T20 World Cup 2021: Win over India says a lot about New Zealand's culture of fearlessness

One of the more surprising facts in nature is that elephants are scared of mice. Nobody seems to know the real reason for the fear, there’s little that a mouse can do to hurt an elephant, but that does not change the fact. Sometimes in nature rivalries seems to defy logic.

The same is true in the cricketing realm too. The mightiest of all cricketing nations, India, has become a repeated victim of the smallest of the full member cricketing nations: New Zealand. This is especially the case in ICC tournaments.

Since 1990, New Zealand and India have now played 11 times in ICC tournaments. Four times in ODI World Cups, three times each in the World Test Championship and the T20 World Cup (or World T20 as it was called) and once in the ICC Knock-out (now known as the Champions Trophy). Of those 11 matches, New Zealand have won all except one match (in the 2009 Cricket World Cup in South Africa).

If New Zealand had been a very good side throughout that time, and India a poor one, that would still be an unusually one-sided set of results. But New Zealand have generally been a below average side, while India have been consistently one of the best teams. The record does not go close to telling the story of the difference between playing abilities of the two teams.

The reason for this disparity instead possibly comes from the nature of the New Zealand team (and the New Zealand people).

New Zealand is a group of islands that are some of the most remote in the world. The early settlers who came to New Zealand, first from the other Polynesian islands, then from Europe and the rest of the world all required a sense of adventure to travel somewhere so remote. That pioneer spirit has remained, and part of it is a belief that no obstacle is too large.

If a mountain was considered impossible to climb, you can guarantee that there were teams of New Zealand mountaineers who had attempted to conquer it. The most notable (but by no means the only) was Sir Edmund Hillary. He (along with Tenzing Norgay) was the first to climb Mount Everest. His life was one of determination and achievement, but it was also one with a healthy (possibly at time unhealthy) disrespect for authority.

When he was told that he could not do something his response was often “well just watch me.”

This is a national characteristic, and not one that was just limited to Hillary. There are techniques to measure cultural attributes. Geert Hofstede, a social psychologist from the Netherlands, devised a metric called Power Distance Index which measured the respect for institutional authority that a country had. Some countries have a very high respect for institutional authority, for example Mexico, the Philippines, China and most of the Gulf states. New Zealand is always one of the countries with the lowest power distance measured.

In cricket this manifests in multiple ways. It means that captains and coaches need to earn respect, and don’t automatically get it. If they don’t do a good job of communicating with his or her players, the players are quite prepared to ignore the captain, with often disastrous results for the team’s performance. Recent examples include the captaincy of Ross Taylor, where the bowlers stopped following his plans, and came up with their own, and with Haidee Tiffen who lost the dressing room of the White Ferns, and as a result saw performances drop rapidly.

But a more positive way that the lack of power distance manifests is fearlessness towards the achievements of other teams. New Zealand are not afraid to play India. They don’t see the Indian team as rockstars of the game, they see them as just another group of 11 players.

In matches where there is not as much pressure, this lack of reverence for the Indian players can backfire badly. New Zealand have been beaten by a large margin on occasions. But when the pressure comes on in ICC tournaments, it has resulted in New Zealand being able to play with a clearer mind.

The mental side of cricket is huge, but it isn’t everything. Players still need to have the right skills to be able to win a match. In New Zealand, those skills are often honed at the amateur level, where a club side might have an international player, as well as a couple of school kids, a builder, a plumber and a couple of university students and labourers. While the days of international cricketers playing a lot of club cricket have gone, most players still turn out for their clubs a few matches every season.

These opportunities help with developing the tactical side of the game. If a player in your team can’t field very well, you need to learn how to bowl the ball such that it never gets hit to that player.

These opportunities come due to the lack of depth in New Zealand cricket. New Zealand has only 116 male professional cricketers. There are a few players who are semi-professional – where they have a job that their club has organised for them while they are playing cricket, but as far as players who earn enough to live off from their cricket, there are only a few.

That is a familiar story for New Zealanders in other fields too. Ernest Rutherford was a New Zealand Physicist who made several advancements in the field of nuclear physics. When asked about how he managed to do so much without the resources of the American or European universities he said, “we didn’t have much money, so we had to learn to think.”

This has been a big part of New Zealand cricket’s development also. Three of the four coaches in the IPL semi-finals were New Zealanders.

There are a few strategies that are now widely used in cricket which were developed by New Zealand captains. The disrespect of authority also leads to a disrespect of some traditions. Just because everyone has always played the game a certain way does not mean that it must be played that way.

In last night’s match we saw all three of these happen. The players clearly knew the plans and had bought into them. It was noticeable that there were not many directions from Williamson in the field. The players already knew where they were supposed to go. The captaincy was not just about Williamson coming up with brilliant plans, it was about how well those plans had become the team plans.

The New Zealand players were not overawed by the Indian players. Mitchell Santner bowled to Rohit Sharma just how he would have bowled to a club batsman in Hamilton. When a batsman hit a boundary, the bowlers weren’t going straight to the wide hole or trying to give an agreed single. Instead, they stuck to their plans.

New Zealand were also innovative. Opening with Daryl Mitchell who had played over 100 T20 matches without opening once before this tournament was a bold move. But so far he has scored 27 and 49, and got them both at a good pace. Having a leg spinner bowling with the ball turning towards the short boundary was also bold. But Williamson backed Sodhi to deliver, and he did just that.

India is still a great cricketing nation, but the particular national attributes of New Zealand mean that the match up has tended to go in New Zealand’s favour, especially in crunch matches. The increasing professionalism in New Zealand cricket might change that in the future, but for now it is a match up that New Zealand eagerly look forward to.

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T20 World Cup 2021: Indian batting desperately needs course-correction to counter sluggish surfaces

It’s official now. India’s vaunted batting line-up is still to figure out the art of run-making on pitches that offer them no pace.

There was a time, we have been told, when Indians were rattled by raw pace. That’s probably applicable to batters of all ilk, anywhere in the world, but it was especially held against those from the sub-continent. Players from outside Asia who struggled on tracks assisting spin were exonerated because they had to confront ‘designer’ pitches. The same generosity wasn’t extended to batters from Asia against quality fast bowling on speedy decks elsewhere.

In a stunning reversal of norm, India’s batters of the current vintage are totally at home on spicy strips but struggle to cope when required to make the pace. That failing is specifically exposed in the T20 format, where there is nowhere to hide. Sunday’s supreme meltdown was not a one-off; it is the latest in a series of misadventures that have been strung together for it not to be termed a pattern.

How do you explain 110 for seven, batting first, in a must-win encounter in the T20 World Cup? You don’t, to be honest. Virat Kohli, wisely, refrained from even a token effort at that endeavour, opting instead for ‘not brave enough.’

On a Sunday night where precious little went right for the Indian captain and his band on the brink of elimination, Kohli nailed at least this. New Zealand were decidedly the better prepared, if not better equipped, team for the conditions. They had their game plans perfectly in order at the Dubai International Stadium. India must have had plans of their own too, but it seemed as if their batters had misplaced the pieces of paper on which they had been outlined.

Indeed, it appeared as if body doubles bearing striking resemblances to the originals had been thrust into the cauldron of battle. There was neither purpose nor intent to India’s approach once Kane Williamson called right and extended his opposite number’s poor record at the coin toss. Caught betwixt and between, India huffed and puffed to a markedly under-par total in a damning indictment of poor execution, if not ordinary planning.

