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Kusal Mendis and Kusal Perera fifties power SL to series win
West Indies had done well to recover from a poor start and make 162, but it wasn't nearly enough
Andrew Fidel Fernando
17-Oct-2024
Sri Lanka 166 for 1 (Kusal Mendis 68*, Kusal Perera 55*) beat West Indies 162 for 8 (Powell 37, Motie 32, Theekshana 2-19) by nine wickets
Pathum Nissanka sent Sri Lanka's chase screaming out of the blocks, before Kusal Mendis and Kusal Perera put on a clinical and unbeaten 106-run stand for the second wicket. For a team that had never before beaten West Indies in a T20I series, this chase was almost too effortless to believe. Each of the top three produced sparkling innings, as the hosts galloped to the target of 163 with 12 balls remaining, in front of a packed Poya-day crowd in Dambulla.
West Indies had earlier done well to get to 162 themselves, though they largely have a late assault from Gudakesh Motie - who bludgeoned 32 off 15 - for getting to what was perhaps a higher-than-par score on a spin-friendly track.
Full postIndia 46 all out as Henry and Conway create New Zealand's dream day
A spectacular day's play in Bengaluru ended with the visitors 134 runs in the lead
Sidharth Monga
17-Oct-2024
New Zealand 180 for 3 (Conway 91) lead India 46 (Henry 5-15, O'Rourke 4-22) by 134 runs
It was well worth the wait for New Zealand. On their seventh day of Test cricket in India this year, New Zealand finally got on the field, on day two in Bengaluru, and lost a good toss. Once they were denied their wish to bat first under overcast skies, on a pitch that was covered all week, New Zealand's seam bowlers were all over India with deadly accurate bowling, bowling them out for 46, their lowest score at home and third-lowest overall.
This was the fourth-lowest first-innings score in Test history after a side had chosen to bat. Riding on Devon Conway's enterprising 91 in conditions that had quietened down a bit, New Zealand had attained a lead of 134 by stumps. They had seven wickets in hand.
Full postSajid Khan the star turn as Pakistan eye end to winless run
England lose both openers after being set 297 to win the second Multan Test
Alan Gardner
17-Oct-2024
England 291 (Duckett 114, Sajid 7-111) and 36 for 2 need a further 261 to beat Pakistan 366 and 221 (Salman 63, Bashir 4-66)
With a twinkle in his eye and a twirl of his moustache, Sajid Khan helped turn the Multan rematch Pakistan's way. A first-innings seven-for was followed up by crucial lower-order runs to help set England a daunting target of 297 to win the second Test. Sajid then struck with his third ball to remove Ben Duckett, England's centurion on day two and a key man in their hopes of a successful chase.
Sajid may be an unassuming offspinner on paper, and something of an afterthought in selection - he described himself as "always the first to be kicked out" after taking four England wickets during the second evening to put his side on top. But with his shaved head, luxuriant facial hair and colourful celebrations he has brought some much-needed character to Pakistan's attempts to break a winless run at home that stretches back to 2021.
Full postRain washes out first day in Bengaluru
Now that this will start as a Test of four days or fewer, a team wanting to enforce a follow-on will need to lead by 150 and not 200
Sidharth Monga
16-Oct-2024
New Zealand have now gone six consecutive days of Test cricket in India without any actual cricket. After the Afghanistan misadventure in Greater Noida, you could hardly blame the ground for this one, though. The first day of the first Test in Bengaluru remained a non-starter as the rainy week continued.
Bengaluru did wake up to optimistic news as the expected apocalyptic rain had skirted the city. However, a drizzle of varying intensity - sometimes so fine that it wouldn't result in an interruption if pay was already on - continued until a big shower at 2.30pm put paid to all hopes of a toss on day one. Now that this will start as a Test of four days or fewer, a team wanting to enforce a follow-on will need to lead by 150 and not 200.
After the amount of rain the M Chinnaswamy Stadium has taken in the lead-up to the Test, the only reason for hope was the sub-air drainage system at the ground that can drain a claimed 10000 litres of water per minute. However, there was another obstacle in the course: because of the rain a day before the match, the Hawk-Eye formatting couldn't be done. This process, too, takes an hour and a half. However, it didn't come down to that as the rain at 2.30pm was heavy. The authorities will hope this formatting can be done before the second day, which by the way is forecast to be impacted by rain again.
Full postSajid Khan turns the Test Pakistan's way after Ben Duckett sweeps to century
By the end of the second day, England were on the ropes at 239 for 6, still trailing by a substantial 127
Andrew Miller
16-Oct-2024
England 239 for 6 (Duckett 114, Root 34, Sajid 4-86) trail Pakistan 366 (Ghulam 118, Ayub 77, Leach 4-114) by 127 runs
Slowly, slowly… and then with the snap of resolve that vindicated every one of their seemingly half-baked plans, Pakistan roared into command in the second Test at Multan, transforming another day of dominant England batting with a trademark surge of wickets, the likes of which had eluded them throughout their dismal run of six Test losses in a row.
