2022 T20 World Cup thread

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

First topic message reminder :

We're now just over a fortnight out from the qualifying round, and team news is ever changing around the teams in the tournament.

Unfortunately today Jasprit Bumrah has been ruled out of the tournament (and a while after) with a back injury. Big blow to India that one, and a World Cup with no Archer/Bumrah (arguably the two best t20 fast bowlers in the world) is a huge shame

[eirebilly_01]

Hey , eirebilly : your fellows going to upset NZ on Friday , perhaps ? Too much to do to make semis , but would be a good finish for Ireland , no ?

Its not beyond Ireland to be fair alfie. As I said, new Zealand have only really looked dominant in one game. I would say they will get to the Semi Finals but will be the weakest team there.

[alfie]

Hey , eirebilly : your fellows going to upset NZ on Friday , perhaps ? Too much to do to make semis , but would be a good finish for Ireland , no ?

Its not beyond Ireland to be fair alfie. As I said, new Zealand have only really looked dominant in one game. I would say they will get to the Semi Finals but will be the weakest team there.

In fairness to NZ , that one game was rather spectacular ! Total demolition of the hosts in what may have cruelled Australia's chances in one go... But as you say , not so exciting since - though , as with all teams , the on-off weather might have made a smooth ride difficult. I like their bowling but perhaps the batting can be a bit iffy. I am still a bit more upbeat about their chances than many , because they seem to have a knack of surprising better fancied teams in these competitions ; so will be interested to see how they shape on Friday.

[eirebilly_01]

For me, this is a very interesting game. Bangladesh are capable of turning India. I doubt it but they are capable...

[alfie]

For me, this is a very interesting game. Bangladesh are capable of turning India. I doubt it but they are capable...

Now that would be a big upset ! Can't see it ; but be good if they can make it a real contest.

[eirebilly_01]

Just do not understand the reasoning behind leaving Pant out again. DK is not having the best of tournaments and Pant is a match winner...

[alfie]

India with Axar back in the side but no change to their batting and still no spot for Pant. Bangladesh sent them in...

[eirebilly_01]

I like Axar, he gets a lot of stick but I really rate him.

[eirebilly_01]

Hasan Mahmud with a pretty ordinary drop but makes up for it with the wicket of Rohit.

A very controlled start by Bangladesh

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Just do not understand the reasoning behind leaving Pant out again. DK is not having the best of tournaments and Pant is a match winner...

I think it's because they'd be asking Pant to do something he's never really done in T20s, which is that specialist finisher/end of innings role - which DK has been arguably the best in the world at the last 12-18 months in franchise cricket. Could Pant do it...probably, he is very good at most things, but can see why they wouldn't want to experiment with that in tournament.

[eirebilly_01]

But DK is woefully out of touch so personally, I would give Pant a go.

India cruising this.

[eirebilly_01]

If Bangladesh were to have had any hope, I think that they had to keep India under 150. It was possible but Kholi is again leading the show.

[eirebilly_01]

That is some 50 from DAS

[eirebilly_01]

Well now, Bangladesh 17 runs ahead of the DLS...

This may get interesting if the rain keeps hammering down...

Das batting beautifully to the expected conditions.

[Duty281]

Disappointed for Zimbabwe. Only Williams and Raza getting out of single figures, then they made a mess of defending it against a tepid Dutch side.

Now I had assumed India were in complete control - Kohli continuing an excellent tournament with the bat - but Liton Das seems to have other ideas!

And now some unexpected rain is coming down. I assume Bangladesh are ahead, they'll want it to come down for several hours.

Ah, looks like it already stopped. Picked up again. The radar saying it might take up to an hour for the rain to clear, so we may see a reduction in overs which would make the Bangladeshi task easier. Interesting times...

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Liton is a wonderful player when he gets going, played some great test knocks the last 12-18 months too - looks like he's going to have given his team a real shot of a big upset here, and seriously put the cat amongst the pigeons in group 2!

[Duty281]

If Bangladesh do win it opens the door in a big way for Pakistan. If Pakistan won their final two games (v SA, that's tough, and Bangladesh), and India beat Zimbabwe on the final day, there'd be a three-way tie on six points, and Pakistan have the advantage on NRR. But a tough ask to beat SA.

Bangladesh, even if they won here, would still need to beat Pakistan in the final game, even if Pak lost to SA, because their NRR is unlikely to be better than India's.