It shouldn’t have been thus. Every single member of the Indian top order had had immediate exposure to such tracks during the second half of IPL 2021. To the discerning, the splitting of the IPL into two equal halves had been a blessing in disguise from an Indian perspective. The opportunity of encountering first-hand the challenges of run-making in the UAE just prior to the World Cup was priceless. It’s questionable just how much India’s batters trained their full attention on the same.

The warning signs were all too obvious during the IPL. Lack of pace defeated the best, most accomplished – Kohli and Rohit Sharma both had no more than passable campaigns, Rishabh Pant batted out of character, Hardik Pandya had no more than one or two meaningful hits. Only KL Rahul was on a different plane, both making a truckload of runs (626) and doing so attractively — with authority and aggression.

Actually, Act 2 of IPL 2021 wasn’t the first instance when India’s vulnerability on less-than-perfect batting surfaces was exposed. Warning signs have been abound for a while across formats, dating back to 2015 when South Africa’s modest spinners troubled a pedigreed line-up no end in Test cricket. As if to drive home the point, spinners Mitchell Santner and Ish Sodhi joined hands the following year to consign India to a demoralising 47-run loss in Nagpur in the T20 World Cup. What magnified the margin was that India’s target was no more than 127.

Five and a half years on, birthday boy Sodhi and Santner were at it again. The leg-spinner, adjudged Player of the Match for the sticks of Rohit and Kohli, was beautifully complemented by Santner, whose left-arm spin went for a mere 15 runs in four overs. As artfully as Trent Boult, Tim Southee and Adam Milne – after a horror first over – bowled, it was the spinners who tied India up in knots.

They feasted ravenously on the batter’s indecision. Aware that their continuation in the tournament hinged on a favourable outcome, India sought recourse in tentativeness and hesitancy when a more self-assured tack would have been more prudent. Consequently, they were half a step behind the game, fatal in a format where there can be no compromise on intent and commitment. India neither invested fully in all-out attack, which might or might not have been foolhardy under the circumstances, nor did they play the situation by working the gaps and running frenetically between the wickets, like Kohli himself had done in a virtual quarter-final against Australia in Mohali in the 2016 edition of this tournament.

For 71 deliveries between overs 5.1 and 16.6, India failed to find the boundary even once. Their frustrations were best exemplified by Kohli’s travails. The normally fluent virtuoso, batting at No 4 to accommodate Ishan Kishan at the top of the tree, scratched around for 16 deliveries in making nine, his growing annoyance at the complete lack of timing suggesting that an uncharacteristic hoick was imminent. To nobody’s surprise, he holed out to long-on trying to fetch a Sodhi leg-break from outside off. Kohli and low-percentage strokes have never been bedfellows, yet here we were.

Of all the teams at this World Cup, India have the lowest percentage of attacking strokes. That’s a damning indictment of their addled mindset, which in turn has spawned hesitant footwork, heavy hands and a visibly half-hearted commitment to aggressive stroke-production. For all their dabbling in franchise cricket, India have ceded a lot of T20 ground, not like defending champions West Indies. While the rest of the world has moved on to the modern, India remain grounded in the archaic, the obsolete and the outdated. That alone should explain why elimination is staring them in the face starkly, uncompromisingly.

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T20 World Cup 2021: New Zealand beat India by eight wickets in dominant display

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Dhamaka, The Wheel of Time, Special Ops 1.5, Hawkeye, Finch: What to stream in November

The Harder They Fall - 3 November

Directed by Jeymes Samuel, The Harder They Fall is a Western action flick starring Jonathan Majors, Idris Elba, Regina King, Zazie Beetz, Lakeith Stanfield, and Delroy Lindo. The film sees Majors plays Nat Love, an outlaw whose sworn enemy Rufus Buck (Elba) has just been broken out of jail. Vowing revenge, Love and his gang plan to hunt Rufus across the Wild West.

Jay-Z serves as a producer alongside James Lassiter, Lawrence Bender and Samuel.

Meenakshi Sundareshwar - 5 November

Meenakshi Sundareshwar, starring Sanya Malhotra and Abhimanyu Dassani, is produced by Dharmatic Entertainment, the digital wing of Karan Johar's Dharma Productions.

"The film encapsulates the various interlinked aspects of relationships, joint families, the awkwardness in a new marriage, and everything in between. When the challenge of a long-distance relationship is bestowed upon this young couple, the question arises — will distance really make their hearts grow fonder?": reads the synopsis provided by Netflix.

Passing - 10 November

Based on Nella Larsen's 1929 novel of the same name, Tessa Thompson plays a woman reunited with a friend who has been living her life as a white person. The movie also stars Ruth Negga and Alexander Skarsgard and is the directorial debut of Rebecca Hall.

Red Notice - 12 November

Red Notice, starring Dwayne Johnson, Gal Gadot, and Ryan Reynolds, is an action heist thriller written and directed by Rawson Marshall Thurber. The movie is about Interpol issuing a red notice alert to hunt and capture the world’s most wanted. Johnson will be essaying the role as the FBI’s top profiler while Gadot and Reynolds will be seen as the two rival criminals who are brought together for an adventurous heist.

Tiger King 2 - 17 November

A synopsis for Tiger King 2 reads: “With Joe Exotic behind bars and Carole Baskin closing in on ownership of his disreputable zoo, the Emmy-nominated saga continues its twisted course with Tiger King 2 as newfound revelations emerge on the motivations, backstories, and secrets of America’s most notorious big cat owners. Old enemies and frenemies, including Jeff Lowe, Tim Stark, Allen Glover, and James Garretson return for another season of murder, mayhem, and madness."

Dhamaka - 19 November

Dhamaka, follows the story of an ambitious ex-news anchor Arjun Pathak, played by Kartik Aaryan, who is given another chance to go live on prime-time television when a terrorist calls him with a bomb threat. Little does he know that this call will change his life and throw him into a fast-paced game of betrayal.

Directed by Ram Madhvani, Dhamaka also includes Amruta Subhash, Vikas Kumar, and Vishwajeet Pradhan, along with a special appearance by Mrunal Thakur.

Tick, Tick...Boom! - 19 November

Tick, Tick...Boom! featuring Andrew Garfield an adaptation of playwright Jonathan Larson's autobiographical off-Broadway show of the same name. Garfield, 36, will play Jon, an aspiring theatre composer who waits tables in New York City while writing Superbia, which he hopes will be the great American musical that will finally give him his big career break.

Cowboy Bebop - 19 November

Cowboy Bebop is Netflix's live-action remake of the cult Japanese anime TV series of the same name.

Netflix’s synopsis reads: “Cowboy Bebop is an action-packed space Western about three bounty hunters, aka ‘cowboys,’ all trying to outrun the past. As different as they are deadly, Spike Spiegel (John Cho), Jet Black (Mustafa Shakir), and Faye Valentine (Daniella Pineda) form a scrappy, snarky crew ready to hunt down the solar system’s most dangerous criminals — for the right price. But they can only kick and quip their way out of so many scuffles before their pasts finally catch up with them.”

Amazon Prime Video

The Electrical Life Of Louis Wain - 5 November

The film is based on the true story of eccentric British artist Louis Wain (Benedict Cumberbatch), whose playful, sometimes even psychedelic pictures helped to transform the public’s perception of cats forever. Moving from the late 1800s through to the 1930s, we follow the adventures of Wain, as he seeks to unlock the “electrical” mysteries of the world and, in so doing, to better understand his own life and the profound love he shared with his wife Emily Richardson (Claire Foy).

