T20 World Cup | Final: Tim Seifert confirmed to replace injured Devon Conway

T20 World Cup | Best batting performances

The T20 World Cup 2021 has given the fans numerous moments to cherish in these hard times. From Jos Buttler’s ton to Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam’s dominance against India to a batting masterclass from James Neesham and Matthew Wade in respective semi-finals, it had all. It’s now down to the wire. The two finalists, Australia and New Zealand will lock horns with each other in Dubai. None of the two sides have ever lifted a T20 World Cup trophy and we are all set to have a new champion. But before that, let’s take a look at the best batting performances so far from the competition. Jos Buttler vs Sri Lanka England’s Jos Buttler unleashed a batting masterclass against Sri Lanka in Sharjah and notched up a brilliant hundred during the course of the innings. Batting first, England were reduced to 35/3 and needed someone to come in for the rescue. Buttler took the onus on himself and provided the resistance to the side along with captain Eoin Morgan. In a batting masterclass of selecting match-ups, Buttler scored the slowest 50 of his T20 career and then unleashed a lethal attack at the back end of the innings. The right-left batting duo initially played in a cautious manner and chipped in with a stand of 112 runs for the fourth wicket. Morgan eventually departed for a 36-ball 40 but Buttler went on to score a century and helped his side put 163/4 on the board in 20 overs. Later, the England bowlers did the job and bowled out the Asian side for 137 in 19 overs to win the match by 26 runs. James Neesham vs England (Semi-final) New Zealand’s James Neesham was glued to his chair with certainly no expressions on his face while his teammates in the dugout jumped with joy after clinching a hard fought win against England in the semi-final. Well, according to him, it was a job half done. The left-handed batsman struck an 11-ball 27 which included three sixes and a four during the course, a knock that would be remembered for ages. Neesham had come out to bat when New Zealand were in a spot of bother after getting reduced to 107/4 in the 16th over while chasing 167 in Abu Dhabi. Daryl Mitchell was set at the other end but needed someone to stick around and also score runs at a brisk pace. And Neesham did just what the doctor ordered. He took on England’s star bowlers, Adil Rashid and Chris Jordan, and smacked runs all around the park to steady the ship for the side. Mitchell and Neesham put up a stand of 40 runs for the fifth wicket before the latter was sent back in the hut. The Kiwis eventually won the game by 5 wickets and an over to spare to march into their first T20 World Cup final. Matthew Wade vs Pakistan (Semi-final) Australia wicket-keeper batsman Matthew Wade had batted just twice in the tournament before taking the guard against Pakistan in the semi-final in Dubai. The Australian side were on the backfoot while chasing 177 as they had lost half their side for 96 and Wade had walked out in the middle. For any batter, it was a very difficult task to steady the ship and get the team back in the hunt. But the left-handed batsman along with Marcus Stoinis had some different plans altogether. The two batsmen made sure that they got their eye in and didn't lose further wickets and then went after the bowlers and they executed the plan in a perfect manner. Australia needed 22 runs in the last two overs and the ball was handed over to Shaheen Afridi who had a great tournament till that time. For that matter, the left-arm fast bowler had the figures of 3-0-14-1 coming into his final over, and had been incredibly difficult for the batsmen to give away. The left-arm pacer didn’t really give runs on the first three balls but a blunder from Hasan Ali in the deep cost them the game. Hasan dropped Wade in the 19th over bringing down the equation to 18 needed off 9. The wicket-keeper batsman didn’t waste any time and struck three sixes on the trot to seal the win and a place in the final for his side. Australia won the match by 5 wickets and with an over left. Asif Ali vs Afghanistan Pakistan middle-order batsman Asif Ali displayed sheer class against Afghanistan in Dubai. Chasing 148, Pakistan were in some trouble after losing five wickets for 124 runs. The Babar Azam-led side needed 24 runs from the last couple of overs. Asif who had just faced one ball before this took the charge in his hands against Karim Janat. Coming into the 19th over of the game, Asif Ali, standing on the non striker’s end denied a single to Shadab Khan. It was possibly the coolest ‘no’ of all given the kind of pressure Pakistan were in and the way Afghanistan had bowled till that point in the game. Asif Ali took the onus completely on himself and came out right at the end. In the next 6 balls from Karim Janat, Asif Ali went 6,0,6,0,6,6 in an incredible turnaround to the game. Delirious Pakistan players ran out to the pitch after that innings and flung Asif Ali in the air. He remained unbeaten at 25 off 7 during the course. Aiden Markram vs West Indies South Africa were chasing 144 in Dubai against West Indies and had a disappointing start to the chase after losing captain Temba Bavuma in the first over. But Reeza Hendricks and Rassie van der Dussen steadied the ship for the side and struck a partnership of 57 runs for the second wicket. While South Africa had got the resistance that they needed, the required run-rate was rising when Aiden Markram walked in at number four. He took the responsibility on himself and unleashed an onslaught against the Caribbean bowlers. Markram scored 51* off 26 deliveries which included four sixes and a couple of fours to take his side home by 8 wickets in the 19th over. Honourable mention There were a few more knocks which were pretty classy and dominant but couldn’t make it to the list. Australia opener David Warner was finally back in form after he scored 89* against the West Indies in Abu Dhabi and then struck 49 against Pakistan in Dubai in the semi-final. Warner’s 49 against Pakistan had laid the foundation for a good chase but it was the middle order failure that had them in some trouble before Stoinis and Wade eventually won it for the side.

