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Asia Cup 2023: Action starts with Pakistan taking on debutants Nepal (Preview)

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New Delhi, Aug 29 (IANS) The wait will finally be over after days of ifs and buts, with Pakistan and Nepal kickstarting the proceedings in the Asia Cup 2023 in Multan on Wednesday.

The first match of the competition, which is being held, for the first time, in two different countries — Pakistan and Sri Lanka — because of geo-political considerations as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) refused to send its team across the border to play in Pakistan.

Thus Pakistan, with an enviable bowling lineup, will kickstart its campaign in Match No.1 of the continental event at the Multan Cricket Stadium in Pakistan on Wednesday, while India will play their matches in various venues in Sri Lanka.

Never before has the Asia Cup been co-hosted. But after the BCCI refused to send its team to Pakistan, the ACC (Asian Cricket Council), was forced to find this unique solution.

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Though some of the PCB officials expressed their dissatisfaction, it was to no avail as this seemed the only way to salvage the tournament.

Now the stage is set and players are eagerly waiting to test their skills ahead of the ICC ODI World Cup scheduled later this year. 

For the Asia Cup, the teams have been divided into two groups comprising three teams each, playing in a round-robin cycle, set to compete for the prized trophy. 

The top two teams from each group will qualify for the Super-Four stage, followed by the topper of each group to play the final on September 15 in Colombo.

India, Nepal, and Pakistan are placed in Group A, whereas Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Sri Lanka are in Group B.

A total of 13 games will be played throughout the tournament. The group stage matches will be played between August 30 to September 5, with three games being played in Pakistan, and the rest in Sri Lanka.

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The Super-Four Stage will be played between September 6 to 15, with five being played in Sri Lanka and one game in Pakistan. The final will be hosted at R. Premdasa Stadium in Colombo on September 17.

Team Nepal will play for the first time, marking their debut in the tournament. They qualified by winning the inaugural ACC Men’s Premier Cup 2023, in which they overcame the United Arab Emirates in the final by seven wickets. 

The Asia Cup was started way back in 1984 in the ODI format. However, the recent edition has been played in both ODI and T2OI formats.  

India is the most-crowned team in the tournament with seven titles (6 ODI and 1 T20), Sri Lanka are second with six titles (5 ODI and 1 T20I) and Pakistan have won the title twice.

The much-anticipated match between the two arch-rival teams, Pakistan and India will be played on September 2. 

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The last time these two teams faced each other in this format in 2019, skipper Rohit Sharma played an exhilarating inning of 140 runs.  However, rain played a key role in the game and India won it by 89 runs (DLS method).  

This time around, Pakistan has a formidable side with batters like Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam, Mohd Rizwan and bowlers of the caliber of Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, Faheem Ashraf in their ranks.

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Head released from Australia ODI and T20I squads, Bartlett to be rested for second ODI

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Sydney, Feb 3 (IANS) Australia opener Travis Head has been released from both the ODI and T20I squads to “refresh” after a strenuous Test summer, and pace bowler Xavier Bartlett has been rested for the second ODI against West Indies but is anticipated to return with vigor for the third game in Canberra.

World Cup-winning quick Josh Hazlewood has been added to Australia’s squad for the second ODI against the West Indies at the SCG.

Bartlett’s impressive performance in Melbourne, where he claimed 4 for 17, marked a memorable start to his international career. However, the management’s decision to rest him for the second ODI is part of a calculated plan to manage his workload cautiously. A Cricket Australia statement said the decision formed part of his “ongoing management” after the 25-year-old Queenslander missed the first half of the domestic season following his return from a back stress injury.

The young pace sensation, who dealt with a back injury last year, is being handled judiciously, especially considering the demanding schedule with three ODIs in five days and no prior one-day or Shield cricket this season.

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The void left by Bartlett’s absence in Sydney will be filled by the inclusion of experienced World Cup-winning quick, Josh Hazlewood. Hazlewood initially rested for the ODI series after a busy Test summer, is set to bolster the Australian squad.

Left-arm quick Spencer Johnson will join the squad as cover for the third ODI in Canberra on Tuesday.

Australia has not named a replacement after Head’s departure and that opens the door for potential changes in the lineup, with the promising Jake Fraser-McGurk in contention to make his ODI debut at the SCG.

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2nd Test: Crawley, Duckett take England to 32/0 after Jaiswal’s 209 carries India to 396

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Visakhapatnam, Feb 3 (IANS) England’s openers Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett came out unscathed from the small period of batting for 20 minutes in the first session after Yashasvi Jaiswal’s 209 carried India to a first-innings total of 396 on day two of second Test at the Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium on Saturday.

