Anisa Mohammed, the West Indies vice-captain, has been granted leave from international cricket for a period of six months. "Mohammed requested to take a break from the game with immediate effect, after a hectic year of cricket both home and away," said a CWI statement, adding that the board had given Mohammed its "full support".
Offspinner Mohammed, just a few days away from her 34th birthday, hasn't played a T20I since West Indies' series at home against South Africa in September last year, but has turned out in 14 ODIs in the past 12 months. The last of them was in March this year at the 50-over World Cup in the semi-final against eventual champions Australia in Hamilton. It didn't end well for Mohammed on that occasion, as she pulled up with a hamstring injury while fielding and had to be driven from the field.
Mohammed, the highest wicket-taker in women's T20Is with 125 strikes in 117 games - to go with 180 wickets in 141 ODIs - has been a part of the action at the ongoing Women's CPL 2022, where she returned 1 for 9 in two overs in her only bowling innings, against Barbados Royals. Their second game, against Guyana Amazon Warriors, had to be called off because of rain, but Mohammed could be in the fray in the final, where Knight Riders will meet the winners of the Royals vs Amazon Warriors contest.
Prior to the WCPL, Mohammed played the women's 6ixty competition, where she turned out for Knight Riders as well. Knight Riders lost in the final to Royals then, and Mohammed finished the tournament with four wickets in four bowling innings, with an economy rate of 8.00.
Jess Kerr had withdrawn from the competition in Birmingham because of a foot injury while Down had taken time off to prioritise her well-being.
"We've seen the success Jess has enjoyed on the international stage in her career to date and it's been encouraging to see her working her way back from injury, and training with the London Spirit over here in the Hundred in recent weeks," Ben Sawyer, New Zealand head coach, said. "It's great to see Lauren return after taking some personal time away from the game. She was flying with the bat heading into the ODI World Cup in New Zealand earlier this year only to be ruled out of the tournament with that thumb injury. So we're looking forward to welcoming her back into the environment."
Penfold had made her international debut last year against England and was part of New Zealand's reserves for the World Cup earlier this year. "I first saw Molly bowling when I was working with Australia at the ODI World Cup and remember telling them how good I thought she was, just from watching her practice," Sawyer, who was Australia's fast bowling coach at the World Cup, said. "You could see she had all the natural attributes for fast bowling and I've been sent a few videos of her recent progress - she seems to be going really well."
"Hayley Jensen is already over in the Caribbean playing in the CPL and she said the conditions are extremely hot and the wickets are keeping a little low - so that's what we can expect," Sawyer said.
While Devine, Suzie Bates, Amelia Kerr, Jess Kerr, Lea Tahuhu and Maddy Green were involved in the Hundred, and Jensen is in the West Indies already, the other players had a camp in Lincoln, with assistant coach Sara McGlashan overlooking the preparations. Having done well at the Commonwealth Games by beating England to win the bronze medal, New Zealand's next big goal is the T20 World Cup in South Africa early next year.
"I know the team took a lot of confidence from winning that bronze-medal match against England," Sawyer said. "To do it in front of a packed house at Edgbaston and to do it so convincingly will have given the whole unit so much belief.
"This tour will be important for us to continue building on the good work done in England. We'll of course be out to win both series in the Caribbean - but will also be looking to offer opportunities to different players as we try and nail down our combinations for the T20 World Cup and refine our game-plans.
"We'll also be giving the one-day series plenty of attention, having identified that as the format most in need of improvement."
New Zealand and West Indies play three ODIs - part of the ICC Women's Championship - followed by five T20Is. All the games will be played at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in North Sound, Antigua. This is the first time New Zealand are touring the Caribbean since 2014, when the hosts won the ODIs 4-0 while New Zealand won the T20Is 2-1.
Squad: Sophie Devine (capt), Suzie Bates, Eden Carson, Lauren Down, Izzy Gaze, Maddy Green, Brooke Halliday, Hayley Jensen, Fran Jonas, Jess Kerr, Amelia Kerr, Molly Penfold, Georgia Plimmer, Hannah Rowe, Lea Tahuhu
Fabian Allen has made himself available for international selection again ahead of the T20 World Cup, six months since his last appearance in a West Indies shirt.
Allen, the left-arm spin-bowling allrounder, declined a retainer contract with Cricket West Indies earlier this year and has been absent for "personal reasons" throughout West Indies' home season.
He revealed in a statement that he had lost his father to cancer earlier this year, thanking CWI for their support throughout "a very difficult time for me and my family", and confirmed that he is available for international selection.
"I'd like to thank my family, friends and fans for their support over the past four months," Allen said. "As some of you may know, I recently lost my father to cancer this year and it has been a very difficult time for me and my family. He was my biggest fan and I'm happy he got [to] see me live my dream as a professional cricketer. I will continue to make him proud.
"As a professional athlete you learn to quickly put things behind you and move forward but it has been particularly difficult for me over the past couple [of] months. I'm very grateful to the Mumbai Indians franchise for allowing me the time to handle my personal arrangements and being flexible with my schedule.
"After laying my dad to rest I immediately had to turn my focus to the IPL. While it kept me busy and focused, I knew after the tournament was completed, I needed to take some time away from the game."
Allen was the leading run-scorer in the inaugural season of the 6ixty last week and he will represent Jamaica Tallawahs at the CPL, where he will hope to push for a place in West Indies' T20 World Cup squad.
"Cricket West Indies has been supportive throughout the entire process and I really want to thank Johnny Grave [chief executive] and Jimmy Adams [director of cricket] for their consideration. I want to use this opportunity to make it clear, I'll always want to represent my country and the West Indies.
"Even though I did not necessarily make it clear why I made myself unavailable for selection during the recent summer schedule, it was important for me to finish my grieving process and spend some time with my family.
"Most importantly, I've been getting myself physically and mentally ready for the CPL and hopefully the T20 World Cup (if selected) later this year. The best of Fabian Allen is yet to come. I know I have the ability to be one of the best batting allrounders in the world and I look forward to showcasing it for all to see."
Israel is waging a "last-minute" offensive to convince its allies to halt talks on reviving the Iran nuclear deal with a flurry of diplomatic trips, calls to Western leaders and press briefings.
Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid didn't give any comments but didn't deny that the meeting took place
(Reuters Archive)
Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid has urged Western powers to halt talks aimed at reviving a nuclear deal that he said would fill Iran's coffers and "undermine" Middle East stability.
Lapid said on Wednesday that the money would be used by Hamas, Hezbollah and the Islamic Jihad to "undermine stability in the Middle East and spread terror around the globe."
