All-round Zimbabwe script 23-run upset win over injury-hit Australia
Colombo (PTI): Zimbabwe rode on collective brilliance to pull off the first big upset of the ongoing T20 World Cup, stunning injury-ravaged former champions Australia by 23 runs here on Friday.
This was only the second time that the African nation defeated the traditional heavyweights in the format, having last beaten them back in the 2007 edition of the showpiece.
Riding on opener Brian Bennett's unbeaten 64 and useful contributions from other top-order batters, Zimbabwe posted a challenging 169 for 2 after Australia, who were without some of their front-line bowlers, invited them to bat.
The lower-ranked side then bowled Australia out for 146 in 19.3 overs on a sluggish pitch to register a famous win.
In the 2007 edition of the same tournament, Zimbabwe, then led by Prosper Utseya, had beaten Australia by five wickets with one ball to spare in a low-scoring match in Cape Town.
Pacer Blessing Muzarabani returned figures of 4/17, while Brad Evans (3/23), Wellington Masakadza (1/36) and Ryan Burl (1/9) also delivered with the ball for Zimbabwe.
It was a disaster for Australia in their pursuit of 170 as they suffered a top-order collapse and were reduced to 29 for 4 in 4.3 overs with Josh Inglis (8), Travis Head (17), Cameron Green (0) and Tim David (0) dismissed cheaply.
Matt Renshaw played a lone hand for Australia with a 44-ball 65 while Glenn Maxwell made 31.
From 38 for 4 at the end of Powerplay, Australia reached 67 for 4 at the halfway mark with 103 runs needed for a win.
Maxwell and Renshaw then stitched a fifth-wicket stand of 77 runs off 9.5 overs to bring Australia back.
But Ryan Burl broke the partnership as Maxwell inside-edged one onto the stumps.
Australia needed 56 runs from the final five overs but Marcus Stoinis, who earlier left the field after being hit during the Zimbabwe innings, got out soon for 6.
Bennett took a stunning catch near the boundary to dismiss Ben Dwarshuis (7) for Brad Evan's third wicket of the day.
The target became 34 from 12 balls but Australia lost Renshaw and Adam Zampa (2) in the 19th over, and Matthew Kuhnemann (0) was run out in the final over.
Earlier, Zimbabwe's top-order batters fired collectively against a depleted Australia bowling attack to post a challenging 169 for 2.
Bennett struck seven fours from the 56 balls he faced and laid the perfect foundation for Zimbabwe for a big total, reaching 125 for one at the end of the 15th over. But Australia came back in the death overs, just conceding 44 runs in the final five overs.
Wicket-keeper Tadiwanashe Marumani and Ryan Burl chipped in with 35 each while captain Sikandar Raza remained not out on 25 off 13 balls.
With wickets in hand, Zimbabwe could have pressed the accelerator much earlier and scored more. There was just one six in the innings.
In the absence of the likes of Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood, the Australian pace-bowling attack seemed to be lacking sting initially and the Zimbabwe bowlers capitalised on that, only to fumble in the end.
Adam Zampa was handled very nicely by the Zimbabwean batters, as he remained wicket-less, returning figures of 0/31 from his four overs.
The highlight of the Zimbabwe innings, after they were sent in to bat, was the 61-run stand for the opening wicket between Marumani and Bennett off 7.3 overs.
Marumani hit two fours off Ben Dwarshuis in the third over and three boundaries off Glenn Maxwell in the fourth over after a sedate start.
Bennett joined the party with two boundaries in the fifth over bowled by Matthew Kuhnemann, taking Zimbabwe to a decent 47 for no loss at the end of power play.
Zimbabwe were 61 for one and they moved to 79 for 1 at the halfway stage. They added 46 runs in the next five overs, reaching 125 for one at the 15th over mark.
Pacer Marcus Stoinis left the field in the 16th over, holding his hand in pain while trying a return catch of Burl.
From a full toss, Burl hit straight back at Stoinis, who tried to get hold of the ball. Stoinis grimaced in pain and immediately called out the physio, before leaving the field.
Cameron Green completed the unfinished 16th over and it turned to be lucky, with Burl getting out in the last ball.
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Delhi HC Judge Justice Sharma to pass order on recusal plea by Kejriwal at 4.30 pm
New Delhi (PTI): Delhi High Court Judge Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma on Monday said that she would pronounce her verdict at 4.30 pm on pleas by Arvind Kejriwal and others seeking her recusal in the liquor policy case, as she took on record additional pleadings by the AAP chief on his plea.
Justice Sharma said although the pronouncement was scheduled for 2:30 pm, she was "going out of her way" in accepting Kejriwal's rejoinder as a written submission in the matter.
The former chief minister virtually appeared before the judge through video conferencing and urged her to take on record his rejoinder to the written submissions filed by the CBI.
Even as Kejriwal asserted that the registry's refusal to take his rejoinder on record was "miscarriage of justice", Justice Sharma remarked that since he was not being represented by a lawyer, the court went "out of its way" for him when it permitted him to file his additional affidavit last week even after the order on the recusal issue was reserved.
The judge said that as per the registry's rule, a party in-person must take permission from the court to file anything and since the present case was not "extraordinary", the same practice was being followed.
She added that in law, there is no concept of filing a "rejoinder" to the opposite party's written submissions, and she would permit Kejriwal to tender his pleadings as written submissions instead, so that he does not feel that he was not heard.
"You say you have respect for me. I have respect for every litigant. The rule of court will not be changed for anyone so I will treat it as written submissions. I am taking it on record. I am giving the indulgence to Mr Kejriwal," the court stated.
Solicitor general Tushar Mehta appeared for the CBI and opposed Kejriwal's request to file rejoinder. Mehta said nowhere in the country were pleadings taken on record after order was reserved a court.
He also said there is no concept of filing rejoinder to a written submission, and the court should do what it would do for any ordinary litigant.
Kejriwal had raised several objections against the judge hearing the CBI's plea against his discharge in the liquor policy case, including that she had earlier denied him relief on his petition challenging his arrest and refused to grant relief on the bail pleas of other accused, including Manish Sisodia and K Kavitha.
He also claimed that Justice Sharma had made "strong and conclusive" findings.
The former Delhi chief minister further alleged a "direct conflict of interest", claiming that the judge's children are empanelled central government lawyers who receive work through the solicitor general, who is appearing in the matter for the CBI.
Besides Kejriwal, the applications for recusal of the judge were also filed by AAP leaders Manish Sisodia and Durgesh Pathak.
Other respondents, including Vijay Nair and Arun Ramchandra Pillai, have also sought her recusal.
Solicitor General urged Justice Sharma to initiate contempt action against Kejriwal and others for seeking her recusal.
Terming concerns by Kejriwal and others as "apprehensions of an immature mind," Mehta told the court it was a matter of "institutional respect" and Justice Sharma should not succumb to pressure as her recusal on "unfounded allegations" would set a bad precedent.
On February 27, the trial court discharged Kejriwal, Sisodia and others in the Delhi liquor policy case, saying that the CBI's case was wholly unable to survive judicial scrutiny and stood discredited in its entirety.
