Series Digest:All match reports from the Men’s Asian Games knockouts will be available on this link.
India defeated Nepal in the first quarter-final of the Men’s Asian Games competition by 23 runs at the Pingfeng Campus Cricket field in Hangzou. Yashasvi Jaiswal’s aggressive hundred set things up for India with a 200+ total, despite Nepal giving them a run for their money in a gallant run-chase.
After winning the toss and opting to bat first, India were off to a fiery start going at a run-rate of over 10 rpo in the first ten overs, but Ruturaj Gaikwad was the first to depart, having contributed just 25 in a stand of 103 with Jaiswal. Tilak Varma and Jitesh Sharma struggled to score, and India had a brief collapse of 4 wickets for 47 runs, as Jaiswal departed for a 49-ball hundred. However, a fiery stand of 52 runs off 22 balls between Shivam Dube and Rinku Singh got India to 202-4 in 20 overs.
In the run-chase, Indian pacers Arshdeep Singh, Avesh Khan and Shivam Dube struggled to stay economical on a small ground, but did pick up five wickets for a whopping 112 runs in 11 overs between them. However, it was the spinners that did the damage, as Ravi Bishnoi and Sai Kishore picked up 4 wickets for 49 runs between them in 8 overs. Nepal were aggressive from the get-go but lost regular wickets, and eventually, they lived and died by the sword, falling 24 runs short of their target, and as a result, getting knocked out of the tournament.
Brief Scores: India 202-4in 20 overs (Yashasvi Jaiswal 100, Rinku Singh 37*, Dipendra Singh 2-31)beat Nepal 179-9in 20 overs (Dipendra Singh Airee 32, Ravi Bishnoi 3-24, Avesh Khan 3-32) by 23 runs.
Pakistan clinically defeated Hong Kong in the second quarter-final of the Men’s Asian Games at the Pingfeng Campus Cricket Field on Tuesday, October 3. The win came after a rearguard batting effort from Aamer Jamal and a typically ruthless bowling performance.
Hong Kong won the toss and opted to bowl first, and it proved to be the right decision, as Pakistan lost quick wickets up front. Ayush Shukla accounted for the first two wickets, of Mirza Baig and Rohail Nazir before the other bowlers joined the act. Pakistan’s batters kept getting starts but lost wickets at regular intervals, finding themselves at 73-6. However, it was then that cameos from Asif Ali, Arafat Minhas and Aamer Kamal rescued Pakistan and lifted them to 160 all-out in 20 overs. Aayush Shukla was the pick of the bowlers with four wickets.
In the run-chase Arafat Minhas picked up the openers, setting Hong Kong back early. A 29 from Babar Hayat lent Hong Kong some hope, but a collapse from 54-2 to 63-8, 6 wickets for 9 runs, ensured that Hong Kong could never recover from the rut and didn’t even get close in the end, folding for a sub-hundred total in the end. They ended up losing by 58 runs and were knocked out of the tournament as Pakistan advanced to the semi-finals.
Brief Scores: Pakistan 160 all-outin 20 overs (Aamer Jamal 41, Ayush Shukla 4-49, Mohammad Ghazanfar 3-26) beat Hong Kong 92 all-out in 18.5 overs (Babar Hayat 29, Khushdil Shah 3-13)by 68 runs