His remarks come a day after US officials said Iran had agreed to ease key demands that had held up reaching an agreement.
"On the table right now is a bad deal. It would give Iran $100 billion a year," Lapid told journalists.
Israel is dispatching Defence Minister Benny Gantz on Thursday to Washington, where his team said Iran would be on the agenda of bilateral talks.
The 2015 accord, which is designed to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon, has been on life-support since the unilateral withdrawal in 2018 by then-US president Donald Trump, a move celebrated by Israel.
Joe Biden has sought to return the US to the accord, and after a year and a half of on-off talks, recent progress on reaching an agreement has put Israel on edge.
The United States is expected to give its opinion shortly on Iran's response to a "final" proposed text submitted by the European Union to revive the accord.
READ MORE:What if the Iran nuclear deal falls through?Israel criticises draft text
US officials announced a potential breakthrough on Tuesday, saying Iran had dropped demands to block some UN inspections of its nuclear facilities.
Tehran has also relaxed its insistence on a key sticking point — that Washington remove Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps from a terrorism blacklist.
Despite the apparent shift in Iran's position, Israel remains staunchly opposed to a deal which would see the lifting of economic sanctions imposed on the Islamic republic.
"In our eyes, it does not meet the standards set by Biden himself: preventing Iran from becoming a nuclear state," Lapid said on the developments.
A senior Israeli official at the briefing criticised the draft text for not stipulating the destruction of centrifuges, which they said allowed Iran to "restart" them at a time it deemed appropriate.
Lapid's predecessor Naftali Bennett, a hardliner on Iran, this week pressed Biden to refrain from signing a deal "even at the last minute".
READ MORE:Is West’s unease over Russia's launching of Iranian satellite justified?
Source: AFP
New Zealand 307 for 5 (Latham 69, Mitchell 63, Guptill 57, Conway 56, Holder 2-37) beat West Indies 301 for 8 (Mayers 105, Pooran 91, Hope 51, Boult 3-53) by five wickets
Four batters posted half centuries as New Zealand overhauled the West Indies' total of 301 for 8 to win the third ODI on Sunday by five wickets and clinch the series 2-1.
Tom Latham scored 69 and put on 120 for the fourth wicket with Daryl Mitchell (63) in a stand which paced the run chase and carried New Zealand in sight of victory.
Martin Guptill (57) and Devon Conway (56) had earlier combined to add 82 runs for the second wicket to give New Zealand a platform for a demanding chase.
Mitchell was out with the score on 248 in the 42nd over and Latham at 259 in the 44th, with New Zealand still requiring 43 runs. Jimmy Neesham settled the issue with a decisive innings of 34 from 11 deliveries, taking 18 runs from the 45th over bowled by Yannic Cariah.
Neesham hit a six from the bowling of West Indies captain Nicholas Pooran to end the chase with 17 balls remaining.
"It was obviously nice to make a contribution," Latham said. "I think the partnership that Daryl and I were able to make put them under pressure. We set a target of getting to that 40-over mark where we needed a run a ball."
Latham appeared to have erred when he chose to bowl first and as the West Indies flourished in good batting conditions.
Kyle Mayers made 105 in a 173-run opening partnership with Shai Hope, and Pooran smashed nine sixes in a rapid 91 for the West Indies.
The pitch proved much better for batting than those on which the West Indies won the first match by five wickets and New Zealand won the second by 50 runs. The highest previous total in the series was New Zealand's 212 in the second match.
Mayers and Hope stayed together for almost 35 overs to shape the West Indies innings. Their partnership ended when Hope was out for 51 off 100 balls and, as often happens with large partnerships, Mayers was out two balls later and without addition to the total. Brandon King fell soon afterwards with the score at 181 for 3 in a sudden reversal for the West Indies.
But Pooran picked up the pace again, posting a half-century from 33 balls. He had hit nine sixes and and four fours from 55 balls when he was out in the 49th over.
Mayers and Hope made a cautious start to the innings as they found the pace of the new pitch, crawling to 24 after 10 overs, negotiating a short rain break in the seventh over.
"I took my time in the powerplay and it gave me the chance to get in. The last two games I got out in the powerplay," Mayers said in a television interview. "It's not every day you bat the powerplay for 20 runs but it worked out well in the end."
New Zealand 212 (Allen 96, Mitchell 41, Sinclair 4-41) beat West Indies 161 (Cariah 51, Joseph 49, Southee 4-22) by 50 runs (DLS method)
Finn Allen made 96 and Tim Southee took 4 for 22 as New Zealand beat West Indies by 50 runs in a rain-affected encounter in the second ODI to level the three-match series.
New Zealand made 212 batting first and the West Indies were in dire straits at 27 for 6, potentially facing their lowest-ever total in an ODI, until a long rain break and bold late-order batting changed the course of the match.
When the rain stopped late in the evening at Kensington Oval, West Indies, who were 63 for 7 at the break, were left to chase 212 from only 51 overs.
They found an unusual hero in Yannic Cariah who posted his first half-century in an ODI and shared an 85-run partnership with Alzarri Joseph (49) which raised the hopes for the home team.
Joseph fell with the total at 157 for 9 and Cariah was the last man out for 52 with the total at 161 to make Sunday's third ODI the series decider.
Trent Boult and Southee combined to crash through the West Indies top and middle order, leaving the home team six wickets down in the 10th over. Southee finished with 4 for 22 and Boult 3 for 18.
Earlier, Allen fell four runs short of a maiden century as New Zealand overcame the loss of its captain and a stuttering start to post 212 in 48.2 overs.
Skipper Kane Williamson was ruled out with a quad muscle strain suffered in the first match of the three-match series which the West Indies won by five wickets.
Stand-in captain Tom Latham was among three batters to fall early as New Zealand struggled to 31 for 3 in the 10th over. He was out for a three-ball duck while Martin Guptill fell for 3 and Devon Conway for 6.
Allen revived the innings with an 84-run partnership with Daryl Mitchell (41) for the fourth wicket. The pair stayed together for 20 overs to steer New Zealand into a stronger position at 115-4 when Mitchell top-edged an attempted slog over midwicket and was caught at square leg.
New Zealand failed to build from the promising position. Allrounder Michael Bracewell (6) and the power hitters Phillips (9) and Neesham (1) came and went quickly.
Allen finally was out for 96 on the first ball of the 41st over when New Zealand were 165 for 7. He had faced 117 balls and hit three sixes and seven fours.