A Man Named Scott - 5 November

Directed by Robert Alexander, A Man Named Scott explores musician Scott Mescudi aka Kid Cudi's journey over a decade of creative choices, struggles and breakthroughs, making music that continues to move and empower his millions of fans around the world.

The Wheel Of Time - 19 November 

The Wheel of Time is a series adaptation of the best-selling fantasy novels by Robert Jordan. Rosamund Pike stars as Moraine, a member of magical society who leads five young villagers on a journey to discover if one of them is the reincarnated Dragon, who has been prophesised to save humanity.

Disney+Hotstar

Special Ops 1.5 - 12 November

Starring Kay Kay Menon in the lead role, this season of the show examines the origin story of Menon’s Himmat Singh and how he came up in the intelligence agency R&AW.

Home Sweet Home Alone - 12 November

Home Sweet Home Alone stars Ellie Kemper, Rob Delaney, Archie Yates, Aisling Bea, Kenan Thompson, Tim Simons, Pete Holmes, Devin Ratray, Ally Maki, and Chris Parnell. The film is directed by Dan Mazer from a screenplay by Mikey Day & Streeter Seidell, story by Mikey Day & Streeter Seidell and John Hughes based on a screenplay by John Hughes.

The film centres around Max Mercer, who is left home alone when his family travels to Japan for the holidays. Just as he’s getting used to living alone, a married couple tries to steal an heirloom from the Mercer home. So Max — just like Kevin McCallister (from the original Home Alone) before him — has to protect his home.

Dopesick

Dopesick, starring Michael Keaton, Peter Sarsgaard, Kaitlyn Dever, Rosario Dawson among others, is based on Beth Macey's non-fiction book Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors and the Drug Company that Addicted America.

It explores how Purdue Pharma aggressively pushed OxyContin, a highly addictive prescription painkiller blamed for the country's opioid crisis that has caused half a million US overdose deaths since 1999.

Hawkeye - 24 November

Hawkeye will see Jeremy Renner reprise his role as the arrow-slinging superhero. He will be introduced to new character Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld), who is described as "equally as annoying as she is charismatic".

The official synopsis reads as, "Former Avenger Clint Barton has a seemingly simple mission: get back to his family for Christmas. Possible? Maybe with the help of Kate Bishop, a 22-year-old archer with dreams of becoming a superhero. The two are forced to work together when a presence from Barton's past threatens to derail far more than the festive spirit."

Hawkeye will release on Disney+ Hotstar in English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam.

The Beatles: Get Back - 25 November

The Disney+ original docuseries, directed by Peter Jackson, The Beatles: Get Back takes audiences back in time to the band’s January 1969 recording sessions, which became a pivotal moment in music history. The docuseries showcases The Beatles’ creative process as they attempt to write 14 new songs in preparation for their first live concert in over two years. Faced with a nearly impossible deadline, the strong bonds of friendship shared by John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr are put to the test.

Apple TV+

Dr Brain - 4 November

A brain scientist is obsessed with discovering new ways to access memories and consciousness. When his family dies in an accident, he accesses memories from his wife’s brain to figure out what really happened. It is written and directed by Kim Jee-Woon, starring Lee Sun-Kyun.

Finch - 5 November

Tom Hanks stars as Finch a robotics engineer who survives an apocalyptic event in his underground bunker with his dog, Goodyear. After a decade creating a world of his own in his bunker, he makes a robot to take care of his dog when he’s no longer around.

Finch is directed by Emmy winner Miguel Sapochnik, who helmed several pivotal episodes of HBO’s Game of Thrones, including the fan-favourite “Battle of the Bastards.” It’s written by Craig Luck and Ivor Powell.

The Shrink Next Door- 12 November

The Shrink Next Door, starring Will Ferrell and Paul Rudd, is a dark comedy miniseries based on the podcast of the same title by Joe Nocera. The story revolves around a charming psychiatrist and a longtime patient and how their seemingly normal dynamic morphs into an exploitative relationship filled with manipulation, power grabs, and dysfunction.

MUBI India

Annette - 26 November

Starring Adam Driver as a provocative stand-up comedian and Marion Cotillard as an opera singer who live glamorous lives in contemporary Los Angeles. However, when they welcome their daughter Annette into the world, her mysterious gifts will change their lives forever.

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T20 World Cup 2021: How can India still reach the semi-finals?

Trent Boult led an inspired bowling attack as New Zealand thrashed Twenty20 World Cup favourites India by eight wickets on Sunday to leave Virat Kohli's men facing a desperate struggle to reach the semi-finals.

Boult and leg-spinner Ish Sodhi shared five wickets between them to restrict India to 110 for seven after being invited to bat first in the Super 12 clash in Dubai.

Skipper Kane Williamson and Daryl Mitchell, who made 49, put together 72 runs for the second wicket as the Kiwis romped home in 14.3 overs to hand India their second straight loss of the tournament.

Kohli was brutal in his assessment of his team after the defeat.

“I don't think we were brave enough with bat or ball,” Kohli said. “We didn't have much to defend but we weren't brave when we walked out to field.

“When you play for the Indian cricket team you have a lot of expectations – not just from fans, but players as well. So there's always going to be more pressure with our games and we've embraced it over the years. Everyone who plays for India has to embrace it. And when you cope together as a team you overcome it and we haven't done it these two games. Just because you're the Indian team and there are expectations doesn't mean you start playing differently. I think we're fine, there's a lot of cricket left to play.”

India are now fifth in Group 2 of Super 12s and only the top two teams will make it to the semi-finals. The defeat against New Zealand has put India on the brink but mathematically they are still alive in the competition. However, to qualify from here, a lot of things have to go in their favour.

How can India still qualify?

First and foremost, India need to win all three of their remaining matches - against Afghanistan, Namibia and Scotland - and hope that Afghanistan, New Zealand, or any other team from the group doesn't reach three wins.

Even if New Zealand or Afghanistan get to three wins, India can bring Net Run Rate into play by winning their remaining matches. However, India's NRR currently stands at -1.609. India will need to register big wins in the next three matches to improve on that front.

India’s upcoming fixtures:

India vs Afghanistan, Abu Dhabi – 3 November

India vs Scotland, Dubai – 5 November

India vs Namibia, Dubai – 8 November

With inputs from AFP

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T20 World Cup 2021: New Zealand beat India by eight wickets in dominant victory

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T20 World Cup 2021: 'Worst performance', Twitterati slam India after yet another one-sided defeat

New Zealand inflicted a crushing eight-wicket defeat on India at the cricket T20 World Cup on Sunday and put the tournament favourite on the brink of elimination.

India’s much-trumpeted batters flopped for the second time — after a 10-wicket defeat to Pakistan — reaching only 110-7 after New Zealand chose to bowl.

Daryl Mitchell (49) and captain Kane Williamson (33 not out) eased New Zealand to 111-2 in 14.3 overs in a lopsided Group 2 game.

Mitchell missed out on a deserved half-century when he was caught at long-on against Jasprit Bumrah's off-cutter. Mitchell hit four boundaries and three sixes. Bumrah finished with 2-19.

The heavy defeat to arch-rival Pakistan last week at the same venue appeared to still be playing on the minds of India's batters as wickets tumbled against both the spin and speed of the Black Caps.

