Cricket

England will face their toughest challenge yet in the T20 World Cup 2024 semi-final against India, according to all-rounder Moeen Ali. The two teams will meet in Guyana on Thursday, with England hoping to repeat their 10-wicket thrashing of India at the same stage in the 2022 tournament.England have been in impressive form throughout the tournament, but they have yet to face a team of India's caliber. India, on the other hand, have been in dominant form, winning all of their completed matches in the last three weeks.Moeen believes that England will need to be at their best to beat India, but he is confident that they can draw on their previous success against the same opponents."They're just a brilliant side," Moeen said. "They've got everything covered, so we're going to have to be at our best to beat them. I'm looking forward to it, actually: it's a great challenge, similar to the last time we played them in the semi-final in Australia."That Adelaide semi-final is best remembered for Jos Buttler and Alex Hales' unbroken 170-run partnership which led England to victory with four overs to spare, but was set up by their bowlers. India managed only 62 for 2 off their first 10 overs after being asked to bat first, and Hardik Pandya's late hitting was not enough to get them to a winning total.Moeen said his main memories of the game were "just how clinical" England were in their preparation. "But [also] the way we took them on, and we were unbelievable with the bat. We set the game up on that wicket with the ball. Even when they got away from us a little bit at the end, it was a bit late. That was a great day, and a great performance."India will be looking to avenge that defeat and reach the final for the second time in a row. They will be led by Rohit Sharma, who has been in excellent form throughout the tournament.The match is sure to be a close and exciting affair, with both teams having a chance to reach the final.

Brad Hogg, a former Australian cricketer, has criticized the Australian team's lack of preparation for their match against India in the T20 World Cup Super Eights. Hogg specifically pointed out the ineffectiveness of Mitchell Starc, the pace bowler, who struggled to contain Rohit Sharma's onslaught.Rohit Sharma unleashed a blistering 41-ball 92, which included an over where he plundered 29 runs off Starc's bowling. This explosive innings propelled India to an imposing total of 205 runs. India's formidable score proved to be too much for Australia, as they fell short by 24 runs in their chase.Hogg believes that Australia's lack of preparation was evident in their poor fielding display. He described their efforts on the field as "terrible," expressing his disappointment with their subpar display.In addition to Rohit's explosive batting performance, Hogg also pointed out that the subpar fielding display by the Australian team played a role in their loss against India.Hogg also slammed the Australian team's fielding performance in their match against Afghanistan during the Super 8s stage. He described their efforts on the field as "terrible," expressing his disappointment with their subpar display.In a stunning turn of events, Afghanistan managed to secure a 21-run victory over Australia, defying expectations. The Afghan team then proceeded to defeat a resilient Bangladesh side, securing their spot in the semifinals. This remarkable achievement sent the people of Afghanistan, a nation afflicted by conflict, into a state of euphoria and celebration.Hogg believes that South Africa, often labeled as chokers, are finding their rhythm at the crucial stages of the T20 World Cup. He praised Aiden Markram's team, calling them "amazing," and suggested they have the potential to overcome their historical struggle of never securing an ICC trophy.Given their history of strong performances, Hogg is confident that South Africa has what it takes to overcome the challenge posed by Afghanistan and advance to the championship match.

The T20 World Cup 2024 has reached its thrilling semi-final stage, with four teams vying for the coveted title. After a nail-biting Super Eight phase, South Africa, Afghanistan, India, and England have emerged as the semi-finalists.In the first semi-final, Group 2 winners South Africa will face Afghanistan, who stunned Australia in a dramatic finish. The match will take place at the Brian Lara Stadium in Tarouba on June 26 at 8.30pm local time.The second semi-final will pit Group 1 leaders India against England. This match will be held at Guyana's Providence Stadium on June 27 at 10.30am local time. India was pre-assigned the second semi-final in Guyana, regardless of their Super Eight performance.The playing conditions for the semi-finals differ. The second semi-final between India and England will not have a reserve day due to the short gap between the match and the final. However, both semi-finals have 250 minutes of additional time available. The first semi-final will have 60 minutes of extra time on the day of the match and 190 minutes on the reserve day, starting at 2pm local time. The second semi-final will have the entire 250 minutes available on the scheduled day.To constitute a complete game in the semi-finals and final, both teams must bat a minimum of 10 overs per innings, unlike the five overs per innings rule in the rest of the tournament. This is crucial considering the possibility of rain at both venues. In case of a washout, the team that finished higher in their respective Super Eight groups (India and South Africa) will advance. If the final is abandoned due to weather, the two finalists will be declared joint winners.

