Bhanuka Rajapaksa takes Sri Lanka to 154/6 vs Australia after mid-innings collapse
Dubai, Oct 28: Mitchell Starc bowled the "ball of the tournament" as Australia engineered a mid-innings collapse but couldn't stop Sri Lanka from posting a decent 154 for 6 in a group league match of the ICC T20 World Cup here on Thursday.
Starc (2/27 in 4 overs) bowled a brilliant comeback delivery in the form of a vicious inswinging yorker after being hit for a six which saw the end of Kusal Perera (35 off 25 balls) as Sri Lanka lost four quick wickets for 16 runs to slump to 94 for 5 from a relatively strong 78 for 1 in little under three overs.
Bhanuka Rakaspaksa (33 not out off 26 balls), then launched into Australian attack's weak-link Marcus Stoinis (0/35 in 3 overs) to get Sri Lanka somewhat back on track which looked improbable after Starc's second spell.
However Perera and last match's hero Charith Asalanka (35 off 27 balls) added 63 runs in little over seven overs to set up the platform.
Asalanka was the first to get off the blocks when he slog-swept Glenn Maxwell over deep mid-wicket for a six and also swept behind square for a boundary. He then got another four off Josh Hazlewood's bowling before Perera also joined the fun.
He smacked Starc for a six over long-on in his signature typical 'Sanath Jayasuriya style' but the left-arm speedster then bowled one that jagged back late and landed in the blockhole at a good pace. Perera couldn't even bring his bat down before it disturbed the stumps.
Before that, Asalanka had been dismissed by leg-spinner Adam Zampa, who easily was the most influential bowler on a good batting track with astounding figures of 2/12 in 4 overs. He bowled 12 dot balls which is equivalent to two overs without a single run being scored.
It was because of Zampa that Sri Lanka despite some great shots in between didn't get the requisite momentum during the those middle overs.
Add to it he and Starc shared the spoils to make it difficult for opposition batters. It was Rajapaksa's four boundaries and a six that lent muscle to their score in the end.
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India & Israel elevate ties to special strategic partnership, vow to soon conclude free trade deal
Jerusalem (PTI): India and Israel on Thursday elevated their "time-tested" relationship to a special strategic partnership and agreed to soon firm up a "mutually beneficial" free trade deal even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi strongly backed the Gaza peace initiative, asserting that humanity must never become a victim of conflict.
Following talks between Modi and his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu, the two sides inked a plethora of agreements to expand cooperation in areas of trade, agriculture, energy, cyberspace and digital payment.
India and Israel also vowed to expand their already close defence partnership by working towards joint development and joint production of military hardware under the framework of the transfer of technologies.
In his media statement, Modi said India's security interest is linked to peace and stability in the Middle East, adding that New Delhi fully supports the Gaza Peace Initiative.
"India's stance is clear: humanity must never become a victim of conflict. A path to peace has been created through the Gaza Peace Plan. India has fully supported these efforts," he said.
"In the future as well, we will continue dialogue and cooperation with all countries," he said.
PM Modi landed in Israel on Wednesday on a two-day visit. It is his second visit to Israel in nine years.
In his remarks, the prime minister said India and Israel have a united view that there is no place for terrorism in the world and both sides stand shoulder-to-shoulder in countering terrorism and its supporters.
"Our relationship is founded on the strong bedrock of deep trust, shared democratic values, and human sensitivities. Our bond has stood the test of every trial of time," he said.
"Today, we have taken the historic decision to elevate our time-tested partnership to the status of a 'Special Strategic Partnership'," he said.
The prime minister also announced the establishment of an India-Israel critical and emerging technologies partnership to impart a new momentum for cooperation in areas of artificial intelligence, quantum, and critical minerals. "I am pleased that an agreement has been reached for the use of UPI in Israel," he said.
The prime minister, referring to the threat of terrorism, said India and Israel will continue to confront the menace unitedly.
"India and Israel are completely clear that there is no place for terrorism in the world. In any form, in any expression, terrorism cannot be accepted," he said.
"We have stood shoulder-to-shoulder in opposing terrorism and its supporters, and we will continue to do so," he added.
India and Israel also discussed the implementation of the India-Middle East Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) and cooperation under the framework of I2U2 (India-Israel-UAE-USA).