T20 World Cup | Final | Amidst redemption, legacy & finishing the job, lies a lifetime opportunity

If three weeks ago at the start of the Super 12 stage, anyone told Kane Williamson and Aaron Finch that they were to be in the final of the T20 World Cup, the underconfident sides, who were stacked up against the odds in alien conditions, would have taken it gladly. But now exactly three weeks from October 23, when Australia played its first Super 12 game, the Kangaroos would want nothing less than their first ever T20 World Cup. And New Zealand, one may ask? Well, if there is one team that wouldn’t want to finish second right now, it is Australia’s trans-Tasman rivals, the Kiwis. If anything, James Neesham, the hero from the breathtaking semi-final between New Zealand and England, reminisced the now-iconic lines of NBA legend Kobe Bryant, “What’s there to be happy about? Job finished? I don’t think so.” It is a sign of how seriously the Blackcaps want this trophy and to what extent they can go to have it. The job is not finished, both Jimmy Neesham and Matthew Wade, two heroes from the enthralling semi-finals know that. But who will finish the job is the question? For Australia, it would be an opportunity to add the much-awaited T20 feather to their Word Cup cap which is heavy with success. But for New Zealand, it is an opportunity of a lifetime to not only win their first-ever World Cup in any format but also to become champions of two formats at the same time and in the same year, a feat that might take some strength and an awful lot of luck to be repeated ever after. They won the World Test Championship in June this year. What's at stake? The question should be what’s not? Almost everything is at stake in this biggest game in the T20 history for both teams. While New Zealand have made it to their first-ever T20 World Cup final, for the Australian team it is yet another opportunity after the 2010 heartbreak to get their hands on the silverware. Australia have had a horrid year so far in cricket. First, they lost a four-match Test series to India at home and then they were beaten all ends up by West Indies and Bangladesh in the respective T20Is overseas. Being one of the most affected nations from Covid-19, sporting joy hasn’t come easy for the people back home in Australia and thus this title will not re-establish the faith in this unit for the upcoming home summer which includes a massive Ashes, but will also give people reasons to be happy about the game they adore. For New Zealand, the stakes are even higher. After the defeat in 2015 and the heartbreak in 2019, the 2021 WTC might have worked as a balm but those wounds of not being able to win a World Cup per se are deep and can only be healed by redemption. For the older generation of cricketers, who have been treated like a little brother in cricketing terms by giants Australia, this is also an opportunity for payback, especially of the wretched 1981 MCG ODI. Trevor Chappel was asked to bowl underarm by his older brother and captain of the team Greg, when the Kiwis required six runs off the last ball in a match which would have been iconic but is now part of dark pages in cricket history. Thus a victory in this match could heal these wounds too. What needs to change? What victories tend to do is cover up the glaring deficiencies in every team. Like in New Zealand’s chase against England, the failures of Kane Williamson, Glenn Phillips and Martin Guptill was covered up by the amazing performances of Neesham and Daryl Micthell. Now that Devon Conway won’t be available for this game, the focus would shift on the players that failed in the semi-final. Thus their form and performance in the big game are the things New Zealand would want to change. For Australia, a change in the way they bowled at the death and how clueless they looked when Adam Zampa was not bowling would be ideal. Micthell Starc, their premier death bowler was tonked for huge sixes by Fakhar Zaman as he was not able to land yorkers. The form of Steve Smith and Glenn Maxwell with the bat is yet another worrying sign for Australia as the law of averages says that Matthew Wade, David Warner and Stoinis might not be able to salvage them in this game. New Zealand vs Australia: Match Details Match Number - Final Date and Time: November 14, 2021, 07:30 pm IST, 06:00 pm Local, 02:00 pm GMT Venue: Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai Broadcast and Livestream: Star Sports and Hotstar Pitch Report The pitch at Dubai as was seen in the second semi-final is a wicket that the batters can express themselves freely on. There is help early on for the pacers with the swing, but once that is tackled, it becomes all too easy to bat on. However, with the cross breeze affecting the stadium, spinners are a genuine threat in the later stages of the game. This was evident in the game against Pakistan, bigger ground means that getting the spinner way would take a lot of power and courage. So in total, it is going to be a wicket that would provide for the best battle between ball and bat if dew stays away like it did in the semi-final. Weather Forecast The temperature at the stadium will fall from 28-degree Celsius at 06:00 pm to 24-degree Celsius by 10:00 pm and similarly, the humidity will increase from 55% to 65%. There would be a light breeze blowing and it being a 06:00 pm start at local time, dew in large amounts is expected in the second innings. Thus a captain winning the toss would look to chase in all circumstances. Team News New Zealand Devon Conway’s unfortunate injury has forced the Kiwis to make a change and Tim Seifert would come in place of Conway. Apart from that, the entire team would remain the same that played in the semi-final against England. Probable XI Martin Guptill, Daryl Mitchell, Kane Williamson (c), Glenn Phillips, James Neesham, Tim Siefert (wk), Mitchell Santner, Adam Milne, Tim Southee, Ish Sodhi, Trent Boult Australia Australia would be sticking with the same lineup that played the previous game. Probable XI David Warner, Aaron Finch (c), Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Steven Smith, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade (wk), Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood CE XI Fantasy team Wicketkeepers- Matthew Wade Batters - David Warner, Daryl Mitchell, Kane Williamson All-rounders - Marcus Stoinis, James Neesham Bowlers - Pat Cummins, Adam Zampa, Tim Southee, Ish Sodhi, Trent Boult Vice-captain - Kane Williamson Captain - David Warner