India's captain, Rohit Sharma, has revealed the tactical adjustments he made to overcome the challenging conditions and lead his team to a crucial victory against Australia in their final T20 World Cup Super Eight match.Despite losing his opening partner Virat Kohli early on, Rohit played a match-winning knock of 92 runs off just 41 deliveries, showcasing his skill with seven boundaries and eight sixes. His impressive performance helped India post a formidable total of 205/5, which proved to be a challenging target for Australia. The Indian bowlers then restricted Mitchell Marsh's team to 181/7, securing a 24-run victory and advancing to the semifinals.The persistent wind at the venue posed a significant challenge for the batsmen, prompting Rohit to adapt his batting style. He revealed that he had to play more strokes on the off side to minimize the wind's impact on his shots, ultimately leading to his match-winning contribution."I thought right from over number one, there was a strong breeze blowing across. They (Australia) changed their plan, bowling against the breeze, so I realized I had to open up the off side as well," Rohit said after the match. "You've got to factor in the breeze and understand that the bowlers are smart as well and open up all sides of the field. When you keep an open mind and not just think of one shot, you can access all areas of the field."Rohit also expressed his confidence in Kuldeep Yadav's ability to perform exceptionally well in the West Indies, following the wrist-spinner's experience with seamer-friendly conditions in the United States. Kuldeep returned excellent figures of 2/24 in his four overs."Kuldeep, we understand the strengths he has, but you have to use it when you need it. The pitches in New York were seamer-friendly, but we knew he would play a big role later," Rohit said.Rohit remained focused on the game's rhythm, asserting that his primary goal was to sustain the "tempo" of the match. He made it clear that personal milestones, such as reaching a century, were not his concern at that moment."It was a good wicket, and you want to try and back yourself to play those kinds of shots. I've been trying to do that for a few years now, and I'm glad it came off today. The fifties and hundreds don't matter, I wanted to bat with the same tempo and carry on," he added.Rohit expressed his desire for the Indian team to maintain their current style of play as they progress into the knockout stages of the tournament."We don't want to do anything different (in the knockouts). We want to play the same way, understand what the individuals need to do in a given situation, and play freely," Rohit said. "So far we've been doing that consistently, and semifinals, we have to try and do the same thing. It'll be nice (to play England in the semifinal). Nothing changes for us, we want to focus on what we can do as a team, and take the game on."

Australia's T20 World Cup hopes now hinge on the outcome of the Afghanistan-Bangladesh match after they suffered a 24-run defeat to India in their must-win Super 8 clash.The Aussies ended their Super 8 campaign with just one victory in three matches and now require Bangladesh to beat Afghanistan and become the second team from Group 1 to qualify for the semifinals.Australia will fail to reach the last four if Afghanistan, who defeated them by 21 runs in a stunning upset last time out, beat Bangladesh in the concluding game of the Super Eights stage.Despite the defeat, Australian skipper Mitchell Marsh said his team technically still stands a chance for the last four berth and expressed his support for Bangladesh to win."It's disappointing. Still technically a chance to go through, and today India got the better of us. I think over the course of 40 overs there's a lot of small margins, but honestly, India were the better team," Marsh said at the post-match presentation.He also lavished praise on Indian captain Rohit Sharma for his blistering knock of 92, emphasizing the impact he can have on the game once he settles in at the crease."We've seen for 15 years what Rohit Sharma can do in that kind of mood, and he got off to an absolute flier. In a run chase like that, you're in it if you can keep it at tens for as long as possible, but India were too good for us. Come on, Bangladesh!"Rohit led from the front with a 41-ball knock, including seven fours and eight sixes, as his side posted a total of 205-5.Australia was then held to 181-7, with opener Travis Head top-scoring with 76 in an innings where left-arm paceman Arshdeep Singh took 3-37.India will now play defending champions England in Thursday's semi-final in Guyana.

In a thrilling Super 8 clash at the 2024 T20 World Cup, Indian all-rounder Axar Patel etched his name in the annals of cricket history with an extraordinary catch to dismiss Australian skipper Mitchell Marsh.After Marsh had survived a couple of earlier dropped catches, Axar produced a moment of brilliance on the final ball of the ninth over. Kuldeep Yadav's length ball was slog swept by Marsh, sending it hurtling towards the deep backward square-leg fence.As the ball approached, Axar, despite being a left-handed fielder, instinctively raised his right hand and timed his jump to perfection. The ball, traveling at a rapid pace, stuck in his grasp, sending shockwaves through the Australian camp.The catch not only ended Marsh's dangerous 37-run knock but also broke the 81-run partnership between him and opener Travis Head. It was a pivotal moment in the match, as Australia were chasing a formidable target of 206 set by India.Earlier, Rohit Sharma had played a blistering innings of 92 off 41 balls, propelling India to a commanding total. On a batting-friendly surface, Rohit unleashed his full repertoire of shots, hitting seven fours and eight sixes, including a record-extending 200th six in the T20 format.Axar's catch and Rohit's innings were the highlights of a memorable match that showcased the skill and excitement of the T20 World Cup.