"It was nice to get the team off to what we thought was a competitive total," Allen said after the match. "I was disappointed to leave us about 10 overs short. I thought there were stills a few runs out there which we could have put on the seal the deal a bit more."
The New Zealand innings again lost direction in his absence, though Mitchell Santner made an effort to rally the tail. He found an able partner in Boult who stayed with him for five overs during which the pair added a valuable 31 for the last wicket, guiding New Zealand past their total of 190 which proved inadequate in the first match.
Boult finally was out for 16, giving offspinner Sinclair his fourth wicket of the innings. Sinclair finished with 4 for 41 as spinners shared six wickets.
West Indies 193 for 5 (Brooks 79) beat New Zealand 190 (Hosein 3-29, Joseph 3-36) by five wickets
Shamarh Brooks scored 79 and shared a 75-run partnership with captain Nicholas Pooran which guided the West Indies to a five-wicket win over top-ranked New Zealand on Wednesday in the series-opening ODI in Barbados.
Brooks reached his fourth ODI half century from 58 balls and had faced 91 deliveries when he was out in the 34th over with the West Indies closing on New Zealand's inadequate total of 190.
Jason Holder and Jermaine Blackwood were at the crease when the home team reached its target with 11 overs to spare.
Earlier, Akeal Hosein took 3 for 28 and Alzarri Joseph returned 3 for 36 as West Indies bowled out New Zealand in 45.2 overs after choosing to field.
"Watching the Kiwis bat I realized it was a bit tough going early for them," Brooks said in a television interview. "I guess credit must go to our bowlers for reducing them to a score of 190. I was just focused on going out there, getting some partnerships and getting that total off."
Rain breaks punctuated the West Indies innings but couldn't disturb the steady momentum set by Brooks. The first came in the opening over of the innings and the second in the 29th when West Indies were only 42 runs from victory. At that point they were well ahead of a winning total under the DLS system.
Pooran was out for 28 immediately after the second rain break but Brooks retained a strong guiding hand on the run chase.
Hosein, Joseph and debuting spinners Kevin Sinclair and Yannic Cariah turned the tide of the New Zealand innings with accurate bowling in the middle overs on a pitch which rewarded spinners with bounce.
New Zealand made a solid start with a 41-run partnership between Martin Guptill and Finn Allen, who struck two sixes and a four from Holder's bowling in the seventh over.
A short rain break followed at the end of the eighth over and Allen was out for 25 four balls after the resumption. From then on New Zealand lost wickets regularly and struggled to build the partnerships that were necessary to reach a more challenging total.
Allen was Hosein's first wicket, caught by Pooran who had to run back and hold onto the ball as it came across his shoulder. Guptill fell in Hosein's next over, caught by Kyle Mayers at slip for 24 when New Zealand were 53 for 2.
Captain Kane Williamson attempted to lead a recovery with an innings of 34 from 50 balls. But he lacked support with Devon Conway and Tom Latham out cheaply as New Zealand slumped to 88 for 4.
Williamson's partnership with Daryl Mitchell held promise and the pair had added 28 for the fifth wicket before both were out to Joseph in the 30th over. Mitchell had made 20 from 32 balls when he was trapped lbw and Williamson followed when he edged behind.
Allrounders Michael Bracewell and Mitchell Santner added 40 for the seventh wicket but weren't able to tip the match back in New Zealand's favour. Bracewell was trapped lbw to give Cariah for his first international wicket as the Trinidadian wristspinner finished with 1 for 49 from nine overs.
The New Zealand lower order often comes to the rescue of the team but on this occasion there was no fightback. Santner was out for 25 with the total 189 for 8 and the last two wickets fell quickly.
"Obviously it was challenging out there to get some rhythm and some momentum," Williamson said. "Credit to the way the West Indies bowled. They got a lot out of that surface and executed their plans well and ultimately played a very good game of cricket."
The second game will be played Friday at the same venue.
Eighteen-year-old Waseem Khalifa was shot dead in Nablus city, medics say, adding occupying Israeli forces also wounded 30 Palestinians, three of whom critically.
Scouts gather around names carved in the sand of the children who were killed during the recent Israeli aggression on Gaza.
(AFP)
Israeli troops have killed a
Palestinian youth in the Israeli-occupied
West Bank city of Nablus and wounded dozens of others.
Palestinian medics identified the man who was killed early on Thursday as Waseem Khalifa, 18, from Balata, the largest refugee camp in the West Bank.
At least 30 Palestinians were wounded, four of whom were
shot with live ammunition and three of whom were in critical
condition, the Palestine Red Crescent said.
Witnesses said clashes erupted when Israeli forces arrived
to protect Jewish worshippers visiting Joseph's Tomb, a site
that has been a flashpoint.
The Israeli military told the Reuters news agency it was checking on the
incident.
Killings in Gaza
The fresh killing of a Palestinian comes after Israeli jets pounded the besieged Gaza enclave that saw Palestinian fighters responding with hundreds of rockets that wounded 70 Israelis.
At least 49 Palestinians were killed in Gaza, including civilians
and children, and hundreds more were wounded during 56 hours of
fighting.
Israeli forces have carried out near-daily raids in the occupied West
Bank in recent months.
Andre Russell has insisted he still wants to win "another World Cup - or two more - for West Indies" and that he still has ambitions to play international cricket.
Russell has not played for West Indies since the T20 World Cup in November 2021. Last week, he responded to head coach Phil Simmons' suggestions that he should not be "begging" players to make themselves available for international cricket, writing "I know this was coming but am gonna stay quiet!!!" with four 'angry' emojis in a since-deleted Instagram post.
Russell, who is currently in England playing for Manchester Originals in the Hundred, was asked about his situation by Daren Sammy, the former West Indies captain, during Sky Sports' build-up to their game against Welsh Fire on Tuesday night.
"I'm going to be quiet," Russell said, "because at the end of the day, we had a discussion, and the discussion was very clear. So now, making me look bad, throwing me under the bus… I was expecting it. I'm going to stay quiet, Daren, to be honest."
But Russell did respond when Sammy asked if he still wanted to play for West Indies, saying: "Of course, of course. The maroon is all over.
"Honestly, I have two franchise hundreds and I wish those hundreds were actually playing for West Indies. I don't regret saying this just now. I really enjoyed playing for Jamaica Tallawahs but those two hundreds, it would be more special coming in international cricket.
"I always want to play and give back. But at the end of the day, if we are not agreeing on certain terms, you terms is my terms [sic], and they have to respect my terms as well. At the end of the day, it is what it is. We have families and we have to make sure that we give our best opportunity while we have one career.
