Recent Match Report - India vs Hong Kong 4th Match, Group A 2022

India 192 for 2 (Suryakumar 68*, Kohli 59*, Ghazanfar 1-19) beat Hong Kong 152 for 5 (Hayat 41, Kinchit 30, Bhuvneshwar 1-15, Jadeja -15) by 40 runs

A blazing half-century from Suryakumar Yadav, and a more sedate one from Virat Kohli, helped India cruise into the Super 4 round of the Asia Cup as they beat Hong Kong by 40 runs in Dubai. The victory ensured India would finish as the top team in Group A.

After being put in, India struggled to force the pace on the ball on a sluggish surface. But as the game progressed, the pitch seemed to ease out. Suryakumar cashed in on that, smashing six fours and as many sixes to post 68 not out in just 26 balls. Kohli, too, found his timing after a slow start and finished unbeaten on 59 off 44. His knock included one four and three sixes. The pair added an unbroken 98 in just 42 balls, propelling India to 192 for 2.

From there on, it was always going to be an uphill task for Hong Kong. Despite scoring 51 for 2 in the powerplay, they were behind the asking rate, and once the field spread out, their scoring rate dipped further. In the end, they could manage only 152 for 5.

However, it was a far from perfect game for India. Apart from a slow start, Avesh Khan and Arshdeep Singh looked off colour. Avesh gave away 53 from his four overs, and Arshdeep went for 44 from his quota. Both picked up a wicket each, though.

India' slow start
Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul started slowly; India managed just six runs in the first two overs. Rohit broke the shackles by jumping out of his crease to seamer Haroon Arshad and launching him for a straight six. Rahul joined him later in the over when he dispatched a free hit over deep midwicket. Off the last ball, Rohit hit a four to make it 22 from the over.

Ayush Shukla broke the stand in the fifth over when Rohit mistimed an offcutter to mid-on. He scored 21 off 13 balls but Rahul was struggling for timing at the other end. Kohli too found it difficult to get going. At one stage, Rahul was on 21 off 25, Kohli on 12 off 14, and India hadn't managed a boundary for 22 balls. Rahul ended that drought with a six off Aizaz Khan but despite that India only got to 70 for 1 at the ten-over mark.

Suryakumar Yadav smoked 68 not out off just 26 balls•AFP/Getty Images

Suryakumar lights up the night
Kohli showed signs of aggression after the halfway stage, hitting Mohammad Ghazanfar for a four and a six in successive overs from the legspinner. Ghazanfar, though, ended Rahul's struggle by having him caught behind for 36 off 39 balls.

That brought Suryakumar to the middle, and he swept the first two balls he faced, from Yasim Murtaza, for fours. That was just the teaser, and soon he showed his full range. In the 16th over, he hit Aizaz over short third for four before scooping him for a six, off consecutive balls. A couple of overs later, he flicked Shukla over deep square leg to move to 41 off just 17 balls.

Kohli, meanwhile, brought up his fifty off 40 balls. Three balls after reaching the landmark, he slog-swept Ehsan Khan for a 91-metre six but it paled in comparison to Suryakumar's dazzling strokeplay.

In the last over of the innings, Suryakumar hit Haroon's first three deliveries for sixes - the second one took him to his fifty off just 22 balls and was arguably the shot of the day. He had initially shaped up for a scoop but seeing Haroon bowl it full and wide, he changed his shot and lofted it over deep cover. The fourth ball was a dot, and Suryakumar pulled the next one over short fine leg for another six. Haroon escaped with a couple off the final ball but India already had a daunting total.

Ravindra Jadeja hurt Hong Kong with a run-out and the wicket of Babar Hayat•AFP/Getty Images

Spinners put brakes on after Babar Hayat's brisk start
Arshdeep bounced out Yasim in the second over but Babar Hayat's power-hitting took Hong Kong past 50 in the sixth over. The tall right-hander smashed Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Avesh over their heads for a six off each. In the sixth over, he took on Arshdeep, hitting him for two fours.

India found some relief when Nizakat Khan was run out on the last ball of the powerplay. It was a free hit that Nizakat steered towards backward point before taking a couple of steps down the pitch. But Ravindra Jadeja nailed a direct hit before he could get back in.