Let us now take a look at how #CricketTwitter reacted to the result:

 

With all the talent and resources available, this tournament is probably the worst performance in the history of #TeamIndia

Extremely sad.#INDvNZ

— Vinod Kambli (@vinodkambli349) October 31, 2021

   

No one will admit it including themselves as they are so humble but #NZ are pound for pound the best all format Cricket team in the World at the moment … #Fact #T20WorldCup — Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) October 31, 2021

 

 

This defeat should hurt Team India. Tentative with the bat, their shot selection was questionable. New Zealand bowled superbly, but India made their task easier. With their net run rate also taking a beating, a semifinal spot looks a distant dream #INDvNZ #T20WorldCup

— VVS Laxman (@VVSLaxman281) October 31, 2021

   

Virat Kohli is facing criticism but it’s the entire team and the coaches that have failed and not just one man. It turned out to be a scary Halloween for Indian fans. #INDvsNZ #T20WORLDCUP — Mohammed Azharuddin (@azharflicks) October 31, 2021

 

 

India, unfortunately, always were chasing the wrong template in T20s, treating the format merely an extension of ODIs. Winning bilateral series held for nothing but personal milestones. Ind would need to rebuild; and rebuild thinking about the format and not go by names #IndvsNZ

— Vikrant Gupta (@vikrantgupta73) October 31, 2021

   

This is easily India’s worst performance in a T20 World Cup. In fact, they never even get started. But two T20 games don’t define a team. — Sambit Bal (@sambitbal) October 31, 2021

 

 

Very disappointing from India. NZ were amazing. India’s body language wasn’t great, poor shot selection & like few times in the past, New Zealand have virtually ensured we won’t make it to the next stage. This one will hurt India & time for some serious introspection #IndvsNZ

— Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) October 31, 2021

   

My dissertation on "Why India's T20I team in the age of the IPL are the England football team in the age of the Premier League" has just kicked on another 5,000 words — Ben Jones (@benjonescricket) October 31, 2021

 

With inputs from AP

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Highlights, India vs New Zealand T20 World Cup 2021, Full Cricket Score: New Zealand beat India by eight wickets

22:54 (IST)

A decisive day for the T20 World Cup 2021 fortunes of both India and New Zealand. With that win, New Zealand are third in Group 2, behind Pakistan and Afghanistan (who have played one more game than the Kiwis). Meanwhile, India are fifth in the standings, one spot below Namibia! 

India still have three more matches left in the tournament, against Namibia, Afghanistan and Scotland. But their chances of making it to the semis are now slim. But with that we have arrived at the end of this liveblog. See you tomorrow with the live coverage of England vs Sri Lanka. 

22:44 (IST)

Kane Williamson: "It was a fantastic all-round performance from us against a formidable India side. We were able to build pressure throughout. We saw some very good signs in our first match as well and we built on that. Ish Sodhi is an outstanding T20 bowler, white-ball bowler in particular. He's been a big part and played in a number of competitions, and in these conditions, spin will play a part."

22:41 (IST)

Virat Kohli: It's quite bizarre. To be honest, we were just not brave enough today. New Zealand had better intensity, better body language. There's only one way to play on T20 cricket, you have to be optimistic. We have to disconnect from these results. We have to go out with a positive frame of mind."

22:34 (IST)

Ish Sodhi: "We weren't able to see the ground before we got here. First time we have set foot in Dubai stadium, and it was something we had to adapt to. Tim Southee getting the wicket late in the Powerplay was massive for us, it allowed the spinners to bowl. We had a tough loss against Pakistan."

22:32 (IST)

Ish Sodhi is the Player of the Match.

22:30 (IST)

NEW ZEALAND WIN BY 8 WICKETS

After their 10-wicket defeat at the hands of Pakistan in the first Super 12 game, India have lost by eight wickets to New Zealand in their second game. Daryl Mitchell's knock of 49 runs and skipper Kane Williamson's unbeaten 33-run innings guided New Zealand to an easy victory over Men in Blue. 

22:29 (IST)

India in T20 WC so far...

#IND T20 World Cup so far

Batting: 261 for 14 off 40 overs (RR 6.52, average 18.64)
Bowling: 263 for 2 off 32.2 overs (RR 8.13, average 131.50)#T20WorldCup

— Freddie Wilde (@fwildecricket) October 31, 2021

22:29 (IST)

Heartbreak

💔

— Wasim Jaffer (@WasimJaffer14) October 31, 2021

22:17 (IST)

Daryl Mitchell (49) c KL Rahul b Bumrah 

India have their man, but it's already too late with the Kiwis within sniffing distance of victory. What a measured innings Mitchell has played, starting brashly, but then ensuring that New Zealand breezed their way to the target.

22:14 (IST)

After 12 overs, New Zealand 94/1 (Daryl Mitchell 49, Kane Williamson 20)

Pandya comes into the attack and starts with a dot ball. The rest of the balls are all worked away for a run apiece. Kiwis need 17 runs from 48 balls. 

22:09 (IST)

After 11 overs, New Zealand 89/1 (Daryl Mitchell 47, Kane Williamson 17)

Bumrah is back in the attack, and concedes six runs. The Men in Blue really needed him to pick up a wicket here. It just doesn't seem to be going India's way today. Right from the start of their match, the Kiwis have had the upper hand in this contest, which both sides needed to win to strengthen their credentials for a semi-final slot.  

22:02 (IST)

After 10 overs, New Zealand 83/1 (Daryl Mitchell 46, Kane Williamson 13)

Daryl Mitchell is now toying with this Indian bowling attack. He's slammed two short deliveries from Shardul Thakur for a six and four, then hit a over-pitched ball for another boundary. 14 runs off that over. New Zealand need just 28 runs and have 10 overs to do so, with nine wickets in hand. India need a miracle. 

21:57 (IST)

After 9 overs, New Zealand 69/1 (Daryl Mitchell 32, Kane Williamson 13)

Varun Chakravarthy finishes his quota of four overs by conceding 23 runs, five of which came in that last over. New Zealand need just 42 runs in 11 overs. 

21:52 (IST)

After 8 overs, New Zealand 64/1 (Daryl Mitchell 29, Kane Williamson 11)

Smart cricket from New Zealand here, rotating the strike while punishing the bad balls. After being content with rotating the strike since coming to bat, Williamson finally caresses Jadeja's second delivery of the over to the short thirdman boundary. Nine runs off that over.  

21:49 (IST)

After 7 overs, New Zealand 55/1 (Daryl Mitchell 27, Kane Williamson 4)

Shami comes into the attack and concedes 11 runs. The highlight of that over for New Zealand was a flat pullshot by Mitchell on the fifth ball which flew over midwicket. 

21:44 (IST)

After 6 overs, New Zealand 44/1 (Daryl Mitchell 19, Kane Williamson 2)

Jadeja comes into the attack, and gives away 14 runs in his first over. Starts off with a dot ball, but is hoicked over the long on for a six by Mitchell. Another dot ball later, he gets hit for two back-to-back boundaries by Mitchell, the first one speeding away to the boundary on right of mid-on, and the second one dispatched to the cover point boundary.  

21:41 (IST)

After 5 overs, New Zealand 30/1 (Daryl Mitchell 5, Kane Williamson 2)

Solid over from Chakravarthy, giving away just two runs. 

