JADEJA, ROHIT LEAD INDIA’S ROUT OF BANGLADESH
DUBAI: Spinner Ravindra Jadeja took four wickets and skipper Rohit Sharma smashed a successive half century to help India rout Bangladesh by seven wickets in Asia Cup match in Dubai on Friday.
Jadeja finished with four for 29 to wreck Bangladesh to 173 all out in 49.1 overs at Dubai stadium.
Sharma then launched another assault on the bowlers during his 104-ball unbeaten knock which was studded with three sixes and five boundaries as India chased down the target in 36.2 overs.
Sharma put on 61 for the opening stand with Shikhar Dhawan (47-ball 40 with a six and four boundaries) before easing towards the target with another 64-run stand for the third with Mahendra Singh Dhoni who made 33.
It was another comfortable victory for the title holders who eased through their big match against Pakistan by eight wickets on Wednesday.
The arch rivals meet again in the Super Four match in Dubai on Sunday. Sharma praised his bowlers. “We bowled very well and we always knew it was going to be better batting under the lights,” said Sharma. “Once you’re in, you got to make sure you bat as long and as deep as possible.
“Tomorrow is a day off. Hope to repeat the same performance against Pakistan.”
Bangladesh skipper urged batsmen to show guts.
“Our batsmen need to take responsibility, especially after failing to score in back-to-back matches. The next match is against a tough team with good bowlers,” said Mortaza whose team plays Afghanistan in Abu Dhabi on Sunday.
Jadeja, playing his first one-day international for over a year, was at his best after India sent Bangladesh into bat on a flat pitch.
He only came into the squad as a replacement for all-rounder Hardik his STOCKHOLM: Football star Zlatan Ibrahimovic said on Saturday he has not ruled out ending his career in Sweden, citing he lacks a league title in his home country.
The veteran striker has won national titles in Spain with Barcelona, in Italy with AC and Inter Milan, in the Netherlands with Ajax and in France with Paris Saint-germain. But he did not win the English league Bangladesh L Das c Jadhav b Kumar ........................ 7 N Hossain c Dhawan b Bumrah ............ 7 Shakib c Dhawan b Jadeja .................. 17 M Rahim c Chahal b Jadeja ................ 21 M Mithun lbw Jadeja ........................... 9 Mahmudullah lbw Kumar .................. 25 M Hossain c Dhoni b Jadeja ............... 12 M Mortaza c Bumrah b Kumar ............ 26 M Hasan c Dhawan b Bumrah ............ 42 M Rahman c Dhawan b Bumrah ........... 3 R Hossain (not out) ............................... 1 Extras (B-1, NB-1, W-1) ...................... 3 Total (all out, 49.1 overs) ............. 173 Fall of wickets: 1-15, 2-16, 3-42, 4-60, 5-65, 6-101, 7-101, 8-167, 9-169. Bowling: Kumar 10-1-32-3, Bumrah 9.1-1-37-3, Chahal 10-0-40-0, Jadeja 100-29-4, Yadav 10-0-34-0. India R Sharma (not out) ............................. 83 S Dhawan lbw Shakib ......................... 40 A Rayudu c Rahim b Rubel ................. 13 M Dhoni c Mithun b Mortaza .............. 33 D Karthik (not out) ................................ 1 Extras (LB-1, NB-2, W-1) .................... 4 Total (for 3 wkts, 36.2 overs) ....... 174 Fall of wickets: 1-61, 2-106, 3-170. Bowling: Mortaza 5-0-30-1, Mehidy 100-38-0, Rahman 7-0-40-0, Shakib 9.2-044-1, Rubel 5-0-21-1. while at Manchester United and lacks the Swedish one as well.
“I have not shut any doors. There is a trophy I’m still missing,” the LA Galaxy forward said in a podcast with Swedish blogger and media profile Alex Schulman.
Ibrahimovic said that if he returned to Sweden, he would only consider his former club, Malmo FF, known as MFF, when asked if Pandya who was ruled out of the tournament with a back injury.
Pacemen Bhuvneshwar Kumar (332) and Jasprit Bumrah (3-37) were also ruthless as Bangladeshi batting couldn’t get going with tail-ender Mehidy Hasan top-scoring with a 50-ball 42 with two sixes and two boundaries.
