India Makes 196 and Beats Bangladesh by 50 at Twenty20 World Cup

Pandya struck four boundaries and three sixes in an unbeaten 50 to lead India to 196-5. (The AP)
Pandya struck four boundaries and three sixes in an unbeaten 50 to lead India to 196-5. (The AP)
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India Makes 196 and Beats Bangladesh by 50 at Twenty20 World Cup

Pandya struck four boundaries and three sixes in an unbeaten 50 to lead India to 196-5. (The AP)
Pandya struck four boundaries and three sixes in an unbeaten 50 to lead India to 196-5. (The AP)

Hardik Pandya blasted Bangladesh with a 27-ball half-century and Kuldeep Yadav's three wickets finished off India's win at the Twenty20 World Cup on Saturday.

Pandya struck four boundaries and three sixes in an unbeaten 50 to lead India to 196-5.

Yadav then took 3-19 in four overs to limit Bangladesh to 146-8.

India moved to the top of Group 1 in the Super Eight with two wins from two matches. Bangladesh was winless.

Put into bat, India started quick as captain Rohit Sharma scored 23 off 11 balls. Virat Kohli added 37 off 28, hitting three sixes. The duo put on 39 off 22 balls for India’s best opening stand in the tournament, The AP reported.

Sharma was caught in the fourth over off Shakib al Hasan, while Kohli put on another 32 off 27 balls with Rishabh Pant for the second wicket.

Tanzim Hasan Sakib struck twice in the ninth over, getting Kohli and Suryakumar Yadav for 6 as India slumped to 77-3.

But Rishabh Pant anchored one end with 36 off 24, including four fours and two sixes, putting on 31 off 19 balls with Shivam Dube.

Despite Pant’s dismissal in the 12th over, Dube’s prowess against spin came in handy — he hit three sixes, scoring 34 off 24 balls.

But it was Pandya who took charge in the death overs. India scored 62 runs in the last five overs.

Pandya was named player of the match.

“We have played some really good cricket (to win five straight games),” he said. "We have executed our plans well, but as a group we can still improve. We sometimes lose wickets in a bunch, but apart from that things are looking good.”

Bangladesh's reply made a steady start. Openers Litton Das (13) and Tanzid Hasan (29) added 35 off 27 until Pandya got the breakthrough in the fifth over.

The Tigers were at 66-2 in the 10th over and scoring slower. The chase unravelled when Yadav came on to bowl. He trapped Hasan lbw, and dismissed Towhid Hridoy for 4 and claimed the big wicket of Shakib for 11.

Bangladesh lost three wickets for 32 runs across 24 balls and didn't recover.

Pace bowlers Jasprit Bumrah (2-13) and Arshdeep Singh (2-30) helped to seal India’s fifth win over Bangladesh in the T20 World Cup.

Australia wins toss, sends Afghanistan in to bat At Kingstown, St. Vincent, Australia captain Mitchell Marsh won the toss and chose to bowl against Afghanistan in their Super Eight Group 1 match.

Australia is unbeaten at the tournament thus far and another victory against Afghanistan will see it advance along with India, which beat Bangladesh earlier Saturday, into the semifinals.

Australia beat Bangladesh by 28 runs under the Duckworth-Lewis system due to rain delays in its opening Super Eight game on Thursday, with Pat Cummins taking the first hat-trick of the tournament.

Afghanistan lost its opening Super Eight match to India by 47 runs and now must beat Australia to stay in contention for the semifinals.

With the pitch at the Arnos Vale Ground expected to help spinners, Australia made one change to its side with Ashton Agar coming in for pace bowler Mitchell Starc.

Afghanistan made two changes with Guldabin Naib and Karim Janat coming in for Najibullah Zadran and Hazratullah Zazai.

The last time these two countries met was at the ODI World Cup in India where Glenn Maxwell smashed an astonishing 201 not out to guide Australia to what appeared a most unlikely victory at Mumbai.

Australia is attempting to add the T20 World Cup to its previous successes in the 50-over World Cup and World Test Championship.



'Not at the Level': Atletico Left to Ruminate after Club World Cup KO

Atletico Madrid's Antoine Griezmann and his team-mate Julian Alvarez react after Club World Cup elimination on Monday. Patrick T. Fallon / AFP
Atletico Madrid's Antoine Griezmann and his team-mate Julian Alvarez react after Club World Cup elimination on Monday. Patrick T. Fallon / AFP
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'Not at the Level': Atletico Left to Ruminate after Club World Cup KO

Atletico Madrid's Antoine Griezmann and his team-mate Julian Alvarez react after Club World Cup elimination on Monday. Patrick T. Fallon / AFP
Atletico Madrid's Antoine Griezmann and his team-mate Julian Alvarez react after Club World Cup elimination on Monday. Patrick T. Fallon / AFP

For all the excuses -- and there have been many -- one line from Antoine Griezmann cut straight to the heart of the matter after Atletico Madrid's Club World Cup elimination.

"We have to look at ourselves and see that there are times when we are not at the level and we have to resolve that," said the veteran French forward.

Griezmann's goal earned Atletico a 1-0 win over Botafogo on Monday but the Brazilian side progressed ahead of the Spaniards on goal difference to reach the Club World Cup last 16, reported AFP.

Atletico were left licking their wounds, just like they were after failing to win a major trophy this season.

Their controversial Champions League last 16 elimination by Real Madrid after Julian Alvarez's "double-touch" penalty left Atletico raging at referees, UEFA and their arch-rivals.

They spiraled and blamed that for their capitulation in La Liga, which they led at Christmas, while Simeone insisted a Copa del Rey semi-final defeat by Barcelona was something the club had to accept.

"We are trying to keep improving to get closer and closer to the teams above us and to accept the place we are," said the Argentine coach.

However Atletico, who won La Liga in 2014 and 2021, and finished runners-up in the 2014 and 2016 Champions League final, have been far closer to the elite than they are right now.

Some players at the club understand that, like Griezmann and goalkeeper Jan Oblak, while others do not seem to.

"We'll keep rattling the cages of those at the top," pledged Marcos Llorente after the group stage elimination in the United States.

Atletico were upset that some penalty appeals were ignored during the win over Botafogo in Pasadena.

"I've never seen anything like it, to be honest, I think we should have been awarded two penalties," complained winger Giuliano Simeone, the coach's son.

"I think the decisions are not favoring us at all -- in all the debatable ones, we have to play against that."

'It takes work'

It was Atletico's opening 4-0 thrashing by Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain that cost them qualification and also showed how far they are from the game's peak.

Simeone has been in charge since 2011 and many would say he is the greatest coach in the club's history, but in recent years questions have grown around whether he is the man to drive Atletico further.

The last trophy they won was La Liga four years ago.

"I'm sad to be eliminated, we got six points from three games. We won two," said Simeone.

As has so often proven the case in recent years, it was not enough.

In some quarters of the Spanish media, former Rojiblanco defender Filipe Luis, coach of Brazilian side Flamengo -- who have made it through to the last 16 -- has been linked as a future Atletico coach.

"They've had a long season... let's hope the next one is better for them," said retired Atletico great Sergio Aguero, but with the team not progressing, some fans are losing their hope.

Griezmann, who signed a new contract with Atletico at the start of the summer and ended a 18-game goal drought against Botafogo, believes it will take elbow grease.

"It takes work, and it's a problem deeper and more to do within the team than the referees," he added, as Atletico packed their bags for home.

"We have to focus on what we have to improve, on what we have to do to win these games."