sides had already failed to make the semi-finals before the action got underway in Dubai, but India finished on a high as half centuries from Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul helped them chase 133 with ease.

Spinners Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin set the foundation, taking three wickets apiece to help prevent Namibia, for whom David Wiese again top scored with 26, from setting an imposing total on what was a good wicket.

India were left to rue what could have been in the UAE after recording their third win, as two defeats in their opening two games against semi-finalists Pakistan and New Zealand ultimately cost them a place in the last four.

Virat Kohli elected to field after winning the toss in his final T20I as India captain but Namibia made a solid start with the bat.

Stephan Baard’s six off Mohammed Shami helped his side to 25 without loss after three overs but he soon lost his opening partner when Shami caught Michael Van Lingen, 14 off 15 balls, after he miscued a pull shot off Jasprit Bumrah.

No.3 Craig Williams soon followed for a duck after running straight past a Jadeja delivery, Rishabh Pant calmly whipping off the bails as Namibia finished the powerplay on 34 for two.

Jadeja had another when Baard missed a sweep and was trapped lbw for 21 and Namibia were in further trouble at 47 for four when fellow spinner Ashwin got in the act, having Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton caught at slip for five.

That brought Namibia’s most productive pair at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 together, as Wiese joined captain Gerhard Erasmus at the crease.

They shared a stand of 25 until Erasmus, 12 off 20 balls, nicked Ashwin behind to Pant who took a superb catch after a big deflection.

Namibia showed some fight, taking 21 from the next 15 balls before JJ Smit became Jadeja’s third victim from the last ball of his spell, Sharma’s diving catch sending him back for a run-a-ball nine with the score 93 for six with five overs to go.

Not to be outdone by his teammate, Ashwin bowled Namibia wicket-keeper Zane Green for a golden duck to also pick up his third scalp of the innings, finishing with three for 20 from his four overs.

Namibia brought up their 100 in the 17th over as Wiese found support from Jan Frylinck.

But the former South Africa international was outfoxed by a Bumrah slower delivery in the penultimate over, Sharma taking another catch to send the all-rounder packing for 26 off 25 balls.

By the time Ruben Trumpelmann had scored 13 off Shami’s 20th over, 37 runs had come from the final four, as Namibia left India needing 133 to sign off with a win.

Trumpelmann then switched to his primary suit of bowling and should have had the huge wicket of Sharma to his name, but Van Lingen dropped the Indian opener at short fine leg, allowing him to get off the mark.

Sharma had another life when a one-handed hack off Wiese somehow fell safely before he swatted the next ball for six behind square on the legside to get India going.

Another boundary off Trumpelmann’s second over brought up 3,000 T20I runs for Sharma but he again had a close shave when a mis-timed pull fell just short of the fielder.

Sharma and KL Rahul had India cruising as they raced to 54 without loss by the end of the powerplay.

And the former brought up an action-packed 50 off 31 balls, his second of the tournament, as India showed no sign of taking their foot off the gas.

Eventually, however, Namibia made a breakthrough with Frylinck dismissing Sharma for 56 as wicket-keeper Green held onto the catch to end the opening partnership of 86 one ball before the halfway point.

Sharma had dominated the strike with Rahul, but the latter upped the ante after losing his partner and was joined by Suryakumar Yadav who showed off his ability to score all around the ground in an entertaining unbeaten 25 from 19 balls.

Rahul brought up his third 50 of the tournament from 35 balls before hitting a boundary to end his side’s campaign in style with 28 balls to spare.

Scores in brief

India beat Namibia at Dubai International Stadium, Dubai by nine wickets

Namibia 132/8 in 20 overs (David Wiese 26, Stephan Baard 21; Ravindra Jadeja 3/16, Ravichandran Ashwin 3/20)

India 136/1 in 15.2 overs (Rohit Sharma 56, KL Rahul 54 not out; Jan Frylinck 1/19)

Player of the match: Ravindra Jadeja (India)

For more information, contact:
Headquarters,
International Cricket Council (ICC)
Street 69, Dubai Sports City,
Sh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road, Dubai, UAE
Phone: +97-143828800
Fax: +97-143828600
E-mail: enquiry@icc-cricket.com
Website: www.icc-cricket.com