[VTR]

DLS really screwing India over I would say. OK, great start from Bangladesh but 17 runs ahead when India put up a high total. That's suggests Bangladesh are on track to be comfortable winners in a full game, which surely isn't right

[Duty281]

Started losing overs now, but the covers are coming off. Every over lost makes the equation steadily easier for Bangladesh.

[Soul Requiem]

Liton is a wonderful player when he gets going, played some great test knocks the last 12-18 months too - looks like he's going to have given his team a real shot of a big upset here, and seriously put the cat amongst the pigeons in group 2!

I've said it many times before but Das has limitless potential and ability but too often lets himself down with a moment of stupidity.

[GSC]

Target for Bangladesh in overs are lost
19 overs: 177
17 overs: 160
15 overs: 142
12 overs: 112
10 overs: 89

[Duty281]

Target for Bangladesh in overs are lost
19 overs: 177
17 overs: 160
15 overs: 142
12 overs: 112
10 overs: 89

Thanks. If it gets reduced to 10 overs it's a complete farce.

The game's been losing overs for about 15 minutes, and we haven't heard a resumption time yet, so I'm guessing it's down to 15 overs at most.

16 overs say Cricinfo. 85 more runs from 54 balls required.

[eirebilly_01]

This break will probably benefit India more than Bangladesh. I know it looks, on paper, that Bangladesh's task has become simpler but the break in momentum that Das created will now be gone.

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Liton is a wonderful player when he gets going, played some great test knocks the last 12-18 months too - looks like he's going to have given his team a real shot of a big upset here, and seriously put the cat amongst the pigeons in group 2!

I've said it many times before but Das has limitless potential and ability but too often lets himself down with a moment of stupidity.

And promptly gets run out...

[eirebilly_01]

Great run out but silly to go for it i think.

Shanto has to pull his finger out now.

[Duty281]

Liton Das run out second ball after the restart. I'd be fuming if I were Bangladesh, it looks like they've come out too early as it's like a slip and slide out there. Das was slower on the run because he was wary of the conditions.

[alfie]

The break more or less did for Das ...slipping and stumbling and run out...game changer ?

Although now Shanto seems to have taken up the mantle...Bangladesh staying ahead on DLS at the moment....

[alfie]

But that's changed things ! Shanto gone...

Will need a couple of new bats to get into gear now. A relief for India.

[eirebilly_01]

As suspected, the break benefitted India more so than Bangladesh.

Its India's game to lose now.

[Soul Requiem]

Oh look they're back underway when they clearly shouldn't be, the decisions made to benefit certain teams are absurd.

[alfie]

That excellent Shami over turned things back India's way...but this ain't over yet.

Ashwin going for a few this over...

[Duty281]

India ahead, but I think they still have two overs from Axar/Ashwin/Pandya in the final four, so that could be key.

Shakib goes, that could be it.

[alfie]

Ah...the old "add two wickets" thing...

Think the loss of Shakib has done for Bangladesh. They arguably made a mistake trying to hit Arshdeep out of the ground : better to have tried to work him around and go hard against the others.

Good catching by India

[GSC]

India are doing the business but Bangladesh can be fairly aggrieved I think

[alfie]

Looks to be India's game now , barring minor miracles. But they'd want to be a bit sharper than they have been so far if they're to really frighten anyone in the semis. Assuming they will make it , as I think we almost can now.

[Duty281]

Yep, India cruising to a win.

Umpiring was a complete disgrace. Bangladesh forced to play in unfit conditions which directly led to the loss of Das, who was firing magnificently. Already seen similar in this tournament when the umpires in the SA-Zim game tried to force Zimbabwe to bowl in a downpour, before eventually seeing sense after the protest by Williams.

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Yep, India cruising to a win.

Umpiring was a complete disgrace. Bangladesh forced to play in unfit conditions which directly led to the loss of Das, who was firing magnificently. Already seen similar in this tournament when the umpires in the SA-Zim game tried to force Zimbabwe to bowl in a downpour, before eventually seeing sense after the protest by Williams.

Yes there is "getting the game on" and then there is unfit conditions. That SA-Zim game led directly to an injury to a player, and here Das also seemed to slip and injure himself - clearly not fit conditions. Poor umpiring I am afraid

[GSC]

Aye, I'm not gonna go to if it was any other team stuff, but there has to be better protocols for what is safe to play on. Batsmen slipping twice in the first two balls says it clearly wasn't ready. Potential safety hazard even beyond the sporting sense comes into it

[Guest]

The rain seems to have saved India in this match...Das was giving them a brutal beating...
Anyway I guess that's how it goes sometimes....

