Salman Butt smashed a career-best 129, but failed to stop a Yuvraj Singh-inspired India from posting a 46-run win over Pakistan in the third one-day international in Kanpur, India, yesterday.
The left-handed opener hit 17 fours in his fourth hundred -- all against India -- as his side were bowled out for 248 chasing a 295-run target to concede a 2-1 lead in the five-match series.
Butt, 23, failed to upstage Indian left-hander Yuvraj who scored an impressive 77, brought off a run-out and then bagged a wicket to cap a superb all-round performance. He was named man of the match.
"Yuvi is our trumpcard, I said that even before the start of the series. We want him to bat for at least 30 overs because his knock is always important," India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni said.
"We wanted to win this match and go 2-1 up in the series. Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh was at his best today and he exploited the conditions well," he said.
Butt posed the main threat to India's total with a 142-ball knock but received little support from the other end as his side lost their way after an explosive start.
He went for big shots from the beginning as Pakistan raced to 72 off just nine overs, but lost hard-hitting Shahid Afridi (12) and in-form Younis Khan (21) in the process.
Yuvraj had a hand in the next two dismissals, running out experienced Mohammad Yousuf (16) with a direct hit from backward point to the non-striker's end then trapping Malik (12) leg-before.
Butt continued to dominate the Indian attack a wide range of attacking shots as he added 80 for the fifth wicket with Misbah-ul-Haq (38), but it came too late to swing the match in his team's favor.
The asking-rate kept climbing as Pakistan needed 96 to win in the last 10 overs with six wickets in hand. They lost their last five wickets for a meagre 34 runs, with seamer Rudra Pratap Singh finishing with 4-63.
Harbhajan was the most economical bowler, giving away 32 in 10 overs.
Hong Kong-based cricket team Hung See this weekend found success in their matches in Taiwan, even if none of the results went their way. Hung See played the Chairman’s XI on Saturday morning, the Daredevils that afternoon and PCCT yesterday, with all three home teams winning. The team for Chinese players at the Happy Valley-based Craigengower Cricket Club sends teams on tour to “spread the game of cricket.” This weekend was Hung See’s second trip to Taiwan after visiting Tainan in 2016. “The club has been traveling to all parts of the world since 1982 and the annual tradition continues [with the Taiwan
Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei yesterday advanced to the semi-finals of the women’s doubles at the Australian Open, while Coco Gauff’s dreams of a first women’s singles title in Melbourne were crushed in the quarter-finals by Paula Badosa. World No. 2 Alexander Zverev was ruffled by a stray feather in his men’s singles quarter-final, but he refocused to beat 12th seed Tommy Paul and reach the semi-finals. Third seeds Hsieh and Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia defeated Elena-Gabriela Ruse of Romania and Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine 6-2, 5-7, 7-5 in 2 hours, 20 minutes to advance the semi-finals. Hsieh and Ostapenko converted eight of 14 break
‘TOUGH TO BREATHE’: Tunisian three-time Grand Slam finalist Ons Jabeur suffered an asthma attack in her 7-5, 6-3 victory over Colombia’s Camila Osorio Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei yesterday cruised into the second round of the women’s doubles at the Australian Open, while Iga Swiatek romped into a third-round women’s singles showdown with Emma Raducanu and Taylor Fritz was just as emphatic in his pursuit of a maiden Grand Slam title. Hsieh and Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia, the third seeds, defeated Slovakia’s Tereza Mihalikova and Olivia Nicholls of Britain 7-5, 6-2 in 90 minutes in Melbourne. Ostapenko and Hsieh — who won the women’s doubles and mixed doubles at the Australian Open last year — hit 25 winners and converted five of nine break points to set
HARD TO SAY GOODBYE: After Coco Gauff dispatched Belinda Bencic in the fourth round, she wrote ‘RIP TikTok USA’ and drew a broken heart on a television camera lens Defending champion Hsieh Su-wei of Taiwan yesterday advanced to the quarter-finals of the women’s doubles at the Australian Open, while compatriot Chan Hao-ching on Saturday dominated her opponents in the second round, as world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka swept into the quarter-finals. Third seeds Hsieh and Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia toppled Hungary’s Timea Babos and Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the US 6-4, 6-3, hitting 24 winners and converting three of seven break points in 1 hour, 18 minutes at 1573 Arena. Although rivals at last year’s Australian Open — where Hsieh and Belgium’s Elise Mertens beat Ostapenko and Ukraine’s Lyudmyla Kichenok 6-1, 7-5
RSS