ZADRAN SMASHES 42, AFGHANISTAN BEAT IRELAND
GREATER NOIDA: Afghanistan beat Ireland in their first of three Twenty20s on Friday as Najibullah Zadran smashed an unbeaten 42 in a rain-affected fixture in India. Ireland, in their 1,000th “capped” match since 1855, made 172 for six as Paul Stirling smashed a quick-fire 60 and fellow opener Kevin O’brien 35. Indian Premier League spin star Rashid Khan took three wickets as he restricted the Irish after Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Shapoor Zadran leaked runs.
Hazratullah Zazai and Rahmanullah Gurbaz got Afghanistan off to a solid start before offspinner Simi Singh had both leg before for 23 and 28 respectively. Karim Janat and Asghar Afghan were run out cheaply but Samiullah Shinwari and Shapoor Zadran steadied the ship before rain halted play at 133 for 5 off 15 overs.
This was enough for Afghanistan to be adjudicated the winner by 11 runs under the Duckworth-lewis method. Injured Ireland quick Mark Adair was replaced for the series by Shane Getkate, the only change to the squad that secured a 1-1 draw in the West Indies in January.
Ireland’s head coach Graham Word was also absent after injuring himself in an accident at home, with Rob Cassell stepping in as acting replacement.
“There’s no shying away from the fact that Afghanistan have had our number in T20 Internationals,” skipper Andrew Balbirnie said before the match.
“I can’t honestly remember the last time we beat them in this format. We’ve certainly got a point to prove against these guys.”
For Afghanistan, left-arm quick Zadran rejoined the squad that includes legspinner Qais Ahmad, 19, who floored a shocked Andre Russell with a bouncer in the recent Big Bash.
Brief scores: Ireland 172/6 in 20 overs (P Stirling 60, R Khan 3/22); Afghanistan 133/5 in 15 ov, target 123); Afghanistan won by 11 runs (D/L method)
Millman comeback puts Australia in charge vs Brazil
ADELAIDE: A rousing comeback saw John Millman stun Thiago Seyboth Wild to give an Australian team missing Nick Kyrgios a 2-0 lead over Brazil in their Davis Cup qualifier Friday. With a slot in the Madrid finals at stake, Jordan Thompson put the home team on the front foot in the opening singles, beating the experienced Thiago Monterio 6-4, 6-4 at Adelaide’s Memorial Drive.
It looked like the visitors would strike back in the second rubber as rising star Seyboth Wild, who won his first ATP title in Chile last week, served for the match at 5-4 against Millman. But the Australian, cheered on by a patriotic crowd, broke back and took the second set in a tiebreaker before running away with the third to post a gutsy 4-6, 7-6 (7/0), 6-2 win.
“I think I showed a bit of grit out there,” said Millman. “I used the bench, the team and I soaked up the experience of (captain) Lleyton (Hewitt) and Rochey (coach Tony Roche).
“That’s what Davis Cup is all about, never giving up.”
Momota feared career over after deadly crash
TOKYO: Japan’s badminton king Kento Momota said he was again dreaming of Tokyo Olympics gold on Friday but didn’t know when he’d return to action after a car crash that left him fearing his career was over.
The world number one admitted his “spirit was almost broken” after the accident in January—hours after he won the Malaysia Masters —which killed the driver of the vehicle taking him to Kuala Lumpur airport. Momota, 25, had been expected to be out for two months but he needed surgery for an eye socket fracture in February, dashing plans to return for this month’s All England Championships.
“I thought about it. How long will it take?” he said, when asked if he had been worried that he might never play again. “There were times when my spirit was almost broken.” Momota, who missed the 2016 Olympics after he was suspended for visiting an illegal casino, is now back in training but doesn’t know when he’ll be compete again. “Of course, the Tokyo Olympics is on my mind,” he told reporters in Tokyo. “I have received support and such passionate words of encouragement that now, I feel that I really want to go for the gold.”