"It's not like I can start over again. I'm 34 and I want to win another World Cup - or two more - for West Indies because at the end of the day, I'm here now, and I'm just taking it day by day."
Russell will leave the Hundred next week to play in the CPL for Trinbago Knight Riders, and Desmond Haynes, West Indies' lead selector, has suggested that performances in that tournament will be a major factor in World Cup selection. "If there is a competition that is run by the West Indies [and] somebody is playing well, I think his name should really come up for selection," he said last week.
West Indies 150 for 2 (Brooks 56*, King 53) beat New Zealand 145 for 7 (Phillips 41, Smith 3-29)
Brandon King and Shamarh Brooks shared a 102-run opening partnership as West Indies struck a winning formula at last, beating New Zealand by eight wickets in the third T20I on Sunday to prevent a sweep of the three-match series.
After making the bold decision to rest captain Nicholas Pooran, the hosts also played more than one spinner for the first time in the series and their bowlers flourished on a slow pitch at Sabina Park.
New Zealand made only 145 for 7 after winning the toss, falling well short of its 185 for 5 in the first match and 215 for 5 in the second.
West Indies reached their target with an over to spare, as stand-in captain Rovman Powell hit Jimmy Neesham for six to clinch the win and leave the series 2-1 in New Zealand's favor.
Left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein, playing for the first time in the series, took 2 for 28 while allrounder Odean Smith took a career-best 3 for 29.
King, who missed the first two matches of the series with injury, provided impetus for the run chase by taking 53 runs from 35 balls. Brooks carried his bat throughout the innings, finishing on 56 while Powell hurried the end by striking 27 from 15 balls.
"It was very special being able to do this at home in front of everybody," King said. "The support is incredible, my family is here and I'm happy to be able to deliver. I think consistency is the key. When you're an opening batsman you try to give your team a good start.
"Today credit has to be given to the bowlers. They did an excellent job for us and made my job that much easier."
New Zealand failed to replicate its performances of the first two victories when it made strong starts and built partnerships around Kane Williamson who made 47 in the first match and Glenn Phillips who made 76 in the second.
On Sunday, Hosein came on in only the third over and immediately knocked over Martin Guptill to leave New Zealand 18 for 1.
Devon Conway, Mitchell Santner and Williamson all made starts but struggled to impart momentum to the innings. That task fell again to Phillips who made 41 from 26 balls and was Player of the Series.
Phillips needed to bat through but was out at a critical stage when New Zealand was 125 for 5 in the 17th over. New Zealand made big finishes in the first two matches, putting on 64 in the last five overs of the first two matches but managing only 39 in the last five overs this time.
West Indies innings stood in complete contrast with the opening partnership between King and Brooks occupying 13.1 overs and making the result a foregone conclusion. King reached his half century from 30 balls and Brooks hung around to anchor the innings, posting his 50 from 52 deliveries.
"The West Indies adapted to the conditions nicely," Williamson said. "With the bat we felt if we could get another 15 or so we could get a bit of momentum but they were able to take wickets throughout an execute their plans beautifully.
"They did the same thing with the bat and we couldn't open up an end with the ball. We knew that with 140 things would have to go well for us with the ball and they outplayed us today."
The teams meet in the first of three ODIs on Wednesday.
New Zealand 215 for 5 (Phillips 76, Mitchell 48, Conway 42, McCoy 3-40) beat West Indies 125 for 9 (Bracewell 3-15, Santner 3-15) by 90 runs
Glenn Phillips struck a half century from 31 balls to propel New Zealand to a 90-run win over the West Indies in the second T20I in Jamaica, clinching the three-match series with a 2-0 lead.
After reaching his fifth T20I half century, Phillips went on to 76 from 40 balls and led New Zealand to 215 for 5, exceeding the 185 for 5 that was a winning total in the first match of the series. His innings included six sixes and four fours.
West Indies managed only 125 for 9 in reply, lacking the partnerships that underpinned a New Zealand total which was the highest by a visiting team against the West Indies in a T20I in the Caribbean.
Phillips put on 71 for the third wicket with Devon Conway who made 42 from 34 balls and 83 with Daryl Mitchell who made 48 from 20, the latter partnership coming off just 34 balls. In all, New Zealand scored 130 off their second 10 overs.
West Indies' best were stands of 35 for the seventh wicket between Romario Shepherd and Rovman Powell which began when the home team was 40 for 6 and the match already lost. Hayden Walsh and Obed McCoy put on 38 in an unbroken stand for the last wicket.
Phillips put to good use his knowledge of conditions at Sabina Park, which is his home ground in the Caribbean Premier League.
"Coming back to Sabina Park is amazing. I've got great memories here," Phillips said in a television interview. "Being able to get a 50 for my country over here in front of a crowd which I really love is definitely very special for me.
"Credit to the West Indies for the way they bowled up front with the new ball which was really, really good in terms of taking the pace off the ball when it was new and harder. As it got older the pitch became a bit nicer to bat on."
Seven West Indies wickets fell to spin bowlers, including the first four of the innings.
Mitchell Santner, who was Player of the Match for his 3 for 19 in the first game, took a wicket with his first ball and two wickets in his opening over to set back West Indies' run chase.
Offspinner Michael Bracewell, who replaced fast bowler Lockie Ferguson in the New Zealand line-up, also took a wicket with his first delivery, dismissing captain Nicholas Pooran as West Indies slumped to 12 for 3 at the start of the fourth over.
Santner and Bracewell both finished with 3 for 15. Tim Southee took the only wicket which fell to a fast bowler, removing Odean Smith at the tail.
Shimron Hetmeyer was the first batter not to fall to a spin bowler, run out by a direct hit at the bowler's end by New Zealand captain Kane Williamson. West Indies were 28 for 5 at that point and couldn't recover.
"We just didn't show up today," Pooran said. "They batted us out of it and we couldn't see our way with the bat. We had to stay in the game. It just didn't start well for us. We are struggling but the more cricket we play our performance will grow."
The final T20I will be played on Sunday at the same venue, followed by three ODIs
New Zealand 185 for 5 (Williamson 47, Conway 43, Smith 3-32) beat West Indies 172 for 7 (Brooks 42, Santner 3-19) by 13 runs
A solid innings of 47 by returning captain Kane Williamson and a dashing 33 from 15 balls by Jimmy Neesham propelled New Zealand to a 13-run win over the West Indies in the first of three T20Is in Jamaica.