T20 World Cup | Best bowling performances

The T20 World Cup 2021 will be concluded on Sunday (November 14, 2021) in Dubai. Aaron Finch’s Australia and Kane Williamson’s New Zealand are set to lock horns with each other in the title clash. New Zealand have been on a roll in the ICC tournaments since 2015 and have ensured that they earned the right to be one of the most consistent sides in the world so far. They were the runners up in the 2015 and 2019 ODI World Cups, and won the inaugural edition of the World Test Championship after comprehensively beating India. And here they are in another final of an ICC event. On the other hand, it took Australia 11 years to make it to another final of a T20 World Cup. Interestingly, neither of the two sides have ever won the world championship in the shortest version of the game and still remain unproven in the most tightly packed, error prone format. This edition of the World Cup certainly has had a lot to offer to the fans. Pakistan defeated India in a World Cup fixture for the first time ever. The hat trick drought that had lasted for around 14 years after Brett Lee had claimed his in 2007 was finally over. Ireland’s Curtis Campher, Sri Lanka’s Wanindu Hasaranga and South Africa’s Kagiso Rabada picked up hat tricks before the final. Apart from this, defending champions West Indies bowed out of the tournament prematurely while India who were firm favourites before the start of the competition failed to make a place for themselves in the semis. Well, all said and done, we are a few hours from the grand finale of the tournament, and here is a look at the top bowling performances. Adam Zampa vs Bangladesh Australia’s Adam Zampa picked up the first fifer of the T20 World Cup 2021 when he ripped through the Bangladesh middle and lower order. Batting first, the Bangla Tigers were already on the back foot after losing early wickets and then it was Zampa who got into the act and produced a brilliant spell of spin bowling. The leggie’s scalps included the wickets of Afif Hossain, Shamim Hossain, Mahedi Hasan, Mustafizur and Shoriful Islam as Bangladesh were bowled out for 73 in 15 overs. While Zampa picked up five wickets during the course, he was exceptionally economical and gave only 19 runs in his allotted 4 overs. Later, it took Australia under seven overs to finish off the game by 8 wickets. Wanindu Hasaranga vs South Africa Sri Lanka’s Wanindu Hasaranga etched his name in record books after picking up a World Cup hat trick against South Africa in Sharjah. The spinner first removed Aiden Markram for 19 off 20 at the end of the 15th over and then returned back in the 18th to dismantle the Proteas batting unit. Hasaranga scalped the wicket of a well-set Temba Bavuma for run-a-ball 46 after he was caught by Pathum Nissanka and followed it with the wicket of Dwaine Pretorious reducing South Africa to 112/6 while chasing 143. But his efforts went in vain as David Miller and Kagiso Rabada had some different ideas. The two batters provided the resistance and chipped in with some quick runs to see the side home by 4 wickets on the penultimate delivery of the match. Miller remained unbeaten at 23 off 13, Rabada was not out at a 7-ball 13. Shaheen Afridi vs India Pakistan bowler Shaheen Afridi broke hearts of many Indian fans when he rattled the top order during the clash in Dubai. Shaheen first scalped the wicket of Rohit Sharma for a golden duck after he was trapped in front on the stumps and then cleaned up KL Rahul for an 8-ball 3 in quick succession with a peach of a delivery. The Men in Blue never really made a comeback from a disappointing start and kept losing wickets at regular intervals. It was only captain Virat Kohli who showed some mettle as he notched up a half-century but the right-hander too was undone by Shaheen for 57 off 49 eventually. India could only manage to put 151/7. Later, Pakistan chased down the target by 10 wickets and in less than 18 overs. Both Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam struck individual