T20 World Cup Final: Williamson 85 takes New Zealand to 172/4 against Australia
Dubai, Nov 14: Skipper Kane Williamson was brutal and artistic during his beautifully crafted knock of 85, which took New Zealand to a competitive 172 for four against Australia in the T20 World Cup final here on Sunday.
Put into bat, New Zealand literally struggled in the first 10 overs with Martin Guptill's painful 28 off 35 balls slowing the proceedings.
Williamson made the stage his own with a grace of a 'ballet dancer' hitting 10 fours and three sixes in his 47-ball knock.
In the last 10 overs, New Zealand scored an astounding 115 runs to make a match of the 'Grand Finale'.
Williamson shifting gears with such ease that it was a treat to watch him play. The first 16 deliveries that he faced fetched him only 15 runs as Adam Zampa was back then in the midst of a good spell while Guptill's scratchy form also affected the skipper.
But once, he decided that he needed to get a move-on, he hit all those copybook shots at his own free-will scoring 70 off the next 31 deliveries.
The Black Caps skipper showed why he is one of the modern-day greats during the back-10 as he strategically took the attack back to the opposition camp. He became the captain with the highest score in a T20 World Cup final surpassing Kumar Sangakkara.
He first turned the tide in the 11th over when he launched into Mitchell Starc (0/60 in 4 overs) taking 19 off his over including a dropped catch behind square by Josh Hazlewood.
The manner in which he creamed Starc through mid-off by charging down the track, was the most delightful one among the three that he smashed in that over.
When Starc came for his third over and team's 16th, his confidence was already shaken and Williamson made a mockery of him with class of Test match batting mixed with a dash of T20 flair.
One for the ages was a 'pick-up flick' when Starc dragged one into his pads and it soared into the Dubai skyline before landing in the gallery.
If Starc's second over was very bad, the worse came in his third which yielded the Kiwis 24 runs including four fours and a six.
It was a 'half-century' of ignominy that he would like to forget and also forgive Josh Hazlewood for what could possibly be a 'match-turning' bungle.
Hazlewood (3/16 in 4 overs) though was pick of bowlers along with Adam Zampa (1/24 in 4 overs).
The first half of the night certainly belonged to Williamson, who again reiterated the age-old saying -- a technically accomplished Test batter can play any format with authority as he did during an en evening when it mattered the most.
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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).