Bangladesh, who were bowled out for a mere 119 against Afghanistan on Thursday, were once again off to a disastrous start during which they lost half the side for just 65 runs.
Mushfiqur Rahman, who scored a brilliant hundred against Sri Lanka, managed 21 while star batsman Shakib Al Hasan failed yet again with 17.
It could have been worse had Mehidy not put on a fighting 66-run partnership for the eighth wicket with Mashrafe Mortaza who made 26 with two sixes.
Top two teams from the Super Four will play the final in Dubai on September 28. he could play for AIK who top the Swedish premiership.
“Not a chance. Only MFF. And MFF will win the premiership,” Ibrahimovic added.
Ibrahimovic played for Malmo from 1999-2001, and attended last year’s ceremony when the team lifted the league trophy.
“I have received an offer, they want me back and that I end my career DUBAI: Experienced batsman Shoaib Malik hit a six and a boundary to pull off a sensational last over three wicket win for Pakistan against a spirited Afghanistan in the Asia Cup in Abu Dhabi on Friday.
Malik pulled the second ball of the final over by paceman Aftab Alam over the deep square leg boundary and then whacked the next to deep fine leg for a boundary as Pakistan pulled off a nerve-wracking win in 49.3 overs at Sheikh Zayed Stadium.
Pakistan, cashing a stiff 258-run target, were home and dry to start the Super Four Stage with a muchneeded win and now face arch rivals India in Dubai on Sunday. Hashmatullah Shahidi missed out on a maiden hundred by a mere three runs but still steered Afghanistan to a challenging 257-6.
Pakistan were off to a disastrous start when opener Fakhar Zaman was trapped leg-before off the sixth ball of the innings by spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman for nought. Imam-ul-haq scored a 104-ball 80 with five boundaries and a six while Babar Azam knocked an attractive 94-ball 66 with four boundaries and a six during their innings repairing the 154-run stand for the second wicket.
But both fell within the space of four runs as spinner Rashid Khan (3-46) brought Afghanistan back in the there,” he said.
The podcast was sponsored by a betting company Ibrahimovic has invested in.
The 36-year-old has two years left on his contract with LA Galaxy, but said he would discuss his options after the end of this season.
Ibrahimovic retired from the Swedish national team at Euro 2016, scoring 62 goals in 116 caps. Afghanistan M Shahzad c Sarfraz b Nawaz ............................................ 20 I Janat c and b Nawaz ......... 10 R Shah c and b Nawaz ......... 36 H Shahidi (not out) ............. 97 A Afghan b Shaheen ........... 67 M Nabi c Hasan b Shaheen ...7 N Zadran b Hasan .................. 5 G Naib (not out) .................. 10 Extras (LB-2, NB-2, W-1) ..... 5 Total: (for 6 wkts, 50 overs) .......................................... 257 Fall of wickets: 1-26, 2-31, 3-94, 4-188, 5-200, 6-212. Bowling: Shinwari 10-1-58-0, Shaheen 10-0-38-2, Nawaz 101-57-3, Malik 4-0-21-0, Sohail 6-0-30-0, Hasan 10-0-51-1. Pakistan F Zaman lbw Mujeeb ............. 0 Imam-ul-haq (run out) ....... 80 B Zaman st Shahzad b Rashid ............................................ 66 H Sohail c Ihsanullah b Mujeeb ............................................ 13 S Malik (not out) ................. 51 S Ahmed b Naib ..................... 8 A Ali c Alam b Rashid ............. 7 M Nawaz b Rashid .............. 10 H Ali (not out) ........................ 6 Extras (B-2, LB-2, W-13) .. 17 Total: (for 7 wkts, 49.3 overs) ............................... 258 Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-154, 3-158, 4-194, 5-216, 6-226, 7-242. Bowling: Mujeeb 10-2-33-2, Alam 9.3-1-64-0, Naib 10-061-1, Nabi 10-0-50-0, Rashid 10-0-46-3. game with the asking rate getting stiffer, as Pakistan needed 42 off the final five overs. Despite losing skipper Sarfraz Ahmed (eight), Asif Ali (seven) and Mohammad Nawaz (ten), Malik kept his cool to sop Afghanistan from posting their third straight win after beating Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in the first round. — AFP