At lunch, England are 32/0 in six overs and trail India by 364 runs. After seeing off Jasprit Bumrah’s opening over, Duckett’s first boundary came off an inside edge against Mukesh Kumar, while Crawley whipped the pacer for four to get off the mark. Duckett was more assured at the crease, seen from him taking three boundaries off Mukesh in the fourth over, to make it England’s session with both bat and ball.

Earlier, Jaiswal converted his overnight score of 179 not out into a maiden double century in Tests, though India missed out on reaching 400 by just four runs. Playing in just his sixth Test match, Jaiswal mixed caution and aggression in equal measure and stood tall even as his team-mates fell from the other end.

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He become the third youngest Indian batter to score a double hundred in Test cricket, via a six and four off debutant England spinner Shoaib Bashir in the 102nd over. His incredible career-best knock of 209 from 290 balls was laced with 19 fours and seven sixes, before being dismissed by veteran fast-bowler James Anderson.

But it was a morning which made England happy as India’s last four wickets fell for only 32 runs. Anderson took three wickets in his miserly spell while Bashir and Rehan Ahmed also took three scalps each.

In the morning, Ravichandran Ashwin was exquisite in his cover drives off Bashir, while Jaiswal, who survived an lbw appeal off Anderson, whacked the off-spinner by dancing down the pitch to smack a six over long-on to enter the 190s. Anderson got the first wicket of the morning when he squared up Ashwin on defence and wicketkeeper Ben Foakes took the catch behind.

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Jaiswal brought up his double-hundred in style with back-to-back boundaries off Bashir – a slog-sweep over backward square leg for six was followed by sweeping a full toss for four. Jaiswal celebrated by removing his helmet, jumping with joy and blowing kisses to a weekend crowd giving him a standing ovation and chanting his name to applaud a magnificent knock by the youngster.

He then tried taking the attack against Anderson – a thick edge on being squared up went for four. But Jaiswal lost his wicket when he tried to slice off Anderson after coming down the pitch, only for deep cover to take the catch. It brought an end to a momentous knock from Jaiswal, who was rightfully given a standing ovation by everyone in the stadium on his way back to the dugout.

India’s innings ended swiftly after Jaiswal’s fall as Bumrah edged to first slip off Ahmed and Mukesh too fell in the same fashion off Bashir, as the hosts’ fell short of 400 by just four runs. With the pitch still playing relatively well, though there’s been some evidence of variable bounce for spinners when Ashwin and Kuldeep Yadav were introduced into the bowling attack at the stroke of lunch, it sets up the platform nicely for a big second session.

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Brief scores: India 396 in 112 overs (Yashasvi Jaiswal 209, Shubman Gill 34; James Anderson 3-47, Rehan Ahmed 3-65) lead England 32/0 in six overs (Ben Duckett 17 not out, Zak Crawley 15 not out) by 364 runs

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2nd Test: Yashasvi Jaiswal slams career-best 209 as England bowl out India for 396

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Visakhapatnam, Feb 3 (IANS) Opener Yashasvi Jaiswal converted his overnight score of 179 not out into a maiden double century in Tests. But it wasn’t enough to take India past 400 as England bowled them out for 396 in 112 overs of their first innings on day two’s play at the Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium on Saturday.

Playing in just his sixth Test match, Jaiswal mixed caution and aggression in equal measure and stood tall even as his team-mates fell from the other end to become the third youngest Indian batter to score a double hundred in Test cricket, via a six and four off debutant England spinner Shoaib Bashir in the 102nd over.

His incredible career-best knock of 209 from 290 balls was laced with 19 fours and seven sixes, before being dismissed by veteran fast-bowler James Anderson. But it was a morning that would leave England happy as India’s last four wickets fell for 32 runs. Anderson took three wickets in his miserly spell while Bashir and Rehan Ahmed also took three scalps.

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In the morning, Ravichandran Ashwin was exquisite in his cover drives off Bashir, while Jaiswal, who survived an lbw appeal off Anderson, whacked the off-spinner by dancing down the pitch to smack a six over long-on to enter the 190s. Anderson got the first wicket of the morning when he squared up Ashwin on defence and wicketkeeper Ben Foakes took the catch behind.