21:38 (IST)

After 4 overs, New Zealand 28/1 (Daryl Mitchell 4, Kane Williamson 1)

Bumrah bounced back rather well in the over dismissing Martin Guptill right after he had hit the Indian bowler for a boundary. Shardul had a bit of a wobble while catching that, but he manages to cling on to it. Guptill was looking threatening so far, hitting three boundaries, but he's perished for 20 runs. Skipper Williamson comes out to the middle. 

21:35 (IST)

Wait is over!

India took their first wicket of this World Cup on the 129th ball which they bowled.#INDvsNZ #T20WorldCup21

— Umang Pabari (@UPStatsman) October 31, 2021

21:34 (IST)

Martin Guptill top edges the ball to Shardul Thakur right after he smashed a boundary off Bumrah. Guptill was looking threatening so far, hitting three boundaries, but he's perished for 20 runs.

21:31 (IST)

After 3 overs, New Zealand 18/0 (Martin Guptill 16, Daryl Mitchell 1)

After that one-run over from Bumrah, Guptill welcomed Chakravarthy with consecutive boundaries. After a dot ball first up, Guptill sliced the second ball to the left of backward point, and then hoicked the ball over mid off, with the ball bouncing just once over the boundary rope. The rest of the three deliveries all fetched runs. 

21:26 (IST)

After 2 overs, New Zealand 6/0 

Jasprit Bumrah started well, bowling three dot balls at Guptill. On the fourth ball, he strayed a bit on the leg and the Kiwi batsman was finally able to get off strike. The fifth ball was the piece de resistance of the over, swinging straight into Mitchell's pads. Bumrah wraps up the over with another dot ball. Just one run off the second over. India will need many more such overs if they're to make a match of this game.

21:23 (IST)

After 1 over, New Zealand 5/0 

Varun Chakravarthy is handed the ball first up and he starts well, containing the New Zealand openers Martin Guptill and Daryl Mitchell.   

21:11 (IST)

NZ need 111 to win! 

Jadeja's quick-fire 26 off 19 help India reach 110/7. The total looks well under par and NZ would be very happy how the first innings has gone. Kiwi spinners got a lot of purchase from the pitch, and maybe Indian bowlers can outdo their counterparts but 111 should not be an issue if NZ execute the plans well. Indian batting lacked intent but the pitch also looked sluggish.

21:08 (IST)

After 20 overs,India 110/7 ( Ravindra Jadeja 26 , Mohammed Shami 0)

Jadeja shifts gears in the death overs. He is facing the ball with intent. Got a six with a sweep shot over cow corner as Southee bowled a full toss. He was also dropped by Sodhi at fine leg, but mostly the shots weren't what he wanted. 11 from last over. 

21:06 (IST)

Full toss will be sent into the stands, and Jadeja does exactly that by smashing the Southee full toss to cow corner. 

21:05 (IST)

After 19 overs,India 99/7 ( Ravindra Jadeja 15 , Mohammed Shami 0)

It's usually boundaries or wickets in death overs. For India. it is more wickets. Pandya departs on first ball of Boult trying to loft an off-cutter but got caught at long-off. Shardul Thakur came in, faced to dot balls, and then perished driving in the air to long-off. Jadeja got a boundary by sweeping the full toss to fine leg ropes. Five from the over. 

21:03 (IST)

Boult misses the marker. Yorker turns into a full toss and Jadeja sweeps it to fine leg fence.

21:01 (IST)

Shardul Thakur c Guptill b Boult 0 (3)

On the up, Thakur drives the fuller delivery. His timing was off and failed to find the distance. The ball skied in the air and Guptill took the catch at long-off.

20:58 (IST)

Hardik Pandya c Guptill b Boult 23(24)

Everything is going against India. Pandya holes out at long-off. Boult gets a wicket with a length ball. It was an off-cutter. Pandya played it on up but failed to time it.

20:58 (IST)

After 18 overs,India 94/5 ( Hardik Pandya 23 , Ravindra Jadeja 10)

More singles for India. That has been their story tonight so far. Pandya tried to find a boundary with an uppish punch to long-on but the fielder had it covered. Jadjea gets a boundary on the last ball with an out of ordinary pull shot, beating the keeper. Eight from the over. 

20:53 (IST)

After 17 overs,India 86/5 ( Hardik Pandya 21 , Ravindra Jadeja 4)

Boult bowls. Pandya pulls the first ball to square leg for a single. Dot ball to Jadeja. Next one is driven to the long-on for a single. Similar shot by Pandya for one more. Jadeja takes a single and Pandya finishes the over with a cut shot four on off. It's been good bowling by the Kiwis but there's also been some lack of intent by Indian batters.

20:52 (IST)

Good shot. Room on offer by Boult. Pandya capitalises with an uppish cut shot on off for a boundary.

20:48 (IST)

After 16 overs,India 78/5 ( Hardik Pandya 15 , Ravindra Jadeja 2)

Full toss first up by Sodhi and Jadeja fails to capitalise. Just one run. Wide on off by Sodhi followed by an uppish cut shot by Pandya for one run. Two dot balls to Jadeja who gets off the strike with a push to wide of long-on. Single to end the over. Five from the over. The last boundary was hit 64 balls back. 

20:44 (IST)

After 15 overs,India 73/5 ( Hardik Pandya 13 , Ravindra Jadeja 0)

Milne starts off by giving away two singles followed by a wide down the leg-side. The next ball, timber. Pant misses on the swipe and Milne cleans up his stumps with a fuller ball. Ravindra Jadeja walks in and an LBW appeal against him on the first ball. He was beaten on a flick. NZ took a review but it was wickets missing. India take a run. Pandya adds two more with a dab to the third man. Dot ball to end the over. 

20:41 (IST)

OUT! Rishabh Pant b Milne 12 (19)

The pacer fires it in full. Pant goes for a swipe. Fails to make proper contact and inside-edges the ball onto the middle stump. India keep losing wickets.

20:36 (IST)

After 14 overs,India 67/4 ( Rishabh Pant (W) 11 , Hardik Pandya 10)

Pant starts Sodhi's over with a single. Next ball — an unbelievable stop by Neesham at fine leg. Pandya's pull shot almost travelled over the fence but Neesham jumped and stretched his hands to flick it back in. Just one run. Two more singles and a leg bye added. Five from the over. The average spin today has been 2.4 degrees. It was 1.7 in England vs Australia match on the same pitch. 

20:32 (IST)

After 13 overs,India 62/4 ( Rishabh Pant (W) 9 , Hardik Pandya 8)

Southee back into the attack. The first ball, a short one, holds up a bit and Pandya check-drives it to mid-wicket. The next ball is hit to square leg for a single. One more for Pant as the inside edge on a sweep goes to fine leg. A dot ball followed by a clip to square leg by Pandya for a single. One run from the last ball as well. Four from the over. 

20:28 (IST)

After 12 overs,India 58/4 ( Rishabh Pant (W) 7 , Hardik Pandya 6)

Pant flicks the first ball by Santner for a single. A nudge by Pandya to long-on on next ball for two runs. Dot ball followed by two more singles. Pandya ends the over with a push to cover for one run. Six from the over. Spinners have India gasping for runs here.

20:24 (IST)

After 11 overs,India 52/4 ( Rishabh Pant (W) 5 , Hardik Pandya 2)

This is going from bad to worse for India. Kohli was India's rescue man against Pakistan but not today as he holes one out at long-on. He was looking to clear the fence with a slog sweep but failed to time it and Boult was there for the top edge. Hardik Pandya joins Pant. Another excellent over from Sodhi. Timing the shots has looked like an issue on the track so far. Four singles from the over. 