[alfie]

Couldn't have been much closer ! Credit to Bangladesh fighting to the last ball...one could say they were a shade unlucky . Or that a couple of misjudged shots cost them. But won't be much consolation.

India will know they got out of jail - again. They won't care...but again I say they need to improve on what they've shown so far in this WC. Important thing being they will get the chance to do so...

[GSC]

Good effort by Bangladesh but shame a game they were ahead in ended up slanted against them after the restart.

Still India had to take advantage and they did. Bangladesh rather lost their heads a bit

[Duty281]

India win after an enormous helping hand from the officials. It certainly would have been different the other way round - no way would India have been told to bat in those circumstances and, if they had have been, protestations would have seen the umpire's mind changed.

Bangladesh have been cheated. The umpires knew that the fewer overs left, the easier it would be for Bangladesh. So they rushed the players out there, before conditions were fit for play, in order to give India the best chance of victory.

Anyone but India to win the trophy, please.

Anyway, with the Dutch beating Zimbabwe earlier, that pretty much confirms the top two as South Africa and India. Only way we'll see a change from that is if India lose to Zimbabwe and either Pakistan win both of their games (v SA and Bangladesh) and manage to have a superior NRR to India OR Bangladesh win their last game and manage to have a superior NRR to India.

Bangladesh's hopes in that scenario are more remote than Pakistan as their NRR is well behind India's.

There are other scenarios that involve the Dutch beating SA, but that's ludicrous to contemplate!

Pakistan v SA the only game tomorrow. Either we see SA win, continue their unbeaten start, and practically ensure a 1st-placed finish, or we get to watch Pakistan keep their hopes just about alive.

[KP_fan]

It was a tight game and an exciting game , especially that we finished on the winning side in the end.
Would have been a heartbreak and clutching to NRR and who loses to who otherwise.

India did not bat badly, and all thru tournament haven't bowled badly either
and 185 should be an unassailable total.

There are only 2 reasons why it came so close

1. Litton Das played an extraordinary innings
2. Rohit did not and has not shows to think on feet when under assault.

He needed to get bowlers to take-pace off into the pitch and make batsmen use power to clear longer side
or bowl one side only ( longer side)

anyway having gotten to 66-0 at the rain break.....BD should have pulled it off, esp that reduced overs were to their advantage
BUT they choked...only showed how amazing Litton's inning was.

Some other points:

Ind has only 2 in form batsmen.....SKY and Kohli and from the remaining 6 batsmen and (blowing all rounders incl Axar & Ashwin) about 3 need to make useful runs to get us to respectable totals.

We are lucky that 2 batsmen are in such solid form
BUT what if they fail

we need to get Pant in
and he has to be in place of DK
or drop a spinner

there is hardly room for one spinner on these pitches...certainly not for two
The spinner's gotta be able to spear in fast and full......and decide who fits the bill better
Axar or Ashwin

[eirebilly_01]

Big game today for Pakistan. This is last chance saloon for them, although they are already as good as out of the tournament. I had actually had them as favorites myself.

I still do not understand how SA keep Bavuma in the side. He is not a T20 player...

[Oakdene]

Pakistan 43/4 off 6.3 overs.

[eirebilly_01]

Babar's horrible tournament form continues. Got to say that Pakistan have been a massive disappointment.

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

I am very excited to see how South Africa contrive to lose their semi final matchup after looking so good throughout the groups

[alfie]

105/5 after 14 so they could either collapse for about 140 or post 180 from here...

Would back SA to chase down the one - but maybe not the other.

Shamsi's last a bit expensive...

[eirebilly_01]

Well now, this is some going by Pakistan...

[alfie]

Wow...Iftikhar and Shadab are taking this away from SA quickly with this onslaught. Going to need some great death bowling to keep this to a manageable chase now.

[KP_fan]

Pak came out Pumped and kept going at SA inspite of losing wickets....
SA is unarguably the best bowling line up in this tournament
And Pak managed to put a good total... more than Par in my view
and Pak is the second best bowling line up ..almost as good as SA, will fancy defending this

The lesson in Pak's batting is you don't need to slow down / be cautious when losing wickets to build a partnership and hold wicket to go at the bowling in the last 3.-

Juts go, go...and keep going...and even SA bowling crumbled
177 with 7 ball to go
Money on Pak

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