No home game, Pak to host Australia matches in UAE
KARACHI: Australia have refused to any of the ODI series matches in Pakistan due to security concerns and the two teams will now compete in the World Cup preparatory five-match series in the UAE. After much delay the
PCB on Sunday announced that the one-day series would be played entirely in the UAE from March 22 to 31. The PCB had invited CA to send its team to Karachi to play one or two matches and were hopeful of convincing the Australians to come to Pakistan for the first time since 1998. PCB Director Cricket, Zakir Khan, however, said that the CA has assured them that they will send their security expert to oversee the execution of security plans for the PSL 2019 matches.
Colin Munro’s explosive 72 set up a four-run win for New Zealand over India in a cliff-hanger finish to Sunday’s Twenty20 match in Hamilton, handing the hosts a 2-1 series victory.
India looked to be on the ropes when they needed 47 off the last three overs.
But Dinesh Karthik and Krunal Pandya together plundered 32 off overs 18 and 19 before Tim Southee restricted the duo to 11 in the 20th.
“It was obviously touchand-go there for us,” said Munro whose whirlwind knock at the start of the match laid the platform for New Zealand’s 212 for four with India 208 for six at the close.
The morale-boosting victory for New Zealand gave captain Kane Williamson something to smile about after they were whipped 4-1 by India in the earlier one-day i nternational series.
“It came down to the last couple of balls and it’s nice to come out on the right side,” he said.
PREFERRING TO CHASE
It was a more sombre mood in the India dressing after Rohit Sharma had won the toss and defied convention by not batting first in a series decider, saying his team preferred to chase regardless.
“It was pretty disappointing to not get over that finishing line but I thought we fought really well till the end,” he said.
“We started off really well with the ODI series and we wanted to do well here with the T20.”
It was a vital knock from Munro, whose position in the New Zealand side ahead of the World Cup had been in question after a string of failures in the ODI and Twenty20 matches against India.
But he was on song from the start of the decider, charging down the track to smack Bhuvneshwar Kumar over the rope with the first ball he faced to kick off a flying partnership with Tim Seifert.
The pair raced to 80 in the eighth over when the lightning hands of MS Dhoni had Seifert stumped by a hair’s breadth for 43.
Munro’s belligerence saw him face just 40 balls in his Wickets
OPENER COLIN MUNRO’S BELLIGERENCE SAW HIM FACE JUST 40 BALLS IN HIS INNINGS, FLAYING THE BOWLING WITH FIVE FOURS AND FIVE SIXES
innings, flaying the bowling with five fours and five sixes. He was removed by Kuldeep Yadav when he skied a ball to Hardik Pandya running in from long-on.
Kane Williamson (27) fell in the next over when he pulled a rising delivery from left-arm pace bowler Khaleel Ahmed to Yadav at fine leg.
Colin de Grandhomme chimed in with 30 off 16 to ensure New Zealand passed the critical 200 mark for the second time in the series.
VIJAY’S AGGRESSION
Vijay Shankar took an equally aggressive stance at the start of India’s chase and the visitors were up at the required run rate through the first half of their innings, but were unable to establish partnerships.
Rishabh Pant belted a four and two sixes with his first three scoring shots and raced to 28 off
12 before he became debutant Blair Tickner’s first victim, swiping at a full toss that was caught at mid-wicket.
Sharma made 38, Hardik Pandya’s brief cameo produced 21 while Mahendra Singh Dhoni, feted as the master finisher, could only make two in a brief stay at the crease.
With the game slipping away from India, Dinish Karthik pounded the boundaries with 33 off 16 deliveries while Krunal Pandya made 26 off 13 but they ended up four runs short.
New Zealand next host Bangladesh in a series of three ODIS and three Tests.