Virat Kohli's early dismissal left India reeling at 6 for 1 in the second over of their T20I clash against Australia. However, Rohit Sharma stepped up to the plate and unleashed a brutal assault on Mitchell Starc, turning the tide in India's favor.Starc's first delivery to Sharma was a full toss outside off stump, which the Indian opener dispatched over cover for a six. The next ball was another full delivery, this time wider, and Sharma again sent it soaring over the boundary at cover point.Sharma's onslaught continued with a powerful drive down the ground for four off the third ball. Starc's fourth delivery was a 144kph full toss outside off stump, and Sharma seized the opportunity to launch it into the crowd at deep midwicket for another six.Starc attempted to stem the flow of runs with a wide blockhole, but Sharma was unable to connect. The Australian pacer then overstepped, resulting in a wide.Undeterred, Starc persisted with the wide yorker, but this time it sailed outside the tramlines. Sharma capitalized on the full toss that followed, top-edging it over deep third for another six.Starc's expensive over ended with Sharma on 26 runs from just five deliveries. The Indian opener's blistering start gave India the momentum they needed to post a competitive total of 161 for 7.

Indian cricket team's star batter Virat Kohli's dismal form at the T20 World Cup 2024 continued on Monday as he was dismissed for a duck during the Super 8 match against Australia. Kohli faced just five deliveries before he completely miscued a shot off the bowling of Josh Hazlewood and the catch was comfortably taken by Tim David at wide mid-on.Kohli's dismissal sparked a flurry of reactions on social media, with many fans expressing their disappointment and frustration. Some even called for him to be dropped from the team."Someone send him back to 3," tweeted Waqiullah Budye."TV Off," wrote Lokesh Saini."Pull is not everyone's cup of tea," added Jaunism.Kohli's poor form in the tournament has been a major concern for India. He has scored just 66 runs in six matches, with four single-digit scores.Earlier, Australia captain Mitchell Marsh won the toss and opted to field."We are going to bowl first. Looks a belter, it looks lovely. It's a quarter final, looking forward to it, big challenge against India. We have had ourselves in this situation before, every game is a must-win now. We got an experienced group, a great staff. Starc comes in for Agar," Marsh said at the toss.India skipper Rohit Sharma said that he would have fielded if India won the toss."We would have fielded first as well, looks a bit sticky. We wanted to chase. We know what exactly we are doing, will try to do our best. I hope it doesn't change much. The overhead conditions also matter in this part of the world. We have adapted well, hopefully another game where we put up a show. Every game matters in this tournament, nothing changes. We are playing the same team," Rohit said.

India and Australia Clash in Crucial T20 World Cup MatchThe highly anticipated clash between India and Australia in the 2024 ICC Men's T20 World Cup is set to take place at the Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium in Gros Islet, St Lucia. With both teams vying for a spot in the semifinals, the stakes are incredibly high.India, led by Rohit Sharma, has been in impressive form, securing commanding wins over Afghanistan and Bangladesh. Their batting lineup has been firing on all cylinders, with Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Suryakumar Yadav leading the charge. The bowling unit, anchored by Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh, has also been solid.Australia, on the other hand, has had a mixed tournament so far. After a disappointing loss to Afghanistan, they bounced back with a victory over Bangladesh. Captain Mitchell Marsh will be looking for his team to put in a complete performance and overcome the challenge posed by India.The pitch report suggests that there will be some assistance for both pacers and spinners. The dimensions of the square boundaries are 66 meters and 69 meters, with a 78-meter straight hit. The weather forecast is uncertain, but the hope is that the rain will stay away.India will be aiming to secure a win by any margin to guarantee their qualification for the semifinals. Australia, on the other hand, needs a big enough win to surpass India on NRR. If they fail to do so, they will be hoping for a favorable outcome in the match between Afghanistan and Bangladesh.The match promises to be a thrilling encounter between two of the world's top cricket teams. The atmosphere is sure to be electric as both teams battle it out for a place in the semifinals.