Washington guides India to series-levelling win against Australia
Hobart (PTI): Washington Sundar played a vital innings at the back-end while Arshdeep Singh and Varun Chakravarthy excelled with the ball as India defeated Australia by five wickets to level the five-match T20I series 1-1, here on Sunday.
Chasing a stiff 187-run target, Washington struck an unbeaten 49 off 23 deliveries as India won with nine balls to spare.
After Australia scored a competitive 186/6 despite India left-arm pacer Arshdeep (3/35) and mystery spinner Chakravarthy (2/33) taking three and two wickets respectively, India were off to a confident start but kept losing wickets at regular intervals.
However, Tilak Varma (29 off 26 balls), Washington and Jitesh Sharma (22 runs off 13 balls) played handy knocks to take the visitors to victory.
Earlier, half-centuries from Tim David (74 off 38 balls) and Marcus Stoinis (64 runs off 39 balls) gave Australia a fighting total.
Brief Scores:
Australia: 186 for 6 in 20 overs (Tim David 74, Marcus Stoinis 64; Arshdeep Singh 3/35, Varun Chakravarthy 2/33, Shivam Dube 1/43) vs India.
India: 188 for 5 in 18.3 overs (Abhishek Sharma 25, Tilak Varma 29, Washington Sundar 49 not out; Nathan Ellis 3/36).
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Pak, Afghan forces trade fire along Chaman border: Report
Islamabad (PTI): A heavy exchange of fire between Pakistani and Afghan forces was reported from the key Chaman border, according to a media report on Saturday.
Injuries were reported from the district hospital, but no fatalities occurred, the Dawn newspaper reported.
Officials from both sides accused each other of instigating the flare-up late on Friday night across the border in the Balochistan province.
While Pakistani officials said that Afghan forces had fired mortar shells on the Badani area, Afghan Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid claimed it was Pakistan that launched an attack on Spin Boldak, alleging that their forces were responding.
Pakistan's official sources told Dawn that Pakistani forces retaliated against the Afghan aggression and returned fire.
There were also reports of fighting on the Chaman-Kandahar highway, but these could not be immediately verified.
A senior official in Quetta confirmed on condition of anonymity that the exchange of fire started around 10 pm and continued until late at night.
The medical superintendent of Chaman district hospital said that three injured, including a woman, were brought to the medical facility.
There was neither any official word from the Inter-Services Public Relations -- Pakistan Army's media wing -- nor from the Foreign Office.
The Chaman border crossing, also known as Friendship Gate, connects Balochistan province to Afghanistan’s Kandahar.
Relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have deteriorated amidst regular allegations by Pakistan regarding the failure of the Afghan regime to deny safe havens to Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan terrorists.
The two countries had agreed on a ceasefire following tensions last month, but the Foreign Office said last month that technically there was no truce as it was contingent on the Afghan Taliban stopping terrorist attacks in Pakistan, which they had failed to do.
