Clinical Afghanistan rout Scotland by 130 runs
Sharjah, Oct 25: Afghanistan produced a dominating display of power-hitting before Mujeeb Ur Rahman ripped apart the rival batting line-up with his five-wicket haul as the strife-torn Asian nation routed Scotland by 130 runs in a Super 12 match of the T20 World Cup, here on Monday.
Afghanistan first posted a challenging 190 for four after opting to bat and then bundled out Scotland for just 60 run in 10.2 overs to pull off a huge win in Group 2.
Scotland piled up 27 runs in the first three overs before Mujeeb scalped Scotland skipper Kyle Coetzer and Calum MacLoed off successive balls.
Mujeeb didn't get his hat-trick but two balls later he trapped Richie Berrington to reduce Scotland to 28 for three after four overs.
Wickets continued to tumble for Scotland as Matthew Cross and George Munsey (25) departed in the next two overs.
The trend continued as Michael Leask, Chris Greaves and Mark Watt too failed to counter the guile of Rashid Khan (4/9) and Mujeeb.
After Mujeeb, it was Rashid's turn to cause destruction as he polished off Scotland the tail to hand Afghanistan a big win.
Scotland's struggle against spin can be gauged from the fact that five of their batters failed to open their accounts
Earlier, Nazibullah Zadran struck a blistering 59 off 34 balls, hitting five fours and three sixes, while Hazratullah Zazai (44) and Rahmanullah Gurbaz (46) also produced solid knocks to help Afghanistan score their best-ever total in T20 World Cup.
Zazai and Mohammad Shahzad (22) got Afghanistan off to a flier, stitching 54 runs off just 35 balls before the latter holed out at deep midwicket boundary.
Zazai played aggressively from the onset, hitting the bad balls to the fence and over it with consummate ease but his 30-ball knock was cut short by Mark Watt as he inside edged a delivery on to his stumps in the 10th over with Afghanistan reaching 82 for two.
Thereafter, Gurbaz and Zadran maintained the scoring rate as Afghanistan kept up the pressure on Scotland bowlers.
While Gurbaz played steadily from one end, Zadran was attacking from the onset as Afghanistan reached 127 for two after 15 overs.
In between, Gurbaz also showed his attacking prowess as he clobbered Josh Davey over the mid-wicket boundary with a helicopeter shot to hit a maximum.
Gurbaz, from there on, took his game to the next level and clobbered Brad Wheal for two sixes over long on to accumulate 16 runs from the 17th over.
Zadran was not to be left behind as he hit Watt straight down the ground for a boundary and then followed it up with a six over long-off in the next over.
But Gurbaz fell four runs short of his fifty when he handed an easy catch to Kyle Coetzer off Davey.
With wickets in hand, Afghanistan gathered 63 runs in the last five overs.
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Cong indulging in anti-national activities, wants illegal immigrants to settle in Assam: PM
Namrup (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday launched a scathing attack on the Congress, accusing it of engaging in "anti-national" activities and helping illegal Bangladeshi immigrants to settle in Assam.
The PM, addressing a public rally after unveiling a Rs 10,601-crore fertiliser plant at Namrup in Assam's Dibrugarh district, accused the grand old party of opposing the revision of voter list due to its only aim of grabbing power.
"The Congress is indulging in anti-national activities. They want illegal Bangladeshi immigrants to settle in Assam's forests and land. They only want to strengthen their vote bank, and don't care about the people," he claimed.
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Modi said the opposition party is not concerned about the identity, existence and pride of Assamese people, which the BJP has been trying to protect.
"The Congress is opposing the revision of voter lists as it wants to grab power... They oppose whatever good I try to do... The BJP government will always work to protect the identity, land, pride and existence of Assamese people," Modi asserted.
"Assam must be safeguarded from the poison of Congress' appeasement and vote-bank politics. I assure you all that BJP will stand like a shield to protect Assam's identity and honour," he told thousands of people ahead of the assembly polls.
The Assembly polls to 126 constituencies are likely to take place in March-April next.
Underscoring that BJP governments at the Centre and state are for the poor, tribals, youth and women, Modi said it is working to end decades of violence in Assam and the Northeast.
"Our government has always kept Assam's identity and culture paramount, highlighting symbols of Assamese pride on every platform," he added.
Addressing the rally on the second and final day of his Assam tour, the PM alleged that the Congress has inflicted "so much wrongs" to this country that despite "correcting" those for the last 11 years, a lot of work still remained to bring everything on track.
"When our government awarded Dr Bhupen Hazarika the Bharat Ratna, the Congress openly opposed the decision. Its national president remarked that 'Modi nachne gane walon ko Bharat Ratna de raha hai' (Modi is giving Bharat Ratna to dancers-singers), which is an insult to both Bhupen Da and the people of Assam," Modi asserted.
He said the BJP government's aim is to make Assam as powerful as it was during the Ahom dynasty centuries ago.
"Industrialisation and connectivity are fulfilling Assam's dreams. The double-engine government of the BJP is empowering youth to see new dreams," he added.
Continuing its tirade against the Congress, Modi said even when a semiconductor unit was set up in the state, the opposition party went against it.
"It was the opposition government that for decades denied land rights to the tea community brothers and sisters, whereas the BJP government has given them land rights and a dignified life," he added.
Expressing satisfaction at the presence of a huge number of women at the rally, Modi said: "When my mothers and sisters come in such large numbers, it gives me a special feeling. Many sisters have come with tea gardens' flavour and tea's flavour creates a special feeling inside me."
He also informed the crowd that when Russian President Vladimir Putin visited India recently, Assam's black tea was gifted to the VIP.
"We facilitated the opening of Jan Dhan accounts for 7.5 lakh tea garden workers in Assam. Funds can now be transferred directly to their accounts, ensuring greater transparency and efficiency. The BJP government is also working to improve basic amenities in tea garden regions," the PM said.
Stating that India cannot develop without Northeast's progress, he said everyone is lauding Assam's development momentum nowadays.
"The benefits of development have reached the poor in far-flung areas of the country. Due to our relentless efforts, 25 crore people have been taken out of poverty and a neo-middle class has been created in India," Modi asserted.
The PM pointed out that fresh data has come which symbolises the changes taking place in the country.
"Earlier, among the poorest families in villages, only one in 10 had a bike. Now, nearly half the families in villages own a bike or a car. Mobile phones have reached almost every household and items like refrigerators, once considered a luxury, have now become common and found a place even in village kitchens," he said.
Modi said that the role of eastern and Northeastern India is continuously increasing, and the entire region will become the growth engine of the nation’s development.
"Namrup plant is a significant contribution of the Northeast to the country's fertiliser needs. Projects like this demonstrate that in the coming time, the region will emerge as a major centre of self-reliant India and will remain as Ashtalakshmi in true sense," Modi said.