Yuzvendra Chahal and Jadeja then conceded only 14 in the next four overs. That left Hong Kong with a monumental task of getting 128 from the last ten.

The chase peters out
At the end of the powerplay, Babar was on 29 off 17 but could manage only 12 off the next 18 balls he faced. Jadeja sent him back when he miscued a cut to backward point. Kinchit Shah and Aizaz offered some resistance by adding 31 off 22 balls for the fourth wicket but it was too little to trouble India. In the final two overs, Zeeshan Ali and Scott McKechnie hit a flurry of boundaries but that was too little too late to have an impact on the final result.

Hemant Brar is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo

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CWG 2022 | Badminton, table tennis stars dazzle on final day; India finishes 4th with 22 gold

India wrapped up its 2022 Commonwealth Games campaign with 61 medals to finish a creditable fourth

India wrapped up its 2022 Commonwealth Games campaign with 61 medals to finish a creditable fourth

Led by P. V. Sindhu, Indian shuttlers owned the badminton arena by winning all three titles on offer on the day while paddler Sharath Kamal yet again reminded everyone of his class and awe-inspiring longevity with a coruscating show, as the country wrapped up its CWG campaign with 61 medals to finish a creditable fourth.

A rich haul of 6️⃣1️⃣ medals🏅 at the #CommonwealthGames2022 🤩

Great display of resilience, passion and energy showcased by our athletes 👍

Well Done Guys!!#Cheer4India 🇮🇳#India4CWG2022pic.twitter.com/ZPBvGk52iY

— SAI Media (@Media_SAI) August 8, 2022

It was expected that Sindhu, Lakshya Sen and the formidable pair of Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy would end up on top of the podium but what provided the icing on the cake was the 40-year-old Sharat Kamal's gold medal-winning show against an equally good opponent in Liam Pitchford.

Big haul despite shooters missing

That performance took India's gold medal count to 22, which is four less than the 2018 edition, but this time the sport of shooting was missing from the roster. The shooters had contributed seven golds in Gold Coast's 66-medal haul, and considering that, India certainly put up a good show.

However, with the 0-7 hammering of the men's hockey team by Australia, when at least a spirited fight was anticipated, the Games ended on a somewhat disappointing note.

The manner in which India caved in took away the joy of the silver medal it managed.

India's final tally read 22 gold, 16 silver and 23 bronze and they stood behind third-placed Canada, which was far ahead with 92 medals (26-32-34). Australia (67-57-54) finished on top ahead of hosts England (57-66-53).

Team India’s flagbearers Achanta Sharath Kamal and Nikhat Zareen lead the team during the closing ceremony of the Commonwealth Games 2022 (CWG), at Alexander Stadium in Birmingham, UK | Photo Credit: PTI

Sharath Kamal’s fantastic campaign

Coming back to TT, Sharath and G. Sathian had lost to England's Pitchford and Paul Drinkhall in the men's doubles gold medal match, but on Monday, both the Indians had their revenge.

This was after Sathiyan beat Drinkhall 11-9 11-3 11-5 8-11 9-11 10-12 11-9 in an exciting but nerve-jangling bronze play-off.

Sharath outsmarted the 29-year-old nimble-footed Briton 11-13 11-7 11-2 11-6 11-8 to claim his second CWG singles gold after 16 years. He had won the singles title in the 2006 Melbourne Games.

The superstar paddler will return from Birmingham with a rich haul of four medals, having won the men's team and the mixed team gold, apart from his silver in the men's doubles.

With Monday's sensational gold, Sharath has taken his overall medal tally to 13 at the CWG, since making his Games debut in 2006.

Badminton gold rush

The concluding day of the Games began with superstar Sindhu adding a CWG gold to her already bulging collection with a convincing straight game win over Canada's Michelle Li.

The world number seven from India outplayed her 13th ranked opponent 21-15 , 21-13 in front of a packed crowd at the NEC arena.

"I had been waiting for this gold for a long time and finally I have got it. I am super happy. Thanks to the crowd, they made me win today," said Sindhu after the final.