Neesham struck three fours from the last three balls and 23 runs from the last over of the innings as New Zealand made 185 for 5 after being sent in to bat at Sabina Park. Left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner took 3 for 19 as New Zealand restricted the West Indies to 172 for 7.
"There was a lot of spin which was a big surprise," said Santner, who was voted player of the match. "I think the lengths are key against these guys. They can hit you pretty far, so back of a length worked today and as a unit we were able to pick up wickets which was pretty key."
New Zealand's innings had two parts, separated by a lengthy rain break. Openers Martin Guptill and Devon Conway gave the tourists a strong start, putting on 62 for the first wicket. But the pair fell to consecutive deliveries from Odean Smith, who went on to take career-best T20I figures of 3 for 32.
Guptill fell to a brilliant one-handed catch by Shimron Hetmyer, who was backed up against the boundary at deep point, while Conway's innings of 43 from 29 ended when he top-edged a catch to wicketkeeper Devon Thomas.
The rain came in the 12th over with New Zealand on 95 for 2 and Williamson at the crease with Glenn Phillips. Players were off the field for almost two hours and when play resumed New Zealand immediately lost Phillips for 17.
The New Zealand innings briefly lost momentum but Williamson re-established the impetus of the innings by taking 33 runs from his next 18 deliveries. He finally was out to another brilliant catch on the boundary, this time from Hayden Walsh who dashed from midwicket to pocket a comfortable catch at speed.
Neesham struck a six from the second ball of an over in which he also was dropped by Romario Shepherd from the bowling of Jason Holder. West Indies paid the price with Neesham's three fours from the last three balls.
"We want to get better as a group but in saying that I was happy with the performances," West Indies captain Nicholas Pooran said. "Santner bowled very well and Ish [Sodhi] got away with a few. Scores above 175-180 are tricky for us. Unfortunately losing is contagious and we're a losing side at the moment."
Shamarh Brooks anchored the top of the West Indies innings with 42 at almost a run a ball. But there was a lack of consistent momentum afterward. Pooran with 15 from eight balls, Holder with 25 from 19 and Rovman Powell with 18 from 12 all threatened to take control of the game but couldn't carry on.
Finally, Shepherd and Odean Smith shared a 50 partnership from 23 balls for the eighth wicket to fan West Indies' hopes. Shepherd struck an unbeaten 31 from 16 balls and Smith 27 from 12. But West Indies came to the last over needing 26 runs and the task proved too much.
Two Palestinians were killed and about 30 wounded as Israeli troops raided a house in the city of Nablus.
Israeli security forces have conducted frequent operations in the occupied West Bank in recent months.
(AFP)
Israel's forces have killed two Palestinians in the city of Nablus in occupied West Bank, Palestinian media has reported, two days after deadly Israeli air strikes on Gaza was halted by a truce.
At least 30 Palestinians were wounded as Israeli troops raided a house in Nablus on Tuesday, according to the Red Crescent.
"Israeli army and special forces are surrounding the house of a wanted man in Nablus. There is exchange of fire," the Israel's military said in a statement.
Gunfire was traded in the old city of Nablus, according to AFP news agency. Trouble also broke out in other parts of Nablus.
Israeli security forces have conducted frequent operations in occupied West Bank in recent months, focusing on operatives from the Islamic Jihad group.
On Friday, Israel launched what it called a "pre-emptive" aerial and artillery bombardment of Islamic Jihad positions in besieged Gaza, leading the armed group there to fire rockets in retaliation.
An Egypt-brokered ceasefire reached on Sunday ended three days of Israeli bombardment that killed 46 Palestinians, 16 of them children, and wounded 360, according to Gaza's health ministry.
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.
India 165 for 3 (Suryakumar 76, Pant 33*, Hosein 1-28) beat West Indies 164 for 5 (Mayers 73, Powell 23, Bhuvneshwar 2-35) by seven wickets
Suryakumar Yadav put on a workshop on how to hit hard lengths after Hardik Pandya and R Ashwin helped India keep West Indies down to 164 in their 20 overs. Riding on Suryakumar's 76 off 44 balls, India got to their target and a 2-1 lead in the five-match series with an over to spare.
Put in on a bouncy track that was hosting its second match in two days, West Indies got off to a quick start in the powerplay, but Pandya and Ashwin dragged them back with their changes of pace. Between them, they conceded just 45 in eight overs.
While Kyle Mayers scored a 50-ball 73, run-a-ball 20s from Brandon King and Nicholas Pooran hurt West Indies' momentum. Shimron Hetmyer and Rovman Powell helped them get 80 off the last seven but it wasn't enough to trouble Suryakumar.
Right from the first ball he faced, Suryakumar looked in imperious touch, squeezing out a near-yorker for four through cover. He followed it with scarcely believable shots to perfectly acceptable balls bowled on hard lengths.
Five of his 12 boundaries came behind square on the off side, and one behind square on the leg side, but his best shot was an aerial inside-out drive to a short-of-a-length ball on middle stump, getting a six over wide long-off. It was but one of an exhibition put on by Suryakumar, who at one point threatened to score a century in a small chase.
By the time he was done, India needed just 30 off 33 balls.
Mayers signals intent India snuck in a quiet over from Deepak Hooda with the new ball, but Mayers got stuck into any pace on offer, especially that of Avesh Khan. If he went over the leg side against Avesh, he made room to slice open the covers when Bhuvneshwar Kumar bowled. Arshdeep Singh did well in the final powerplay over, but Mayers and King punished two slight errors of length from Ashwin in the seventh over to make it 56 for 0.
Pandya, Ashwin choke the middle overs Pandya, who had been pulled for a six in his first over, got a change of ends, which meant Mayers was hitting into a stiff wind if he pulled. Extra bounce, hard lengths and changes of pace followed in the next three overs, which went for just 11 runs, and also brought the wicket of King, who played on when slogging at Pandya.
Ashwin had two left-hand batters in sight, and he stifled them with his guile and variations on a pitch with little turn. Mayers and Pooran managed to hit a four and a six in his remaining three overs, but had to take big risks. By the time the duo was done, West Indies had reached just 84 in 13 overs.
Honours even in final exchanges West Indies managed to successfully target Avesh in the final exchanges, but Arshdeep and Bhuvneshwar kept pulling them back, denying them the finishing kick they badly needed after that middle-overs slowdown. Mayers and Rovman Powell played some incredible shots to get them the 80 runs they did in these seven overs, but they were about to pale in comparison.
The Suryakumar show The first ball Suryakumar - opening for the third time this series - faced was a low full-toss with not much room, but he squeezed it out for a four through the covers. He was just warming up those whippy wrists of his. In the fourth over, he played a mix of a ramp and a drive to send Azlarri Joseph for a six over third.