20:21 (IST)

Hardik Pandya has come out to join Pant in the middle...

20:20 (IST)

BIG WICKET! Virat Kohli c Boult b Sodhi 9 (17)

Skipper Kohli departs. He is disappointed. Indian fans are in agony. Looking to up the ante, Kohli attacks Sodhi with a slog sweep but mistimes it and Boult takes the top edge at long-on. India 48/4.

20:17 (IST)

After 10 overs,India 48/3 ( Virat Kohli (C) 9 , Rishabh Pant (W) 3)

Most of the Indian batter had an ordinary IPL and it is showing in their batting. Forget the boundaries, they have been unable to find singles and doubles consistently. Three singles from the over which also included a good-looking square cut from Kohli but it only accounted for two runs. Drinks break time.

20:14 (IST)

After 9 overs,India 43/3 ( Virat Kohli (C) 5 , Rishabh Pant (W) 2)

Milne bowls. After two dot balls, Pant gets off the mark with a cut shot past the backward point fielder. More dot balls to Kohli. Single to end the over. India are having a high dot ball percentage, and they are not able to find boundaries consistently to balance things. 

20:09 (IST)

After 8 overs,India 41/3 ( Virat Kohli (C) 4 , Rishabh Pant (W) 1)

Wickets keep tumbling for India. This time Rohit Sharma falls, mistiming a pull shot to the long-on. Guptill did the rest in the deep. Rishanbh Pant is teh new man in. And just like the Pakistan game, Kohli and Pant are left with the rebuilding job. Just four from the over. Excellent bowling by Sodhi who was slow and wily. 

20:07 (IST)

WICKET! Rohit Sharma c Guptill b Sodhi 14 (14)

Sodhi goes a little bit short and Rohit mistimes his slog shot to the long-on fielder. It was right there to be hit out of the park.

20:03 (IST)

After 7 overs,India 37/2 ( Rohit Sharma 14 , Virat Kohli (C) 1)

Santner continues. Rohit cuts the first ball for a single. Dot ball to Kohli. A mixup on the next ball but Kohli is sent back in time. More dot balls and a single on the last ball. Fine over. Just two from it. 

20:02 (IST)

After 6 overs,India 35/2 ( Rohit Sharma 13 , Virat Kohli (C) 0)

Powerplay over! And India lose another wicket with Rahul getting caught in the deep on a pull. The extra bounce that Southee generated in the short ball got the batter out. Kohli is the new man in. The over began with a four with a bottom edge from Rahul running past the stumps. Six from the over. 

19:59 (IST)

OUT! KL Rahul c Mitchell b Southee 18 (16)

Rahul perishes! Short ball from Southee, a little bit of extra bounce and that does the job as Rahul plays his pull shot straight to the fielder in the deep.

19:57 (IST)

Rahul goes for a pull against Southee, and the bottom edge runs past the stumps to the fence.

India vs New Zealand, Latest Updates, T20 World Cup 2021: After their 10-wicket defeat at the hands of Pakistan in the first Super 12 game, India have lost by eight wickets to New Zealand in their second game. Daryl Mitchell's knock of 49 runs and skipper Kane Williamson's unbeaten 33-run innings guided New Zealand to an easy victory over Men in Blue.

Preview: India take on New Zealand at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai. India would be looking to bounce back hard after the hammering they received at the hands of Pakistan in their opening match. A crucial half-century from Virat Kohli and a vital hand from Rishabh Pant helped India post a respectable 151/7 after they were reduced to 31/3 inside the powerplay.

A better fight was expected in the bowling department. However, they didn't manage to take a single wicket as Pakistan chased down the target with 13 balls to spare.

The top order will need to step up big time. It's a crucial match for both India and NZ as Pakistan are on the verge of qualifying for the semis with three wins in three. KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav have a lot of responsibility on their shoulders and they need to make sure that the entire burden is not on Kohli. The bowling too needs to be sharp and incisive.

Shami had an off day going for 11.20 runs an over. He would be looking to bounce back hard. The good thing is that Hardik Pandya has started to bowl in the nets and it will be interesting to see whether he bowls in the game and even if he does, then how many overs? It will also be interesting to see if at all India can bring in the in-form Ishan Kishan into the line-up but they will then have to take the tough call of leaving out either Suryakumar or Pandya which seems to be unlikely.

The Rohit Sharma vs Trent Boult battle will be the one to watch out for given Rohit's troubles with the ball coming in from left-arm bowlers.

New Zealand had their own batting problems as they could post just 134/8 against Pakistan in their opening clash. The batsmen got starts but couldn't carry on. The highest score was 27 — made by Daryl Mitchell and Devon Conway. A much better bowling effort is the need of the hour.

The bowlers battled hard to push Pakistan back but couldn't get them past the finish line. Ish Sodhi and Mitchell Santner will be the key.

With both teams looking to go all out in pursuit of a crucial win, we can expect a cracker.

Here's everything you need to know about the India vs New Zealand match in Dubai:

When will the Group 2 match of the T20 World Cup 2021 between India and New Zealand take place?

The match between India and New Zealand will take place on 31 October 2021.

What is the venue for India vs New Zealand match?

The match will take place at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai.

What time will India vs New Zealand match start?

The match will begin at 7.30 pm IST. The toss will take place at 7 pm IST.

Which TV channels will broadcast India vs New Zealand match?

The match will be telecast on the Star Sports Network. The live streaming of the match will also be available on Disney+ Hotstar. Besides, you can browse Firstpost.com for live updates and over-by-over commentary.

Click here for complete T20 World Cup coverage

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T20 World Cup 2021: Afghanistan give Asghar Afghan the perfect send-off with dominant win over Namibia

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England vs Sri Lanka Live Streaming: When and Where to Watch ICC T20 World Cup 2021 Cricket Match Live Coverage on Live TV Online

Having virtually sealed their qualification after a thumping victory over the Old Enemy on Saturday, England will eye a fourth victory on the trot when they take on Sri Lanka in the ongoing T20 World Cup on Monday.

The Englishmen were at their decisive best against arch-rivals Australia, whom they will meet again for the Ashes that starts a little over a month from now. The bowlers were on the money from the word go after England opted to field as the two Chris' — Woakes and Jordan — set about dismantling the Aussie top order to restrict them to 21/4 in the seventh over.

While a late fightback from skipper Aaron Finch (44) and Ashton Agar (20) lent some respectability to the Aussie batting performance as they eventually managed 125, stopped the explosive England batting unit from comfortably chasing down a modest target like this was always going to be a challenge. And even though they lost a couple of wickets along the way, Jos Buttler's fiery 71 not out ensured the 2016 runners-up got home with more than eight overs to spare.

Sri Lanka, on the other hand, suffered their second straight loss that has suddenly has made their chances of making it to the last four of the mega event very difficult. Dasun Shanaka's men, coming off an eight-wicket loss against the Aussies, were bundled out for 142 thanks to another disciplined bowling effort from South Africa with opener Pathum Nissanka (72) fighting a lone battle against the Proteas attack.

