India vs Hong Kong, Asia Cup 2018 4th ODI. India survived a mighty scare before recording an unimpressive 26-run win over minnows Hong Kong in their opening group league match of the Asia Cup 2018 in Dubai on Tuesday.
In pursuit of a stiff 286-run target, the unheralded Hong Kong opening pair of Nizakat Khan (92) and skipper Anshuman Rath (73) added a record 174-run partnership to raise hopes of a major upset before inexperience cost them dearly as they managed 259 for eight. Highlights of the match
HONG KONG INNINGS (259/8)
End of Over 50:
India (285/7) beat Hong Kong (259/8) by 26 runs in Group A match at Dubai. (Nizakat Khan 92, Anshuman Rath 73; Kuldeep Chahal 3/46, Khaleel Ahmed 3/48)
49.1 overs:
Slower one from Khaleel and chipped straight up by Ehsan Khan (22). Easy return catch for the youngster, who now has three wickets.
End of Over 48:
The writing is on the wall! HKG 249/7, requiring 37 off 12 balls now.
46.3 overs:
Stumped! McKechnie (7) misses the line jumping out to Kuldeep. Easy job for Dhoni, who removes the stumps. HKG 240/7.
End of Over 45:
Chahal strikes twice in one over. Kinchit (17) first to go caught by Dhawan and then Aizaz LBW for a first-ball duck. HKG 230/6, requiring 56 runs in 30 balls. Chahal finishes with figures of 3/46.
End of Over 43:
HKG are hanging in there, with Kinchit Shah using the long handle well. 13 runs in that over from Chahal, including a six by Shah. HKG 220/4.
40.2 overs:
Fourth HKG batsman falls as Yuzvendra Chahal gets among the wickets by dismissing Babar Hayat (18) caught behind. HKG 199/4 in 40.2 overs.
39.1 overs:
Khaleel strikes again as he gets an edge off Christopher Carter’s (3) bat. Dhoni does the rest with a simple catch. HKG 191/3.
End of Over 38:
The asking rate has gone past 8.50. Babar Hayat and Christopher Cart has a huge task at hand. HKG 183/2.
35.4 overs:
First international wicket for Khaleel Ahmed! Nizakat trapped LBW for 92. Decision reviewed by the batsman but that’s out! Hong Kong lose two quick wickets. 175/2.
34.1 overs:
First wicket for India! Kuldeep strikes as Anshuman (73) drives it straight to Rohit at short cover. HKG 174/1 .
Even if India somehow squeeze this through, they are going to be a very tired team tomorrow.
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) September 18, 2018
Drinks Break:
HKG 167/0 in 33 overs, need 119 runs more in 102 balls. Nizakat Khan batting on 87, Anshuman on 71.
End of Over 31:
Shardul Thakur returns to the crease and it results in two boundaries for Hong Kong. In total 13 runs from the over. His figures 0/41 in 4 overs. HKG 157/0.
29th over:
Fifty for HKG captain Anshuman Rath – his seventh in ODIs. Can he kick on to play a big one to stun India?
End of Over 28:
Chahal and Yadav have completed 12 overs between them (6 each) giving away 44 runs in total without a wicket. That speaks volumes about the way Nizakat (79*) and Anshuman (48*) have read and played the spin twins. HKG 135/0.
End of Over 25:
Hong Kong will take this any day against India. They are 130/0 chasing 286 to win. Nizakat on 74* and Anshuman 46*.
End of Over 21:
HKG 115/0 as Nizakat Khan seems to be cramping up in hot Dubai conditions.
End of Over 18:
Hong Kong raise their first ever 100-run opening partnership with Nizakat (60*) and Anshuman (32*) taking their team to 101/0 in 18 overs in reply to India’s 285/7.
End of Over 15:
DROPPED! Yuzvendra Chahal puts down a low but catchable return chance to let off Anshuman Rath (29*), who, along with Nizakat Khan (54*), is playing India’s spin twins Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav watchfully. HKG 89/0.
11.3 Overs:
Fifty for Nizakat Khan in just 45 balls, and he brings it up with a SIX off Shardul Thakur. Hong Kong 76/0 in 11.3 overs. India surely didn’t expect this.
9.2 Overs:
Exactly the start Hong Kong wanted chasing 286 to upset India. Openers Nizakat and Anshuman raise fifty in 9.2 overs.
End of Over 8:
Good start by Shardul Thakur, gives away just two runs in his first six balls having replaced Khaleel Ahmed as first change. But India still searching for their first wicket. HKG 47/0.
End of Over 6:
Anshuman thumps Khaleel through the covers for a crisp boundary, his first. HKG looking good at 26/0.
End of Over 3:
Nizakat Khan and Anshuman Rath not looking in any trouble against the new-ball bowling of Bhuvneshwar Kumar and debutant Khaleel Ahmed.