India took 56 off the powerplay, which is when West Indies would have hoped to have brought on a slowdown like the one they experienced.
However, Suryakumar took Jason Holder on in the eighth over, and then punished Joseph for no fault of his in the tenth. The drive off a short-of-a-length delivery for six over wide long-off was followed by a ramp from around leg stump, with Suryakumar almost on his back as he arched back to make room. It was the halfway mark, and India needed just another 69.
Before he signed off, Suryakumar played another outrageous shot, a sweep off left-arm seamer Dominic Drakes from wide outside off and over short fine. When he tried a repeat, Suryakumar fell, leaving India just 30 to get in 33 balls, which they did comfortably thanks to Rishabh Pant's unbeaten 33 off 26 deliveries.
Sidharth Monga is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo
India's T20 machine is purring again. All the talk coming from within the team - from the coach to the captain to the players - is that they haven't done much different. But it is fairly clear that the early exit from last year's T20 World Cup has led to some sort of a revolution.
From being a team that totally relied on their big bad top three - to the point that Virat Kohli once straight up lolled at the prospect of ever dropping Rohit Sharma - India are now front-loading their finishers just to shake things up a bit. Rishabh Pant has had a stint as opener in England. Suryakumar Yadav too in the first T20I of this series.
India have also warmed up to the idea of picking super-specialists, with Arshdeep Singh forcing his way into the XI just to bowl his remarkably hard-to-hit yorkers at the death and Dinesh Karthik pretty much nailing his spot as the 12-ball 38 not-out guy. It's a brave new world out there.
And West Indies are still trying to find their place in it. They have the raw material for another world-beating team, but they haven't gained the kind of experience that Chris Gayle and company had under their belt when they took T20 batting and broke it down into the barest essential: six-hitting. So, in a way, all these games against seriously strong opponents, regardless of the result, are simply creating the next wave of Caribbean class. But given there is a series on the line, and they did kind of dominate the first 15 overs of the first T20I, these potential superstars will feel their own time is not too far away.
West Indies: LWWLL (Last five matches, most recent first) India: WLWWW
Harshal Patel had to make way in Tarouba because conditions demanded three spinners. But now that the T20 caravan has moved to Basseterre, he might find his way back into the XI. The 31-year old seamer has an uncanny knack of bowling exactly the ball that batters don't want to face in the final overs. And a captain will want an asset like that more often than not.
Kyle Mayers' all-round ability means he is never too far from the spotlight. And the fact that he opens for West Indies means that he's the sort of player who can define a cricket match. He has already done so in the toughest format of the game - remember Chittagong 2021 - so figuring out T20 cricket shouldn't be too much of a problem.
Brandon King and Romario Shepherd are set to slot back into the XI after missing the first T20I because of US visa appointments. Also, playing just one spinner in Tarouba backfired on West Indies, so they may be tempted to look at bringing in Hayden Walsh Jr on Monday
India rarely tinker with a winning combination, especially during a series that is still live, but will they need all three spinners again in Basseterre? The quicks have taken 71 wickets in 10 matches here, averaging just 17.
In addition to being fast-bowler friendly, Warner Park has also been a relatively low-scoring T20I venue. It was here, back in 2019, that West Indies recorded the lowest total (45 all out) by a Full Member in this format. The weather is expected to be clear for the duration of the match.
India 190 for 6 (Rohit 64, Karthik 41*, Joseph 2-46) beat West Indies 122 for 8 (Brooks 20, Ashwin 2-22, Arshdeep 2-24, Bishnoi 2-26) by 68 runs
In the first international game at Brian Lara Stadium, India's move to go in with three spinners - as opposed to West Indies' one - reaped rich dividends as Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin and Ravi Bishnoi combined to pick five of the eight wickets to fall, helping them to a 68-run win in the first T20I of the five match series.
In T20s before Friday at this ground, spinners had an economy rate of 6.31, which is the fourth-lowest among all the venues in West Indies. They averaged 20.91 - again the fourth-lowest at any Caribbean venue where spinners have bowled in more than ten innings.
India managed to post a tall 190 for 6 on a seemingly slowish surface, thanks to captain Rohit Sharma's half century and Dinesh Karthik's perfect finishing act of an unbeaten 41 off just 19 balls before the West Indies' batting was entangled in the web of spin.
Another partner for Rohit
After being put to bat, Rohit walked out with a new partner, Suryakumar Yadav, who was the seventh opener for India in T20Is this year. Suryakumar got going quickly with a four off Obed McCoy in the first over and then another off Jason Holder in the next. His trademark wristily-flick for six over fine leg also made an appearance - debutant Alzarri Joseph bearing the ignominy.
However Akeal Hosein's introduction had Suryakumar stalling. He was dropped off the first ball from the spinner before a top edge on the very next ball saw it evade the bowler running back. However, Hosein had the last laugh in the next over after Suryakumar's attempted whip resulted in a thick leading edge to short third.
Change in pace leads to change of momentum
India had raced to 44 inside five overs but Suryakumar's wicket slowed down the proceedings. Despite finding a couple of boundaries early on, Rohit struggled to get the ball away. With the odd ball gripping the surface, Hosein and McCoy used that to their advantage with the latter dismissing Shreyas Iyer for a four-ball duck.
While Rohit got his eye in, Rishabh Pant threw his hands around to get a couple of fours. Their partnership of 43 off just 25 balls helped Rohit free himself up. But then India lost Pant and Hardik Pandya - who ramped a Joseph short ball straight to deep third for his maiden T20I wicket - in quick succession to find themselves at 102 for 4 with over eight overs left.
The perfect finish
In the interim Rohit got to his 27th half-century in T20Is off 35 balls. Just when he started accelerating, he slapped Holder straight to sweeper cover. At 131 for 5 in 15 overs on a track slowing down, India looked on course to finish around the 170-run mark.
But Karthik once again aced in his designated finisher's role to help India get close to 200. He used the crease well to put the bowlers off their lines and lengths. In the company of Ashwin, he took a toll on the erring Holder and McCoy to help India amass 36 off the last two overs.
Spin to win
In their pursuit of 191, Kyle Mayers got West Indies off to a rapid start, helping them score 11 off Bhuvneshwar Kumar's first over and as many in the first three balls of Arshdeep Singh's over. However, Arshdeep managed to deceive Mayers with an off-pace short ball to crash-land the chase.
