Virat Kohli on Sunday hit 95 to lead India to a four-wicket victory over New Zealand and a fifth win in five matches at the World Cup, although the superstar batsman just missed equaling Sachin Tendulkar’s record of 49 one-day international centuries.
Fast bowler Mohammed Shami returned figures of 5-54 to help bowl out New Zealand for 273, a total India overhauled with 12 balls to spare in Dharamsala.
The Kiwis, who rode on Daryl Mitchell’s 130 to post 273, suffered their first loss in five matches and are second behind leaders India in the 10-team table.
Photo: AP
India, who lost to New Zealand in the semi-final of the 2019 edition, ended a 20-year wait for a win against the Kiwis in an ICC event after they last beat them in the 2003 World Cup.
An in-form Kohli, who hit 103 not out in the previous victory over Bangladesh, put on key partnerships including a 78-run stand with Ravindra Jadeja, who hit the winning four in his unbeaten 39.
“He [Kohli] has done this for us so many years. He backed himself to do the job,” India captain Rohit Sharma said of his star batsman after the win. “Kohli and Jadeja pulled us back when we lost a few wickets in the middle.”
Photo: AFP
Kohli fell to Matt Henry in an attempt for the glory shot, which would have given him another century. He leads the tournament batting charts with 340 runs.
India were 100-2 in 15.4 overs when a thick layer of Himalayan fog descended on the picturesque Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium from the nearby snow-capped peaks, causing the umpires to call for a stoppage that lasted about 10 minutes.
Mitchell called the fog “a wonderful thing.”
“It was strange, wasn’t it? I have experienced it before in first class cricket in Karori Park in Wellington when the fog came in,” he said. “So yeah, this game continues to provide wonderful things, doesn’t it? It was an amazing experience, that’s for sure.”
Taiwan kept their hopes of advancing to next year’s World Baseball Classic (WBC) alive with a 9-1 victory over South Africa in a qualifier at the Taipei Dome on Saturday, backed by solid pitching. Taiwan last night played against Nicaragua. As of press time, Nicaragua was leading 6-0. Bouncing back from Friday’s struggles on the mound, when Taiwanese pitchers surrendered 15 runs to Spain, Team Taiwan on Saturday kept the visiting team in check, allowing just one run in the bottom of the fourth inning. Starting pitcher Sha Tzu-chen struck out one and allowed no hits, except for a hit-by-pitch over
Team Taiwan are set to face Spain in a win-or-go-home match tonight for the final berth at the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC), despite losing to Nicaragua 6-0 in the WBC qualifier at the Taipei Dome on Sunday. The home team’s loss on Sunday means Nicaragua finish first in the qualifier round in Taipei with a perfect 3-0 record and advances to next year’s finals. After crushing South Africa 9-1 earlier on Sunday, Spain took second place in the four-team qualifier with a 2-1 record. With a 1-2 record, Taiwan finished third while South Africa placed at the bottom with
Taiwan kept its hopes of advancing to the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC) alive with a 9-1 victory over South Africa in a qualifier at the Taipei Dome last night, backed by solid pitching. Bouncing back from Friday’s struggles on the mound, when Taiwanese pitchers surrendered 15 runs to Spain, Team Taiwan kept the visiting team in check, allowing just one run in the bottom of the fourth inning. The win was crucial for Taiwan, as a loss would have eliminated the team from contention for the next WBC. Starting pitcher Sha Tzu-chen (沙子宸) struck out one and allowed no hits, except for
LONG TIME COMING: With the addition of Marcus Smart, the Washington Wizards finally held a team to under 100 points, the last team this season to do so The Detroit Pistons on Monday won their seventh straight game in the NBA with in-form Cade Cunningham making 32 points and grabbing nine rebounds in a 106-97 win over the Los Angeles Clippers. The Pistons, who are in the playoff position, moved to 32-26, their best record at this stage of a season for 17 years. It was an all-round effort from Detroit with Tobias Harris adding 20 points and Jalen Duren making 19 rebounds along with his 12 points. It was a tight contest until Detroit pulled away late in the third quarter to tie their longest winning streak since the 2014-2015
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