Later, 10th-ranked Sen came from behind to end Ng Tze Yong's giant-killing run in the competition. The 20-year-old defeated the world number 42 from Malaysia 19-21, 21-9, 21-16.

Sen was at his attacking best in the decider and led until the end. Yong tried his best to mount a comeback, but Sen was unstoppable. He converted his first match point following a long rally, leading to a frenzied celebration that saw him throw his racket into the stands.

"It was tense at the start, I had to work really hard. Yong also played a great tournament. Congratulations to him as well," said Sen after a hard-fought contest.

India's star doubles pair of Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy won the country's third gold from the badminton court with a straight game victory over England's Ben Lane and Sean Mendy at the Commonwealth Games. The Indian duo won 21-15, 21-13.

India thus finished a fantastic badminton campaign with three gold, one silver and two bronze.

Disappointment in hockey final

While the shuttlers and paddlers dazzled, Australia blew away India with their whirlwind speed and relentless attacks in hockey, extending its dominance at the Games.

Since hockey's introduction at the Games in 1998, Australia has always stood on top of the podium.

This is India's third defeat against Australia in a CWG final, having lost to them in the 2010 and the 2014 editions of the Games.

Nathan Ephraums and Tom Wickham scored a brace each while Blake Govers, Jacob Anderson, and Flynn Ogilvie also found the net in the lop-sided contest.

It was a far cry from what was expected in a gold medal clash as a dominant Australia pumped in five goals in the first half to take the game away from India.

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Recent Match Report - India vs West Indies 4th T20I 2022

India maintained their unbeaten series record against West Indies since 2016 by taking an unassailable 3-1 lead in the five-T20I series. Their attacking style of batting helped them post 191 even though they tapered off in the second half of their innings, and their bowlers used cutters well to stifle West Indies' batting.

This was India's highest T20I total when none of their batters have scored a fifty. Only one of their seven batters failed to get to double figures, which was just as well because they had Axar Patel batting at No. 7, and he gave India the finishing kick with an unbeaten 20 off eight balls after a middle-overs slowdown.

India's over-stated problems against left-arm seam took a back seat as Obed McCoy returned the most expensive analysis - 2 for 66, including six sixes off his bowling - for a West Indies bowler two matches after he returned the best figures by a West Indies bowler. Avesh Khan experienced a turnaround in the opposite direction with two wickets in the powerplay for just nine runs in two overs, following which West Indies never really recovered even though Nicholas Pooran and Rovman Powell threatened briefly.

Rohit, Suryakumar hit the ground running
Either the India openers quickly surmised that they needed to score their runs while the ball was new or they felt this pitch needed a huge score, because they didn't hold back at all. Rohit Sharma was the first aggressor, hitting a couple of boundaries in the first two overs, before he and Suryakumar Yadav welcomed McCoy mercilessly. Rohit eased him for sixes over long-on and long-off, and Suryakumar displayed great flair, whipping and uppercutting him for a six and a four. India's fifty came up in the fifth over.

Hosein, Joseph pull things back
Akeal Hosein and Alzarri Joseph bowled the two tough final overs of the powerplay, bringing West Indies back into the contest. Hosein pulled back his length after being slogged for a six to bowl Rohit, and Joseph trapped Suryakumar lbw as he tried to open up the leg side once too often.

Once the field spread, West Indies began to bowl cutters into the pitch and the boundaries dried up. Given the conditions, Rishabh Pant, batting at No. 4, played a superb hand of 44 off 31 in the most difficult phase of the innings. At the other end, Deepak Hooda managed 21 off 19 balls, while Sanju Samson scored 30 off 23. And once West Indies got Dinesh Karthik for just 6, they would have hoped to restrict India considerably.

Axar gives India the big finish
A six over long-off, another over long-on - both off McCoy in the 19th over - and then a four off the last ball of the innings, and Axar, playing his first match of the series, brought India 27 runs in the final two overs after the previous three had produced just 18.

Avesh owns the powerplay
Going for over 14 an over in the series, and playing possibly only because Harshal Patel is injured, it is fair to assume Avesh was under the scanner in this match. He started after Bhuvneshwar Kumar had been taken for 14 in the first over, and used the legcutter well to get rid of Brandon King with a return catch, and the promoted Devon Thomas off a skier to mid-off. West Indies now needed a special innings from someone in the middle order.