Holder, sent in at No. 3 couldn't see off Ravindra Jadeja's spin while Ashwin managed to see the back of the left-handers in Nicholas Pooran and Shimron Hetmyer. Ravi Bishnoi then dismissed Rovman Powell and Odean Smith in successive overs to pretty much seal the game.
Move over ODI cricket, the new dying format of the game. Welcome, T20Is, the koolest kid on the block, more so in a T20 World Cup year.
With the global tournament in Australia less than three months away, this five-match T20I series presents a big opportunity for West Indies and India to firm up their plans.
After failing to qualify for the knockouts of the 2021 edition, India changed their batting template. This year, they have scored at a rate of 9.45 per over. If you leave aside 2013, when they played just one T20I, this is their best scoring rate in any calendar year. In fact, no other team has scored at a faster rate than India this year.
With Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant and Hardik Pandya returning after being rested for the ODI series, India will look to further fine-tune their approach. They have also brought back Paddy Upton as a mental conditioning coach to keep the players in the best frame of mind.
In recent years, T20I cricket has been West Indies' strongest suit. But, not for the first time, they will be without many of their stars who lit up various T20 leagues around the world. Kieron Pollard has retired, while Andre Russell and Sunil Narine are not part of the squad.
The team, though, will carry the confidence from their 2-0 win against Bangladesh in the format, as well as from a much-improved performance in the ODI series against India. Nicholas Pooran will once again be the key to West Indies' fortunes. He will have the support of Shimron Hetmyer, who is back in the squad after proving his fitness. The question is, can others - especially the bowlers - lift their game as well?
Form guide
West Indies WWLLL (last five completed T20Is, most recent first) India LWWWW
In the spotlight
Dinesh Karthik and Rishabh Pant were not supposed to compete for the same spot. But if India play Karthik as a specialist finisher, that means there is one fewer middle-order slot available. If we consider Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya as the certainties for the World Cup, Pant's place could possibly be in danger. In 50 T20Is, Pant has a strike rate of just 124.27, which pales in comparison to his overall T20 strike rate of 145.44. Is being a left-hander enough to warrant a place in the side? But then has Karthik done enough to secure his place in the XI? He is supposed to be the enforcer in the last five overs, but his first-ten-balls strike rate in T20Is this year is a mere 81.36 (48 runs off 59 balls). For comparison, his corresponding strike rate in IPL 2022 was 166.67 (190 runs off 114 balls). This series should give India a clearer picture for this conundrum.
Shimron Hetmyer has proved his fitness, but is he carrying his form as well with him? At IPL 2022, he excelled in the role of a finisher for Rajasthan Royals, scoring 314 in 15 innings at a strike rate of 153.92. But in the two months since then, he hasn't played any cricket. And just like Pant, he too has contrasting strike rates in T20Is and T20s. Overall, he has struck at 133.45 but at the international level, that number plummets to 118.71.
Team news
Hetmyer is back in the West Indies T20I squad after clearing a fitness test. Evin Lewis continues to miss out, so West Indies are likely to persist with the opening combination of Kyle Mayers and Brandon King.
India seem to have found all the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle. It's now about putting them in their right places. With KL Rahul not available, will they continue to open with Pant? Has Deepak Hooda, with his all-round game with the bat and handy offspin, pipped Shreyas Iyer for a slot in the middle order? Who will lead the spin attack in the absence of Yuzvendra Chahal? It seems we will have to wait for the match day to find the answers.
This will be the first international match to be played at the Brian Lara Stadium in Tarouba. The venue has hosted 31 CPL games, the last of which was in 2020. The scoring rate in those games was 7.40. The weather, though, could play a spoilsport as there is an 80% chance of rain on Friday morning.
Stats and trivia
Both Hardik and Ravindra Jadeja are two strikes away from 50 T20I wickets. Only Yuzvendra Chahal (79), Bhuvneshwar Kumar (70), Jasprit Bumrah (69) and R Ashwin (61) have taken 50 or more wickets for India in T20Is.
On Wednesday, Martin Guptill (3399) overtook Rohit (3379) as the leading run-scorer in T20Is. Both players will be in action on Friday.
Eleven bowlers have bowled ten or more powerplay overs in T20Is this year. Among those, Akeal Hosein's economy rate of 9.20 is the worst in that phase.
Quotes
"We have been playing good T20 cricket. We had good games with India in India. We know the quality that they have. Let's wait and see how we come up on Friday." West Indies coach Phil Simmons looks ahead to the T20I series
India 225 for 3 (Gill 98*, Dhawan 58, Iyer 44, Walsh 2-57) beat West Indies 137 (Pooran 42, King 42, Chahal 4-17) by 119 runs via DLS method
The first two matches of the series were tight contests where both teams remained in contention until the final ball was bowled. But India had it much easier during the third ODI in Port-of-Spain, as the visitors completed a 3-0 sweep of West Indies following contributions from Shubman Gill, who hit a career-best 98 not out, Shikhar Dhawan, who got 58, and Shreyas Iyer, who contributed a quickfire 44. All their bowlers chipped in too, as West Indies fell away quickly during the chase.
The hosts were asked to chase a DLS-revised target of 257 in 35 overs after India posted 225 in 36, their innings ending prematurely after a two-and-a-half-hour rain delay had already trimmed it down to 40 overs.
Mohammed Siraj put West Indies on the back foot in the second over of the chase, when he cleaned Kyle Mayers up with a good length delivery before trapping Shamarh Brooks in front with one that angled in. West Indies were 0 for 2 at that stage, with nine deliveries gone.
Brandon King and Shai Hope briefly brought them back on track with a 47-run stand before Yuzvendra Chahal had Hope stumped for 22. King was then joined by Nicholas Pooran in another partnership that gave West Indies hope, before Axar Patel's arm ball in the 14th over bowled King for 42.
But immediately after, Pooran fired a six and four off Deepak Hooda, keeping his side afloat as the required rate hovered around eight an over. However, Keacy Carty's struggle to get going at the other end seemed to put pressure back on Pooran; when Carty finally decided to try something different, he skipped down to Shardul Thakur in the 19th over only to bottom-edge on to his stumps for 5 off 17 balls.
By then, West Indies needed nearly 10 an over, and although Pooran hit two more fours off Axar, he fell for 42 in the 22nd over to all but end the game, which had been set up by India's opening batters Gill and Dhawan.
In their third successful partnership in a row - following stands of 119 and 48 and now 113 - the right-left pair started sedately in what was an innings of two halves from India: the first 24 overs produced 115 runs; the next 12 fetched 110.