INDIA INNINGS (285/7)
End of Over 50 :
Hong Kong come back to limit India to 285/7 in 50 overs after Shikhar Dhawan’s 127. Ambati Rayudu made 60. Kinchit Shah (3/39) the most successful bowler for HKG.
India 285/7 in 50 overs…
Last five overs: 29/2 with one six
last 10 overs: 48/5 in 1 four, 1 six#IndvHK#AsiaCup #AsiaCup2018— Mohandas Menon (@mohanstatsman) September 18, 2018
49.2 overs:
Shardul Thakur dismissed by Aizaz Khan for a duck.
48.4 overs:
Bhuvneshwar goes for 9 caught at short mid-wicket as Kinchit Shah gets his third wicket. India 277/6
End of Over 47:
Three overs left as Jadhav’s chipped SIX showed what he can do with the bat. India 271/5 in 47 overs. Can they get to 300?
End of Over 45:
India 256/5, now it’s touch and go for 300. Jadhav batting on 6 and Bhuvneshwar on 4.
42.3 overs:
Double blow turns into triple for India. Dinesh Karthik (33) perishes in the deep to a brilliant catch by Babar Hayat off Kinchit Shah. India slip to 249/5. India’s tail begins with Bhuvneshwar Kumar walking into the middle.
41.4 overs:
Faint edge and well caught by the wicketkeeper as MS Dhoni is sent back by spinner Ehsan Khan for a duck. Disappointment all around in the stadium. India 242/4. Kedar Jadhav joins Dinesh Karthik (29*).
40.4 overs:
Shikhar Dhawan walks back after a brilliant knock of 127 off 120 balls. India 240/3 in 40.4 overs. Karthik batting on 27. Kinchit Shah the wicket-taker for HKG.
End of Over 38:
An LBW shout against Dhawan reviewed by Hong Kong spinner Ehsan Khan as the left-hander went for a reverse sweep. But it struck his pad outside off-stump. India 215/2.
End of Over 36:
Shikhar Dhawan completes his 14th ODI century to kick off India’s Asia Cup in style. Reaches the landmark in 105 balls. India 198/2..
End of Over 32:
Dinesh Karthik is the new man in to join Shikhar Dhawan, who is on 89*. India 176/2.
29.2 Overs-
Ehsan Nawaz strikes to remove Ambati Rayudu (60). A fine, high catch by the wicketkeeper standing up. India 161/2 at the end of a 116-run partnership.
End of Over 28:
Ambati Rayudu, too, brings up his half-century — the 7th of his ODI career — in 63 balls. India 152/1 in 28 overs.
End of Over 26:
Rayudu is within five runs from his seventh ODI fifty. Exactly the start he was looking for after being recalled to the squad. India 142/1.
End of Over 23:
India 128/1. Rayudu has moved up to 37* and Dhawan is on 67*. Nothing much in the wicket and the bowling is not menacing at all, so a big total looks like an understatement at the moment.
End of Over 20:
Rayudu (29*) opens his shoulders with first SIX for India. A pull shot for a maximum after Dhawan celebrated his fifty off a boundary in the same over — bowled by Nizakat Khan.
19.1 overs:
26th ODI half-century for Shikhar Dhawan. The left-hander brings it up off 57 balls. He hit 8 fours en route. India 96/1.
End of 15 Overs:
India 77/1. Hong Kong have managed to put some plug on the boundaries but it’s only regular wickets that can keep them in the contest.
End of Over 12:
Rayudu (7* off 10) is settling in nicely as Dhawan (37*) approaches another ODI half-century. India 68/1.
End of Over 10:
Dhawan (30*) isn’t holding back despite the fall of Rohit’s wicket, cuts Ehsan backward of point for two consecutive boundaries. India 56/1.
7.4 Overs:
Hong Kong draw first blood and it’s the big wicket of Rohit Sharma (23), dismissed by Ehsan Khan. India 45/1 in 7.4 overs. Ambati Rayudu is the new batsman in.
End of Over 7:
Just two runs from that over off Aizaz Khan, which is what HKG will be looking to have from the other end as well. India 44/0.
End of Over 5:
No trouble whatsoever for Dhawan (11*) and Rohit (22*), especially the captain who ends the fifth over with back-to-back fours. India 34/0.
End of Over 4:
After four dot balls, Rohit pulls the next one in front of square leg for the second boundary off his bat. India 21/0.
End of Over 3:
Dhawan gets first boundary under his belt, It was delivered short and wide of the off-stump by Tanwir, and Dhawan drove it through covers. India 17/0
0.4 Over:
Rohit Sharma drives through the covers to hit the first boundary of the Indian innings.
Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan out in the middle to open Indian innings while Tanwir Afzal will bowl the first over.