In reply, South Africa lost wickets at regular intervals and were looking down and out after Wanindu Hasaranga completed a hat-trick — the second of this tournament. David Miller and Kagiso Rabada found themselves staring at a tricky position in the 18th over, but managed to keep their calm in the pressure cooker situation. Rabada released the pressure with a six off Dushmantha Chameera in the penultimate over, before Miller went berserk the next over with back-to-back sixes off Lahiru Kumara. Rabada then hit the winning boundary to seal the Proteas' second win on the trot.

Here's everything you need to know about the upcoming fixture:

When will the Group 2 match of the T20 World Cup 2021 between England and Sri Lanka take place?

The match between England and Sri Lanka will take place on 1 November 2021.

What is the venue for England and Sri Lanka match?

The match will take place at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium

What time will England and Sri Lanka match start?

The match will begin at 7.30 pm IST. The toss will take place at 7 pm IST.

Which TV channels will broadcast England and Sri Lanka match?

The match will be telecast on the Star Sports Network. The live streaming of the match will also be available on Disney+ Hotstar. Besides, you can browse Firstpost.com for live updates and over-by-over commentary.

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Live Score, India vs New Zealand, T20 World Cup 2021: India face their bogey team in virtual eliminator

18:05 (IST)

Two teams will qualify for the semi-finals from a single group and Pakistan are in pole position in Group 2 to qualify with three wins from three matches. In such a situation, India cannot afford to lose against New Zealand who are amongst the strongest sides in the group. India lost to Pakistan by 10 wickets in their first match of the tournament. Another loss, in just their second match, could spell curtains for Virat Kohli and Co. 

17:57 (IST)

Welcome to our coverage of India vs New Zealand match. Having lost against Pakistan in their first match, Virat Kohli and Co cannot afford another slip-up when they take on New Zealand on Sunday as the race for the semi-finals heats up.

India vs New Zealand, Latest Updates, T20 World Cup 2021: Having lost against Pakistan in their first match, Virat Kohli and Co cannot afford another slip-up when they take on New Zealand on Sunday as the race for semi-finals heats up.

Preview: India take on New Zealand at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai.

India would be looking to bounce back hard after the hammering they received at the hands of Pakistan in their opening match. A crucial half-century from Virat Kohli and a vital hand from Rishabh Pant helped India post a respectable 151/7 after they were reduced to 31/3 inside the powerplay.

A better fight was expected in the bowling department. However, they didn't manage to take a single wicket as Pakistan chased down the target with 13 balls to spare.

The top order will need to step up big time. It's a crucial match for both India and NZ as Pakistan are on the verge of qualifying for the semis with three wins in three. KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav have a lot of responsibility on their shoulders and they need to make sure that the entire burden is not on Kohli. The bowling too needs to be sharp and incisive.

Shami had an off day going for 11.20 runs an over. He would be looking to bounce back hard. The good thing is that Hardik Pandya has started to bowl in the nets and it will be interesting to see whether he bowls in the game and even if he does, then how many overs? It will also be interesting to see if at all India can bring in the in-form Ishan Kishan into the line-up but they will then have to take the tough call of leaving out either Suryakumar or Pandya which seems to be unlikely.

The Rohit Sharma vs Trent Boult battle will be the one to watch out for given Rohit's troubles with the ball coming in from left-arm bowlers.

New Zealand had their own batting problems as they could post just 134/8 against Pakistan in their opening clash. The batsmen got starts but couldn't carry on. The highest score was 27 — made by Daryl Mitchell and Devon Conway. A much better bowling effort is the need of the hour.

The bowlers battled hard to push Pakistan back but couldn't get them past the finish line. Ish Sodhi and Mitchell Santner will be the key.

With both teams looking to go all out in pursuit of a crucial win, we can expect a cracker.

Here's everything you need to know about the India vs New Zealand match in Dubai:

When will the Group 2 match of the T20 World Cup 2021 between India and New Zealand take place?

The match between India and New Zealand will take place on 31 October 2021.

What is the venue for India vs New Zealand match?

The match will take place at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai.

What time will India vs New Zealand match start?

The match will begin at 7.30 pm IST. The toss will take place at 7 pm IST.

Which TV channels will broadcast India vs New Zealand match?

The match will be telecast on the Star Sports Network. The live streaming of the match will also be available on Disney+ Hotstar. Besides, you can browse Firstpost.com for live updates and over-by-over commentary.

Click here for complete T20 World Cup coverage

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Live Score, Afghanistan vs Namibia, T20 World Cup 2021: Afghans off to positive start after opting to bat

Toggle between the tabs above to switch between quick scorecard, full scorecard and ball-by-ball commentary

After their narrow loss at the hands of Pakistan on Friday, Afghanistan will be hoping to regroup and put up a much stronger performance in their next outing against Namibia on Sunday.

The Afghanistan-Namibia clash is the first of the Sunday double-header, with India taking on New Zealand in the other game.

Afghanistan and Namibia are currently ahead of top-ranked sides such as India and New Zealand in the points table, both having beaten Scotland in their opening games while the Men in Blue and the Kiwis have both lost to Pakistan.

Afghanistan enter the game as strong favourites given their inspiring display in the T20 World Cup so far. They started off on a solid note, posting 190 on the board against Scotland before dismissing them for a meagre 60.

On Friday against their neighbours, they recovered from a shaky start to post 147/6 on the board at the Dubai International Stadium, and their bowlers kept them in the hunt by getting the regular breakthroughs. However, a whirlwind cameo from Asif Ali, who struck four sixes in the penultimate over bowled by Karim Jannat, sealed the deal as Babar Azam's men extended their winning start to three games.

Namibia, who entered the Super 12s campaign on the back of a thrilling win over Ireland in their final game of Round 1, rode on Ruben Trumpelmann (3/17) and JJ Smit's (32 not out) heroics to chase down the 110-run target set by Scotland with five deliveries and four wickets to spare.

Here's everything you need to know about tomorrow's clash:

When will the Group 2 match of the T20 World Cup 2021 between Afghanistan and Namibia take place?

The match between Afghanistan and Namibia will take place on 31 October 2021.

What is the venue for Afghanistan and Namibia match?

The match will take place at the Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi.

What time will Afghanistan and Namibia match start?

The match will begin at 3.30 pm IST. The toss will take place at 3 pm IST.

Which TV channels will broadcast Afghanistan and Namibia match?

The match will be telecast on the Star Sports Network. The live streaming of the match will also be available on Disney+ Hotstar. Besides, you can browse Firstpost.com for live updates and over-by-over commentary.

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Jokes Apart | Why Mohammed Shami should now offer namaz on field

The T20 World Cup is far from over and it has already created more controversy on the sidelines than the action on the pitch. First, there was Mohammad Rizwan catching a quick namaz in the drinks break, and Waqar Younis having his own reverse swing, sorry, spin on it. Then the trolls went hammer and tongs after poor Mohammed Shami.

Kashmiri students who celebrated Pakistan’s victory by bursting crackers were booked for sedition in UP. In their defence it must be said that Diwali is round the corner; people do start early. I wish they were more tactful though. Clapping is less in-your-face than bursting crackers. Clap as much as you want when the match ends. If the authorities question your actions, say that you were just appreciating good cricket all round.

Fandom in cricket is a mysterious thing. During a World Cup in England, I, along with several Indian fans, began supporting Pakistan. After India bowed out of the tournament, it felt natural to us to shift allegiance to a team from the subcontinent. In any case, in England, we are all clubbed together as Asians. My Aussie friends were puzzled. We were at the stadium in Leeds, watching Pakistan take on Australia, and I was rooting for Pakistan. The Aussies were like: But you’re sitting with us! I said: But India and Pakistan have a shared history; my father’s family hails from Lahore. Fortunately, no sedition charges were pressed.