Gill missed out on what would have been his maiden ODI hundred, as a second rain interruption meant India's innings was announced closed with a scheduled four overs left at that stage. When play resumed after the first rain delay, India had 16 overs remaining, as Gill and Iyer switched gears to accelerate the innings.
Both batters threw everything at the bowling after having to adjust for the loss of overs: they came down the pitch to the spinners, tried the reverse sweep, played aerial shots while pulling and driving, and kept lofting over the in-field.
Gill and Iyer added 86 for the second wicket in less than ten overs, making up for the sedate beginning after Dhawan opted to bat on winning the toss. Dhawan was quiet to start the innings, his 58 coming off 74 balls on a slow pitch where he did try attacking, but often failed to time and place the ball.
Dhawan hit seven fours, while Gill also hit as many along with two sixes. The first two overs after the rain break saw 31 runs being plundered - including four fours and two sixes - as Gill and Iyer pulled, cut and drove for fun. Their partnership had only just started before rain broke through.
But Hayden Walsh Jr's second ball after the break was swung for six over deep square leg by Iyer, signalling India's intent early, as quick runs were the need of the hour. The next ball was bisected for four between point and short third, before Gill skipped down off the final delivery and swung over the bowler's head for six.
West Indies brought some pace from the other end, only for Iyer to hit one four off Jayden Seales, and Gill to slam consecutive fours - the first of which was supreme timing to place the ball past mid-off - as India raced along.
Both batters continued finding the boundary when the hosts switched to Jason Holder and Akeal Hosein, before Iyer swatted the latter to long-on for 44 off 34 balls. But Gill kept ticking the scoreboard at the other end, as Suryakumar Yadav joined him in pursuit of rapid runs.
Suryakumar fell for 8 after carving one four behind point just two overs before play came to a halt, with Gill having skipped from 51 off 65 balls at one stage, to an unbeaten, run-a-ball 98. He might rue missing out on a century, as he got only 13 off his last 14 balls - perhaps just one more ball would have been enough to get to triple figures. In the end, though, it didn't make too much difference to India's fortunes.
Russia continues to target Ukraine’s southern Black Sea regions of Odessa and Mykolaiv with air strikes, hitting private buildings and port infrastructure with missiles, says Kiev as the conflict continues on 154th day.
The Russian foreign minister briefed resident diplomats on current developments related to the Russia-Ukraine conflict in an event at the Russian Embassy in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
(AP)
Wednesday, July 27, 2022
Moscow lashes out at West
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has lashed out at the West for creating a grains supply chain crisis by slapping unjustified sanctions on Moscow.
Speaking at the Russian Embassy in Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital, Lavrov said that Western media was presenting the "situation in a totally distorted manner.”
“Of course, the situation in Ukraine has a negative impact on food markets, but not because of Russia’s special military operation,” he said, instead pointing to the coronavirus pandemic and the West's "reckless policy...on so-called green transition"
He added that China, which has developed the world's number one economy will be the next target because it “…defeated the West on their own turf.”
Russia will stick with space station until at least 2028
Russian space officials told their US counterparts that Moscow expects to remain on the International Space Station at least until their own outpost in orbit is built in 2028, NASA's space operations chief said.
Russia's assurance on Tuesday came after the newly appointed head of its space agency, Roscosmos, surprised NASA earlier in the day by announcing that Moscow intended to end more than two decades of partnership on the space station "after 2024."
"We're not getting any indication at any working level that anything's changed," Kathy Lueders, NASA's space operations chief, said on Wednesday, adding the National Aeronautics and Space Administration relations with Roscosmos remained "business as usual."
Police officer killed by Ukrainian 'resistance' in Kherson
A police officer in the Russian-controlled city of Kherson was killed by an explosive device planted by the Ukrainian "resistance movement" and another one was injured, Ukraine's defence ministry said.
The reported killing is the latest in a series of attacks on local officials in regions captured by Russia since it attacked Ukraine in February.
On Saturday, the directorate urged citizens in the Kherson region to reveal where Moscow's troops were living and which locals were collaborating with the occupying authorities.
EU Court upholds broadcast ban on Russia Today
The Court of Justice of the European Union upheld the EU ban on Russia Today (RT) broadcasts that the bloc imposed as part of its sanctions in response to Russia’s offensive in Ukraine.
The EU Court ruling found the sanctions “aimed at suspending the activity of a vehicle for propaganda in support of that military aggression” did not violate the general principle of freedom of expression.
It also stated that the limitations to RT’s right to be heard are “proportionate, inasmuch as they are appropriate and necessary, to the aims pursued” despite “the exceptional context and the extreme urgency in which the contested acts were adopted.”
Russia cuts gas through Nord Stream 1 to 20% of capacity
Russia’s Gazprom has halved the amount of natural gas flowing through a major pipeline from Russia to Europe to 20 percent of capacity.
It’s the latest reduction to Nord Stream 1 that Russia has blamed on technical problems, but European countries call a political move to sow uncertainty and push up prices amid the conflict in Ukraine.
The Russian state-controlled energy giant announced on Monday that it would carry out the reduction citing equipment repairs, further raising fears that Russia could cut off gas completely.
Russia cuts gas supplies to make winter harsh for Europe — Zelenskyy
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia was deliberately cutting supplies of natural gas to impose “price terror” against Europe, and he called for more sanctions on Moscow.
“Using Gazprom, Moscow is doing all it can to make this coming winter as harsh as possible for the European countries. Terror must be answered — impose sanctions,” he said in a video address.
US Yellen discusses price cap on Russian oil with UK's Zahawi
US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has highlighted a proposed price cap on Russian oil on a phone call with British Finance Minister Nadhim Zahawi, a move to reduce the impact of the conflict in Ukraine on global energy prices.
Both discussed the need to continue to accelerate budgetary support for Ukraine, and opportunities to build on sanctions imposed on Russia, the US Treasury Department said in a statement.
Bridge closed in Russia-held Kherson after HIMARS shelling
Authorities in the Russian-controlled Ukrainian city of Kherson have closed the city's only bridge across the Dnieper river after it came under fire from US-supplied high mobility artillery rocket systems (HIMARS).
The Antonovsky bridge has been closed for civilians but its structural integrity has not suffered from the shelling, Kirill Stremousov, deputy head of the Russian-appointed city administration, told Interfax.
Separately, TASS quoted the official saying that HIMARS had targeted the bridge.
Russia continues to target Ukraine’s southern Black Sea regions of Odessa and Mykolaiv with air strikes, hitting private buildings and port infrastructure with missiles, says Kiev as the conflict continues on 154th day
