India beat Scotland by 8 wickets in the Group 2 Super-12 match of the ICC T20 World Cup at Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
Full scorecard here
Match summary: India stay in pursuit of semi-finals with demolition of Scotland
By Gautam Bhattacharyya, Senior Associate Editor
Dubai: India overhauled a small target of 86 in 6.3 overs to beat Scotland by eight wickets in the evening match of the day here. Virat Kohli's men have done their best against the minnows in quick time to stay in the tournament – taking their run-rate over Afghanistan and New Zealand in the bargain.
Chasing a measly target, openers KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma were in full flow from the start – with the former belting a half-century in 18 balls. It’s been the fastest half-century in the this tournament and after the duo were dimissed with the end in sight, Suryakumar Yadav finished it off with a huge six.
The Indian spin trio of Ravindra Jadeja, Ravi Ashwin and Varun Chakravarthy (who came in for Shardul Thakur) were a bit too hot for the Scotsmen to handle, who took on the seamers well. George Munsey (24) and Mitchell Leask (21) came up with impressive cameos.
INDIA WIN BY EIGHT WICKETS
India overhaul a small target of 86 in 6.3 overs to beat Scotland by eight wickets. It's worth checking if the duration of the chase is a record of sorts but more importantly, Kohli's men have done their best against the minnows to stay in the tournament.
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A batting practice of sorts as Rahul reaches his half-century off 18 balls, the fastest in this tournament. However, he falls soon after to left-arm spinner Watt. 82/2
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Rohit falls, caught in front of the stumps to a fuller length delivery from Wheal, for 30. India 70/1 and Kohli comes out.
The Scottish bowlers can only stand and applaud the carnage unleashed by Rohit & Rahul. Is there any record of a T20 cahse finishing inside powerplay?
The two are on a song. Rahul matches up to Rohit with a lofted cover drive first and then a pick-up shot off seamer Evans for SIX - a bread-and-butter shot for him thanks to IPL.
2 overs - Ind 22/0
Four, four....Rohit uses the pace of seamer Brad Wheal for one over long on and then a clip off the legs. It's already 22/0 after two overs.
India's reply begins...it's good to see they have stuck to Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul as openers in chase of what could be called a banana skin target.
Mid-match summary: Scotland fold up for 85 against clinical Indian bowling
By Gautam Bhattacharyya, Senior Associate Editor
Dubai: The experienced Indian bowlers were all over Scotland, the feisty qualifiers, to bowl them out for a measly total of 85 after sending them into bat in the evening match of the day in Dubai.
It’s up to the Indian batsmen to knock off the runs for the loss of minimum wickets and in quick time to keep their net run-rate ahead of the other two teams – New Zealand and Afghanistan – in their pursuit of a semi-final spot.
The Indian spin trio of Ravindra Jadeja, Ravi Ashwin and Varun Chakravarthy (who came in for Shardul Thakur) were a bit too hot for the Scotsmen to handle, who took on the seamers well. George Munsey (24) and Mitchell Leask (21) came up with impressive cameos.
Scotland are 85 all out with 2.2 overs left. India need 86 to wn
Mark Watt looks to play a scoop shot, but Jasprit Bumrah bowls it full and straight and into his leg stump.
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Scotland have fallen apart as they lose two quick wickets! 81-9.
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14 overs - Sco 64/6
Mark Watt joins Calum MacLeod in the middle. Can Scotland reach 100?
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It's six down for Scotland as Greaves fails to get hold of a Ashwin delivery which was spinning away from him and Pandya doesn't drop too many of them at long off. 63/6 now.
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Spinners are definitely posing more questions than the pacers. This one from Jadeja holds it's line as Leask (21) goes down for a sweep but is caught leg before. Scotland are 58/5.
11 overs - Scot 57/4
Leask looks completely at ease against Shami..A pull for a six and then a bowlers' backdrive for four. An expensive over from the Indian speedster as Scotland cross the 50-mark. 57/4 off 11.
10 overs - Scot 44/4
It's a bit too much to expect the Scotland batters, who are hardly exposed to this quality of spinners, take on Ashwin, Jadeja and Chakravarthy in tandem. At halfway mark, they are 44/4 and the script looks predictable from here.
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Has the rot started? Berrington (0) deceived by Jadeja's classical left-arm spinner's delivery and then Cross (2) is caught at the crease in the same over. Scots are 29/4 after seven and need something extraordinary from here.
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Munsey, the dangerman, falls to Shami as he tries to take him on the full to clear the circle. The Scotsman's cameo ends on 24 as they are 27/2 after powerplay.
Munsey takes on Ashwin with a gutsy reverse sweep and then then another cheeky one... it's not often you see Ashwin being hit for three fours in an over. Munsey now on 23 off 14 balls.
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Coetzer (1) plays down the wrong line to a slower one from Bumrah who is firing on all cylinders. Scots 13/1 as Kohli brings in Ashwin in the fourth over.
SIX!
George Munsey picks up Bumrah nonchalantly and sends him over square leg - an impressive one. Scotland are 8/0 after first over.
It's a big occasion for Scotland cricket to be playing the 'big boys' from India, says their skipper Kyle Coetzer. They want to enjoy the occasion, he says.
The Teams
India decide to go in with three spinners as Varun Chakravarthy comes in for Shardul Thakur. The teams are ambling back after their practice sessions as the galleries are filling somewhat on a weekend - and a Diwali spirit which is very much in the air.
India: KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli(c), Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant(wk), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammed Shami, Varun Chakravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah.
Scotland: Kyle Coetzer(c), George Munsey, Matthew Cross(wk), Calum MacLeod, Richard Berrington, Michael Leask, Chris Greaves, Mark Watt, Safyaan Sharif, Alasdair Evans, Brad Wheal.
India win toss and decide to field
Hello and welcome from Dubai International Cricket Stadium. Indian skipper Virat Kohli has his share of good luck with the toss for the first time in this tournament and decides to field.
Upbeat India take on Scotland in crunch league game
By Gautam Bhattacharyya, Senior Associate Editor
Dubai: An upbeat India, who stayed afloat in the tournament with a convincing win over Afghanistan in their last game, need to keep their feet on the pedal against rookies Scotland at the evening game of the day here.
The agenda before Virat Kohli’s men is to win both their remaining games against Scotland and Namibia (on Sunday) with a healthy run-rate and then hope for an upset result in the New Zealand-Afghanistan game. The net run rate will be the determining factor to decide on the second qualifier from Group 2 for semi-finals should India, New Zealand and Afghanistan find themselves locked on same points.
Senior spinner Ravi Ashwin took the right approach in their pre-match media briefing on when he said their team wants to finish the tournament with handsome wins and then keep their fingers crossed as far as semi-final hopes are concerned. ‘’It’s something which is not in our hands,’’ Ashwin remarked.
Scotland, meanwhile, may be languishing at the bottom of the group but has a number of clean hitters in the team. Twenty20 can be a funny format and the Indian bowlers need to maintain the discipline from previous game and keep the pressure on.