fifties during the course. Adil Rashid vs West Indies The 2016 T20 World Cup finalists were up against each other in Dubai and the memories of that title clash were fresh among the English fans. But the England bowling unit had certainly come into this game with a determination of nullifying what had happened in 2016. While Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, Jordan and Tymal Mills came as a nightmare for the Calypso side as they ripped through the top and middle order. West Indies were left tottering at 42/6 before Adil Rashid got into the act. The right-arm bowler was up against the likes of Kieron Pollard and Andre Russell who are famed in the world for their revival act in the shortest format of the game. But Rashid didn’t let the batsmen cut loose as he bagged the wickets of both Pollard and Russell in quick succession. While Russell was sent back in the hut for a two-ball duck, Pollard could only manage to score 6 off 14. Later, the spinner dismissed Obed McCoy and Ravi Rampaul quickly to bundle West Indies out for 55. Rashid returned with brilliant figures of 2/4 in 2.2 overs. England lost four wickets during the chase later on but eventually went over the line in the 9th over. Mujeeb Ur Rahman vs Scotland Afghanistan’s Mujeeb Ur Rahman helped his side gather a huge NRR after he totally dismantled the Scotland side in Sharjah. Afghanistan had already put up a massive total of 190/4 in 20 overs and the Scotland batting unit had an uphill task to chase that down. The openers started off in a decent manner putting up 28 runs on the board but Mujeeb then removed Kyle Coetzer for 10 off 7. The first wicket certainly broke the shackles and Scotland lost wickets in quick succession to get reduced to 45/7 before getting bowled out for 60 and suffering a defeat by 130 runs. Mujeeb picked up a fifer at the cost of just 20 runs in 4 overs while his bowling partner Rashid Khan bagged a four-wicket haul for 9 runs in 2.2 overs. There were a few more brilliant spells in the tournament that couldn’t make it to the list. One of them was from Ireland’s Curtis Campher who created history against Netherlands after he picked up four wickets in four deliveries. He dismissed Colin Ackermann, Ryan ten Doeschate, Scott Edwards and Roelof van der Merwe on the trot. Ireland eventually won the match by 7 wickets after chasing down a target of 107 runs in 15.1 overs.

Afghanistan committed to promoting women’s cricket claim ICC

Geoff Allardice, chief executive of the International Cricket Council has said that he has been in constant touch with the Afghanistan Cricket Board and they are committed to promoting the women’s game as before. Conveying that the aim of ICC is to see that the men and women cricket in Afghanistan, a mine of cricketing talents, continue to grow, Allardice said that they will have a report from ACB’s next week meeting. "Our goal is to see men and women playing cricket in Afghanistan. We've supported them and the team has performed at this event [T20 World Cup]. In terms of how our board will consider the situation in Afghanistan at its meeting next week, they will get a report on how things are travelling,” he said. "They have said to us that women's cricket is continuing. They certainly haven't given us an indication that it has stopped. Time will tell, in terms of how that plays out. We have been in regular communication with them from the time things changed in their country,” added the ICC chief executive. Allardice also informed about the chances of taking cricket to the Olympics but is aware of the competition that the game might face in getting to the global stage. "This time we have got all our members on board and are unanimous in wanting to be part of the games. I don't pretend it will be easy to campaign and be successful with the Los Angeles organising committee and beyond that Brisbane as well. There are going to be a lot of other attractive sports that are going to be interesting. We are looking forward to putting our best foot forward,” he said.