By the close, England were on the ropes at 239 for 6, still trailing by a substantial 127 despite battling hard to bowl their opponents out for 366 shortly after lunch. This was in spite of a brilliant fourth Test hundred from Ben Duckett that had, at one stage, been almost contemptuous in its dominance.
Full postWest Indies knock England out, join South Africa in semi-finals
West Indies broke a 13-match losing streak and topped Group B to set up a semi-final against New Zealand
Firdose Moonda
15-Oct-2024
West Indies 144 for 4 (Joseph 52, Matthews 50, Glenn 1-20) beat England141 for 7 (Sciver-Brunt 57*, Fletcher 3-21, Matthews 2-25) by six wickets
West Indies pulled off the biggest heist of this T20 World Cup and qualified for the semi-finals, against all expectation, and knocked one of the favourites, England.
Having last beaten England in 2018, West Indies broke a 13-match losing streak and topped Group B to set up a semi-final against New Zealand in Sharjah. That year was also the last time West Indies played in a semi-final of the T20 World Cup.
Full postDebutant Wellalage, Asalanka stun West Indies as Sri Lanka draw level
Sri Lanka's spinners picked up nine wickets as West Indies bundled out for 89 in chase of 163
ESPNcricinfo staff
15-Oct-2024
Sri Lanka 162 for 5 (Nissanka 54, Kusal Mendis 26, Shepherd 2-23) beat West Indies 89 (Powell 20, Wellalage 3-9, Asalanka 2-6, Theekshana 2-7) by 73 runs
Sri Lanka's spinners ripped through the West Indies batters on a turning Dambulla surface to level the series at one apiece, as they won the second T20I by 73 runs.
Debutant Dunith Wellalage - belatedly making his T20I bow - was the pick of the bowlers, ending with figures of 3 for 9, while Maheesh Theekshana, Wanindu Hasaranga and Charith Asalanka grabbed two each. Matheesha Pathirana was the sole seamer to pick up a wicket in the innings.
Full postGhulam's debut century carries Pakistan as England stay in touch
England find reverse-swing to make key inroads after Leach's early breakthroughs
Andrew Miller
15-Oct-2024
Pakistan 259 for 5 (Ghulam 118, Ayub 77) vs England
There has been precious little for Pakistan cricket to cheer in recent months, but on the opening day of the second Test in Multan, Kamran Ghulam provided a moment of unbridled joy as he brought up a gutsy century in his maiden Test innings, to carry the fight for his embattled team.
Though he fell late in the day for 118, bowled by Shoaib Bashir as he looked to stay proactive with the close of play looming, Ghulam's debut efforts helped to lift Pakistan to 259 for 5 - scarcely riches by the standards that England were dishing up on this very same surface last week, but the beginnings of a score nonetheless.
Full postNZ knock Pakistan (and India) out; secure first T20 World Cup semi spot in eight years
Pakistan dropped eight catches, and their batters succumbed to the pressure of needing to win inside 12 overs
S Sudarshanan
14-Oct-2024
New Zealand 110 for 6 (Bates 28, Halliday 22, Sandhu 3-18) beat Pakistan 56 (Sana 21, Kerr 3-14, Carson 2-7) by 54 runs
India's hopes briefly arose. New Zealand could perhaps feel a sense of déjà vu. Pakistan themselves threatened to do the unthinkable. Only for all of it to come crashing at the end of it all.
New Zealand crushed Pakistan in their final group game to qualify for the semi-final of the Women's T20 World Cup for the first time since 2016. Batting first, they could only finish on 110 for 6. India needed Pakistan to beat New Zealand for them to make the semi-final. Pakistan themselves needed to hunt down the score anywhere inside 11.3 overs to qualify for the last four at the expense of India and New Zealand. In a bid to do so, they were bowled out for 56, their lowest all-out total in T20 World Cups.
Full postWest Indies go 1-0 up after Lewis, King outshine Kamindu, Asalanka
The half-centuries from Kamindu and Asalanka ended up as mere footnotes in the game as WI won with five balls to spare
Andrew Fidel Fernando
13-Oct-2024
West Indies 180 for 5 (King 63, Lewis 50, Pathirana 2-27) beat Sri Lanka 179 for 7 (Asalanka 59, Kamindu 51, Shepherd 2-39) by five wickets
Brandon King and Evin Lewis crashed 107 off 55 balls at the top of the order, to set West Indies beautifully on course to their target of 180, in the first T20I against Sri Lanka. Although the hosts' middle-overs bowlers slowed West Indies' progress, they were never in serious trouble.
They had plenty of batting to see the chase through, and Sherfane Rutherford finished it off with a four off the first ball of the final over.
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