Rishabh Pant stars as India warm up with win
New York, June 1
India ticked multiple boxes during their 60-run victory over Bangladesh in their T20 World Cup warm-up match here today, which saw Rishabh Pant all but seal his place as the first-choice wicketkeeper batter in the ICC showpiece with a fifty.
Pant’s 53 off 32 and Hardik Pandya’s equally pleasing 40 not out off 23 balls led India to a competitive 182/5 after they opted to bat first.
India faced little trouble in defending the total as left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh struck as India restricted Bangladesh to 122/9.
There was some resistance from Mahmudullah Riyaz (40 retired out off 28 balls) and Shakib Al Hasan (28), who milked 75 runs for the sixth wicket. But it only helped Bangladesh reduce the margin of defeat after they were reduced to 41/5.
Arshdeep struck twice inside the powerplay, ousting Soumya Sarkar, caught behind by Pant, and Litton Das, who was bowled by a lovely in-winger from over the wicket. Fellow pacer Mohammed Siraj added the wicket of Bangladesh skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto (0) as they slipped to 10/3 in 3.5 overs, and it was too deep a hole to claw back from against a competent bowling unit.
Brief scores: India: 182/5 in 20 overs (Pant 53 retired out, Hardik 40*; Mahmudullah 1/16); Bangladesh: 122 /8 in 20 overs (Mahmudullah 40, Arshdeep 2/13, Dube 2/11). — PTI
SL, Afghanistan win warm-up games
Lauderhill (USA): Dasun Shanaka produced a solid all-round performance, including bowling figures of 4/23, as former champions Sri Lanka overcame some jittery moments to down Ireland by 41 runs in their T20 World Cup warm-up game here on Friday. Put in to bat, Sri Lanka saw their batsmen misfire in the initial phases of the game. They lost half of their side for 82 runs in 11 overs before posting respectable 163/8. Ireland were bowled out for 122 in 18.2 overs. Sri Lanka will face South Africa in their opening match in New York on Monday. At the Port of Spain in Trinidad, Gulbadin Naib, Rashid Khan and Mujeeb Ur Rahman starred for Afghanistan in a commanding 55-run win over Scotland.