Meanwhile, Quinton de Kock refused to take the knee — clearly a knee jerk reaction — in support of the Black Lives Movement and pulled out of the playing XI at the very last minute. He later changed his mind and issued a statement (ours really is the age of statements), and went on to feature in a Volini commercial. In the ad he is unable to take the knee because of a knee sprain and is in danger of missing the match. Volini, voila!

Over in Pakistan, Shoaib Akhtar and a TV anchor fought on live television; egos clashed as the Rawalpindi Express thundered out of the studio, as crowded as the train itself. David Gower and Viv Richards looked like frozen lizards. Or rather, they didn’t know where to look.

Let’s dedicate the rest of this column to the fraught issue of religion and cricket. That surely ranks as the biggest one among the controversies I listed above. It must be said that of all sports, cricket is the most worship-friendly. Unlike football, it has so many breaks built into it, it suits the needs of the advertisers and the devout alike. It’s not that footballers don’t pray, except that the praying moment is built into the goal-scoring celebration. It’s short and quick; there’s no time for leisurely namaz. The Egyptian striker Mo Salah for instance performs a prayer of thanks by getting to his knees and placing his head on the ground. The act is called sujud. It’s over in a few seconds.

Cricket, on the other hand, is tailor-made for praying. One can, if one wants, pray during the lunch and tea breaks, at the toss, and in the commercial break (which keep getting longer and longer) between overs. It’s a separate debate if players should mix religion and sport, though most will agree it’s a matter of personal choice. The old-timers will recall the days of ‘secular’ superstition when the red handkerchief performed the good-luck role in the game of glorious uncertainties. God, back then, resided in the humble red hanky.

It’s not just Pakistanis who pray, though they do have a habit of thanking god more so than other cricket-playing nations. A post-match interview often goes like this:

Presenter: What was the most crucial passage of play?

Pakistani player: First of all I’d like to thank Allah.

Presenter: Was the toss the deciding factor?

Pakistani player: First of all I’d like to thank Allah.

Presenter: Will you stick to the same playing XI in the next match?

Pakistani player: First of all I’d like to thank Allah.

And so on...

To be honest, it makes for more interesting listening than the Indian players who speak in ready-made corporate phrases, with no religious colour whatsoever. Their MBA-speak goes like this: ‘Boys showed intent’, ‘back myself’, ‘play natural game’, ‘execute plans’ and ‘concentrate on the process, not the result’. ‘Controlling the controllables’ used to be in vogue till a few years ago.

Rizwan prayed, Pakistan won the match and we would have lived happily ever after. But then Waqar Younis had to go and stoke controversy by saying that Rizwan’s praying was all the more commendable because he did it while being surrounded by Hindus. This one is baffling because these are Hindu cricket players we are talking about here, not a bloodthirsty mob. They have bats in their hands, not swords. The cricket ball has been known to kill but no one was chucking it like an out-of-context grenade.

Besides, the Hindus would have prayed too except that it’s a logistical headache for us. Suppose there are three players in the Indian team: Amar, Akbar and Anthony; they all want to pray while playing. Akbar and Anthony have it easy: A Maggi namaz or crossing the heart doesn’t take too much time. But the Hindu needs an entire cricket team: Priest, ghee, incense, firewood, matchbox, gangajal, etc. You see it’s just too complicated and time-consuming to bring this assortment on to the cricket field. A red tilak is an option though.

Back to Waqar. Sure enough, his comment about Hindus went up in a fireball, and Waqar, like de Kock, got busy issuing his own statement of apology. The bhakts from our side, not to be outdone, decided to go after Shami, though later Pakistani hands into the Shami trolling were discovered. The next day again was spent in the favourite pastime of the twenty-first century: Issuing statements. As our commentators and players condemned the trolls and lent support to Shami, I felt an opportunity was lost to make a bigger statement, one which would have confused both the Shami trolls and Waqar Younis. Shami ought to have gone down on his knees and offered namaz himself, with his Hindu teammates forming a protective ring around him. Waqar would have realised that saying namaz amongst Hindus is not a maverick act of courage — just a simple matter of faith. The trolls would have gone into paroxysms of beetroot rage — always a pleasant sight to behold. It would have taught them that the freedom to practice one’s religion does not dilute a player’s loyal patriotism and love for his nation.

The writer is the author of ‘The Butterfly Generation’ and the editor of ‘House Spirit: Drinking in India’. The views expressed are personal.

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India have to play out of their skins against Kiwis to remain afloat after Pakistan’s blitzkrieg

No one thought that we would be looking at today’s match between India and New Zealand as virtual quarterfinals, which we would need to win to remain in the race for the semi-finals. It’s the same for the kiwis too. Both sides have lost their first encounter and against the same team — Pakistan!

Both sides would be under intense pressure, but for India it’s a different kind of pressure altogether. The pressure to live up to the expectations of the 1.3 billion demanding fans who expect nothing less than the World Cup this time. In comparison, New Zealand has a population of 3.5 million people. Just to keep things in perspective, these many people live in my vicinity of the NCR! And, unlike in India, cricket is not treated as a religion in New Zealand. India’s pressure is further compounded by archrivals Pakistan’s red hot form.

At their best, India can beat New Zealand and get to the second position in the group. Also reassuring is the body language and demeanor of the Indian team. Virat Kohli and his boys seem to be in the usual aggressive mode.

Coming to today’s match, I don’t see any knee-jerk reaction from Team India. Kohli may more or less retain the last match’s team, with one or two minor changes. The toss remains the key aspect of the game, and the side batting first will have the advantage. Afghanistan, however, in their last match against Pakistan at the same venue, won the toss and threw the gauntlet to Pakistan by batting first and still took the match to the wire; it needed an Asif Ali special to take Pakistan home.

The plus for India is that Rohit Sharma is due for a big score and Hardik Pandya is turning his arm over. So, on paper, India seem to have an edge if they can play to their billing and potential.

The Indian team is a battle-hardy outfit and capable of absorbing the pressure. They should do well to tackle the threats from Kane Williamson and Trent Boult. The fans and the media tom-tommed the past record versus Pakistan and we all know the result and the thrashing we got from Babar Azam and his boys. This time statistics give Kiwis the upper hand as they have dominated India in T20 in the last 8-10 games. But I have maintained that players should not get swayed by these ‘bikini’ stats, as was manifested in the last India-Pakistan match. Such stats show a lot but hide the important bits.

I would like India to be more flexible in making a couple of changes. Lack of swing means that Shardul Thakur can pip Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Rahul Chahar may find a place in the playing 11 as a wrist spinner. A six-day break can be a bonus for the IPL-jaded stars of India, but it can also be a rhythm-breaker. However, the fact remains that one bad game does not make a good team ordinary, and that’s where the presence of MS Dhoni in the dressing room will be important in keeping the boys in a good mental state.

All in all, it could be a cracker of a match, and would be interesting to see Boult take on Rohit ‘Hitman’ Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah bowl to Kane Williamson. So, tighten your belt and enjoy the ride, guys. Personally, I feel it’s going to be India’s match all the way. But for that Team India will have to play out of their skins against the competitive Kiwis.

The writer is a former India fast bowler and a cricket expert. Views expressed are personal.​

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