India need to chase record target to win against England

Sports Desk: England set a respectable 338-run target for India to chase in the Cricket World Cup clash between the two sides at Edgbaston on Sunday.

The score, though defendable, was hampered by a steady fall of wickets as Mohammad Shami claimed 5 wickets in 10 overs to destabilise England, for whom this is a key match to win if they are to go forward to the next round.

However, no side could ever win chasing the target of 338 runs in the World Cup. Earlier, Ireland chased highest 328 runs against England in 2011 World Cup.

England won the toss and opted to bat first against India.

Jason Roy (66) was the first to go at 22.1 overs off Kuldeep Yadav's delivery. The batsman sought to hit a big one but it didn't carry, going down long-on and finding its way into Ravindra Jadeja's hands after he dove to catch it merely inches off the ground.

Jonny Bairstow (111) was next at 31.4 overs caught at deep point off Mohammad Shami's delivery. The side stood at 205-2 at that point.

Then, Shami struck again at 33.4 overs to capture the wicket of Eoin Morgan (1), caught out brillianty by Kedar Jadhav who ran from fine leg and dove forward to catch the ball.

Joe Root (44) was also dismissed by Shami at 44.1 overs, caught by Hardik Pandya at fine leg.

Jos Buttler (20) was caught out and bowled — in what was his fourth wicket — by Shami.

The bowler was on fire, claiming next his fifth wicket — Chris Woakes (7).

Ben Stokes (79), in at number 5, was the last man down sent on his way by Bumrah.

Earlier, Bairstow put his spat with Michael Vaughan behind him to score a hundred that left England well-placed in their key World Cup match.

The dynamic opener made 111, his eighth one-day international century, in a match England had to win to keep semi-final qualification in their own hands.

Bairstow and Roy, back from a torn hamstring, put on 160 — the highest first-wicket partnership of the tournament — after England captain Eoin Morgan won the toss in sunny conditions on a good batting pitch.

The pair reached 112-0 after 16 overs, smashing four sixes and 14 fours between them in front of a subdued pro-India crowd.

Roy survived a strong appeal in the 11th over with the total at 49-0 and England accelerated.

England came into this match with their hopes of emerging out of the 10-team round-robin phase in the balance after back-to-back defeats by Sri Lanka and champions Australia that followed an earlier loss to Pakistan.

The tournament hosts, looking to win the World Cup for the first time, had badly missed Roy in their last two matches.

Roy, however, was quickly into his stride, with the Surrey star chopping his second ball from Mohammed Shami for four, then drilling wide of mid off for another boundary.

Bairstow, involved in a pre-match war of words with former England captain Vaughan after suggesting pundits wanted England to lose, had two lucky breaks when big inside edges missed the stumps.

India captain Virat Kohli brought on leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal in the sixth over but Bairstow soon hit him down the ground.

Jasprit Bumrah, the world's top-ranked ODI bowler, was proving tough to get away.

Roy could have been out on 21 when India all-rounder Hardik Pandya appealed for a caught behind down the legside off his fourth delivery.

But Pakistani umpire Aleem Dar signalled a wide instead and Kohli opted against a review, although replays suggested the ball had touched Roy's glove.

Roy's response was to hit Pandya's next ball for six.

Bairstow completed a 56-ball fifty when he launched Chahal for a six that just cleared the back-pedalling KL Rahul at long-on, the fielder landing awkwardly as he made a desperate attempt at a catch.

Roy then followed his opening partner to the landmark in just 41 balls.

Bairstow twice more clubbed Chahal over long-on for six and handed out similar treatment to Kuldeep Yadav before deftly reverse-sweeping the left-arm wrist-spinner for four.

A single off Pandya saw Bairstow to a 90 ball-hundred, including 8 fours and 6 sixes. The batsman celebrated by removing his helmet and slowly punching the air.

risingbd/Dhaka/June 30, 2019/AKA