T20 World Cup: Shami & Jadeja Pick 3/15, Rahul Scores Fifty as India bt Scotland
KL Rahul scored a half century during India's chase.
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India have defeated Scotland by a massive 8 wickets to stay in contention for a spot in semi-finals of the 2021 T20 World Cup.
After restricting Scotland to 85, India chased down the target in 6.3 overs to ensure their net run rate leaps ahead of that of Afghanistan and New Zealand. India are now at +1.619 and placed third in the Group 2 standings, behind Pakistan and New Zealand with the Kiwis ahead with three wins from four matches. Their net run rate is at +1.277.
Virat Kohli won his first toss of the tournament, on his 33rd birthday, and the Indian skipper elected to bowl first. Shami and Jadeja both finished with figures of 3/15 as Scotland were bowled out for 85. In reply, KL Rahul scored a half century as India completed the chase in 6.3 overs.
KL Rahul (50 off 19 balls) and Rohit Sharma (30 off 16 balls) went on a rampage in powerplay as India chased down the target with 81 balls to spare.
As expected, Virat's team came out with all guns blazing for the chase with Rohit Sharma starting with a slice over point. In the next over, KL Rahul cracked three boundaries through leg-side off Bradley Wheal. Rahul, in the mood, to finish things quickly, slammed back-to-back boundaries off Alasdair Evans followed by Sharma creaming a loft over extra cover.
Sharma welcomed Safyaan Sharif with a mighty six over deep mid-wicket. He went to collect two more fours to take India past the half-century mark in just 23 balls, the fastest team fifty of the tournament. Wheal came in for more thrashing from Rahul, taken apart for two boundaries. Sharma also pulled Wheal for four but the pacer had the last laugh, trapping him plumb lbw with a searing yorker.
Rahul blasted a four and six off Watt before taking a single to reach his half-century in just 18 balls. In an attempt to finish off things in style, Rahul holed out to long-on off the final ball of the power-play. Suryakumar Yadav finished the chase immediately after power-play with a six down the ground to seal India's second win of the tournament.
Earlier, George Munsey made a great start by whipping Bumrah for a six over square leg and then he went onto reverse sweep Varun Chakravarthy over third man. But Bumrah made the first breakthrough for India, foxing Kyle Coetzer with a slower ball, which he chopped on to his stumps.
Munsey continued his fine show with the bat, smashing Ashwin for a hat-trick of fours in the fourth over, including reverse-sweeps on the last two. But Shami brought his promising stay to a halt as he hit straight to mid-on in a wicket-maiden final over of power-play.
Jadeja made double strikes in the seventh over, taking out Richie Berrington and Matthew Cross in four balls. While Berrington missed one turning away and crashing to his middle stump, Cross was trapped plumb lbw on backfoot. Michael Leask swept Chakravarthy for a four before hooking and slapping Shami for a six and four respectively in the next over. But in an attempt to slog-sweep Jadeja in the 12th over, Leask missed the delivery and was trapped plumb in front of middle stump. Two overs later, Chris Greaves holed out to long-off off Ashwin, giving India a stronghold in the match.
Shami's third over of the match saw him clean bowl Calum MacLeod on the first ball. Safyaan Sharif wandered outside the crease and was run-out by Ishan Kishan running from mid-wicket. Shami had another wicket with the yorker, claiming Alasdair Evans. Bumrah wrapped the innings by ratting Mark Watt's leg-stump to become the leading wicket-taker for India in T20Is.
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