Scrappy Bangladesh stay alive in T20 World Cup with 26-run win over Oman
Al Amerat, Oct 19: Bangladesh kept their hopes of advancing to Super 12s stage alive with a nervy 26-run win over co-hosts Oman in their Group B match of the T20 World Cup here on Tuesday.
Opener Mohammad Naim struck a fine half-century to help Bangladesh set a 154-run target before bowlers led by star pacer Mustafizur Rahman (4/36) restricted Oman to 127 for 9.
Both Oman and Bangladesh now have one win each, and will be vying for the only remaining spot to qualify for the Super 12 stage. Scotland, who beat Papua New Guinea earlier in the day, have already qualified from the group.
While Oman will take on Scotland, Bangladesh next play Papua New Guinea.
Chasing a challenging target, Ludhiana-born Jatinder Singh (40 off 33) provided a solid start for Oman alongside Kashyap Prajapati (21) but the other batters struggled.
Like Oman, Bangladesh were also guilty of dropping catches. But under tremendous pressure, they held their nerves and thanks to some astute captaincy by skipper Mahmudullah and the spinners Shakib Al Hasan and Mahedi Hasan they were able to make a strong comeback.
Left-arm pacer Mustafizur Rahman took four wickets.
Oman needed 54 runs in the last five overs. But with the boundaries drying up and the required run rate continuously increasing, Oman batters became desperate and went for the big shots, losing their wickets in the process.
Shakib, who starred with the bat also pitched in with the ball, ending with impressive figures of 3/28 while Mahedi Hassan (1/14) and Mohammad Saifuddin (1/16) took a wicket each.
Opting to bat in a must game win, Bangladesh, who lost their tournament opener to Scotland, struggled to 29 for the loss of two wickets in the powerplay.
With their backs up against the wall, Naim, who hit 64 of 51 deliveries, and star all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan (42 off 29) shared an 81-run stand to give their side the much-needed momentum.
Dropped catches and sloppy fielding only added to the two batters' increasing confidence.
While Fayyaz Butt, who played U-19 cricket for Pakistan, pulled off a stunning catch of his bowling to get rid of Mahedi Hasan for a duck, Oman were guilty of dropping as many as three catches.
Naim, playing his first game of the tournament, hit four maximums and three boundaries while Shakib's innings was studded with six fours.
However, a brilliant piece of fielding that saw Aqib Ilyas effect Shakib's run out that saw the spring return in Oman's step.
The co-hosts seized the momentum, snaring six wickets while giving away 41 runs in the last five overs.
Pacers Fayyaz Butt (3/30), Kaleemullah (2/30) and Bilal Khan (3/18) shared eight wickets while left-arm spinner Zeeshan Maqsood (1/17) accounted for one.
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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).