The Pooran and Powell threat
Rohit made the surprising call of calling the left-arm spinner Axar on to bowl the fifth over, a difficult over to bowl, with two left-hand batters in the middle. Pooran was ruthless, hitting three sixes and a four, but the over ended in anti-climax with a run-out as Kyle Mayers sent him back after setting off for a quick single.

This was not the end of Axar's luck for the day. In his third over - the ninth of the innings - Powell took a shine to him, hitting him for two sixes down the ground, but he chipped the easiest of the deliveries, a full-toss, straight down the throat of long-on. West Indies were now 82 for 5 in nine overs.

India closed out the game efficiently, the highlight being Arshdeep Singh bowling in the middle overs for the first time in T20Is and taking out the threatening Jason Holder to make sure there was no way back for West Indies.

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WI vs Ind - 4th T20I - Dinesh Karthik

The various challenges posed by the conditions in the Caribbean will help India's preparation to face different situations during the T20 World Cup in Australia, according to batter Dinesh Karthik. After playing the first three T20Is in the West Indies, the teams have moved to Lauderhill in Florida for the last two games of the series this weekend.

Karthik was among those who rose above the two-paced pitch in Tarouba for the first T20I and used the asymmetric ground dimensions to his advantage. In the second and third matches in St Kitts, India had to deal with a strong cross wind. After struggling to adapt in the second T20I, India fared much better in the third to take a 2-1 lead in the series.

"I think it is very interesting because even in the World Cup straightaway the three grounds that come to my mind are Sydney - [where] the sides are slightly smaller and the straights are longer - Adelaide, we all know that the sides are very small and again, the straights are long, whereas in Melbourne, it's the exact opposite - the straights are short and the sides are very big. So, obviously, we are going to be encountering different grounds wherever we are going to be playing, so the challenges are going to be different.

"Here, the challenges have been different in every venue where we have played. So, the fact that every time you get an opportunity, there's a certain challenge that comes with just walking in. That is pressure by itself. One of the key things that Rohit [Sharma] and Rahul [Dravid] have spoken about in this series at the start was adaptability and understanding the situations. I think that is something we've done pretty well so far."

Twelve Indian players have pretty much sealed their spots for the T20 World Cup, including Karthik, which leaves seven or eight contenders competing for the remaining three slots. Given India's rich talent pool, Karthik said it would be difficult for the selectors to lock in the final 15.

"Look, right now in the Indian team, we have the potential to put out two teams or maybe even three teams, in terms of the number of players available," he said. "I don't think many countries can boast of that, so to get just 15 players playing from a good lot of 40 players, there are going to be 20-25 players that are going to think: 'geez! I could have made that team'.

Of late, Karthik has excelled in his role as a finisher, winning games for his IPL franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore and for India - both at home and away. Since the start of IPL 2022, he has a strike rate of 205.55 in the death overs (17-20). Only James Neesham (227.65) and Tim David (226.72) have a better strike rate than Karthik in all T20s during this period. The role of a finisher comes with pressure, and Karthik has learnt to embrace it.

"Pressure is a privilege at this point of time as a cricketer [and] as a sportsperson," Karthik said. "It is something that is given to [you] only when playing at the highest level and when people expect certain things out of you. So, I'm happy; I think what's important is making sure on a given day what the match situation is, reading the game and trying to give the best on that given day."

"Pressure is a privilege at this point of time as a cricketer [and] as a sportsperson. It is something that is given to [you] only when playing at the highest level and when people expect certain things out of you."

Karthik on embracing pressure

Karthik once again credited India's team management for nurturing an environment that gave players security and the opportunity to grow into their roles, despite failures.

"This is one of the happiest that I've been part of the Indian team… the amount of love and affection that I've got, not only from the team and the fans but also the backing from the captain and the coach.

"This is what I've aimed for all my life and for the captain and coach to show so much belief in me, it is only fair that I repay the faith by giving performances which will help the team cross the line in many ways, and that is what I've been trying to do."

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