Jaiswal brought up his double-hundred in style with back-to-back boundaries off Bashir – a slog-sweep over backward square leg for six was followed by sweeping a full toss for four. He then tried taking the attack against Anderson – a thick edge on being squared up went for four.

But Jaiswal lost his wicket when he tried to slice off Anderson after coming down the pitch, only for deep cover to take the catch. It brought an end to a momentous knock from Jaiswal, who was rightfully given a standing ovation by everyone in the stadium. The end of India’s innings came swiftly as Jasprit Bumrah edged to first slip off Ahmed and Mukesh Kumar too fell in the same fashion off Bashir, as the hosts’ fell short of 400 by just four runs.

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Brief scores: India 396 in 112 overs (Yashasvi Jaiswal 209, Shubman Gill 34; James Anderson 3-47, Rehan Ahmed 3-65) against England

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2nd Test: Yashasvi Jaiswal becomes third-youngest Indian to score double-hundred in Tests

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Visakhapatnam, Feb 3 (IANS) Yashasvi Jaiswal etched his name in the annals of Indian cricket history as he became the third-youngest Indian after Sunil Gavaskar and Vinod Kambli to score a double-hundred in Tests, on Day 2 of the second Test against England at the ACA-VDCA Stadium in Visakhapatnam.

Jaiswal, aged 22 years and 77 days completed his feat in 277 balls, in the process guiding India to a 350-plus total in the first innings of the match. The opener became the first Indian since Mayank Agarwal (November 2019) to breach the double-ton mark in the longest format of the game.

The young Indian opener, known for his aggressive style of play, showcased a remarkable blend of attacking prowess and composure as he navigated the challenges posed by the English bowlers. Jaiswal’s innings became a beacon of hope for the Indian team, especially as wickets tumbled at regular intervals at the opposite end.

Not only did Jaiswal reach the coveted double-ton milestone, but he also became the first Indian left-handed batsman since Gautam Gambhir in 2008 to achieve this feat in Test cricket. The former India opener had scored 206 against Australia, and now Jaiswal follows in his footsteps with an equally remarkable innings.

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Clocking in at 277 balls to reach the 200-run mark, Jaiswal’s innings demonstrated not only his attacking flair but also his ability to temper his aggression with patience when the situation demanded.

Former batter, Vinod Kambli remains the youngest Indian to hit a double century, when he achieved his feat at the age of 21 years and 32 days against England in Wankhede, back in 1993. The youngest double centurion in the history of Test cricket is Javed Miandad, who achieved his feat at the age of 19 years and 140 days.

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2nd Test: Fifty for Jaiswal as India reach 103/2 at lunch after England’s early strikes

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Visakhapatnam, Feb 2 (IANS) Yashasvi Jaiswal reached 51 off 89 (not out) as India posted 103 for 2 at lunch after an early strike from debutant Shoaib Bashir and veteran pacer James Anderson on Day 1 of the second Test here at Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium on Friday.

Yashasvi started off well attacking Joe Root on the very first ball as the off-spinner opened the bowling from the other end with Anderson. Jaiswal got to his half-century in 89 balls and is unbeaten at 51 in 92 deliveries hitting 6 fours and a maximum.

Shoaib trapped the big fish Rohit Sharma for 14 as the Indian skipper closed the face on an off-break from the debutant and tucked his leg glance straight to Ollie Pope at leg slip.

It was the moment that young Bashir had been dreaming of, his maiden Test wicket. With a skillful delivery, he outfoxed the experienced Rohit, sending him back to the pavilion and giving England the breakthrough they craved.

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Yashasvi began to mount a comeback, putting the English spinners under pressure. Sensing the need for experience, Stokes summoned the ever-reliable James Anderson back into the attack. The veteran seamer responded emphatically, dismissing Shubman Gill scoring 34 off 46 balls just before the lunch interval, turning the tide in their favour with the dismissal.

The breakthrough injected a renewed sense of optimism into the English camp, setting the stage for an intriguing battle in the subsequent sessions.

England, equipped with the luxury of three spinners, saw Ben Stokes orchestrating a shrewd rotation of his slow bowlers. The trio of Root, Tom Hartley, and the debutant Shoaib Bashir combined forces, applying pressure on the Indian batting lineup and stifling their scoring opportunities.

Jaiswal with 51 runs led India’s attack with Shreyas Iyer, who came out after Gill’s dismissal.

Brief scores: India 103/2 at lunch (Yashasvi Jaiswal 51 not out, Shreyas Iyer 4; James Anderson 1-19, Shoaib Bashir 1-39) against England.

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